Evil West

Evil West, a hack and slash game released in November 2022, was developed by Flying Wild Hog and published by Focus Entertainment. It landed on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, and received mixed reviews.

The game is a third-person shooter where players control Jesse Rentier, a vampire hunter. His arsenal includes a six-shot revolver, a lever-action rifle, and a flamethrower, alongside a gauntlet that stores electrical energy for melee attacks. After stunning or staggering enemies with a melee hit, players can finish them with a special execution move. The environment is also a weapon—kicking foes into spike traps or shooting explosive barrels is encouraged. Boss fights feature powerful enemies with distinct attack patterns, and the campaign supports cooperative play with another person.

The story follows Jesse Rentier, portrayed by Derek Hagen, one of the last agents of a secret vampire-hunting organization. He must defend the American frontier from supernatural creatures. The Rentier Institute, his employer, battles the Sanguisuge—vampires that prey on humanity. Alongside retired agent Edgar Gravenor, Jesse pursues Peter D'Abano, a high-ranking vampire who wants to wage war on humans before their technology becomes a threat. The Sanguisuge leadership rejects this plan, sentencing D'Abano and his line to death. Jesse and Edgar ambush D'Abano, capture his head, and bring it to the Institute’s headquarters, the Manor.

At the Manor, Jesse’s father William gives him a Gauntlet that can break the Sanguisuge’s magical Glamours. During a demonstration for Assistant Secretary of War James Harrow, D'Abano’s daughter Felicity attacks, killing most of the staff and recovering her father’s head. William is critically wounded, and Jesse, Edgar, and Harrow flee to Calico, where they meet local Institute leader Emilia Blackwell. Suspecting William may be infected with vampirism, Edgar searches for a cure while Jesse repairs the Gauntlet.

While gathering parts, Jesse discovers Felicity is draining blood from mythical pre-Columbian beasts to create an army of Foulbloods. He destroys her blood source and returns to Calico, only to find William turning into Felicity’s Familiar. Jesse administers the cure, but William remains telepathically linked to Felicity, warning that she is in Dickinson.