Far Far West isn’t popular culture’s first stab at blending the worlds of cowboys and robots, but it is likely the first to do so with such levels of charm, chaos, and creativity.
This co-op “FPS shooter with a supernatural twist” launched via Steam’s Early Access model on April 28, quickly racking up half a million copies sold over its opening weekend. More impressively, it has maintained a staggering 97% “Overwhelmingly Positive” review score from the community.
The premise is refreshingly straightforward: you are a robot cowboy bounty hunter in a world where steampunk machinery meets the occult. It’s a “weird west” concept that feels instantly at home in the hands of this development team, and it’s buoyed up by a strong, cohesive aesthetic. Everything from the environments to the character models is fun, quirky, and uncomplicated.
Missions are clearly defined but delightfully bonkers. A supernatural sky-train transports your squad (or just you, if you’re a lone ranger) to objective areas that range from collecting bounties on the local miscreants, repairing oil derricks while fending off the undead, catching runaway trains, and even battling the odd possessed saloon or two. Maps are diverse, peppered with loot, and typically culminate in a boss battle against some sort of high-octane supernatural horror, and waves of the undead.
One of the beautiful things about Far Far West is that it doesn’t make huge demands. It’s not especially lore heavy, and there’s not a lot you need to know before diving in. It also doesn’t require a huge chunk of your time to complete individual missions. You are free to take on as many or as few bounties as you like, spend 10-15 minutes on a mission, or even free-roam the environment making your own kind of trouble if the mood strikes.
The game features a progression system where your power grows through active use. You manage a loadout consisting of an automatic rifle, an elemental pistol, and two interchangeable spells like poison or “voodoo” (a life-draining ability).
XP is earned simply by using your gear. The more you fire that rifle, the more you can level it up to increase fire rate, power, and reload speed. Similarly, reaching new tiers with your spells unlocks more devastating, evolved versions of your elemental powers. When you’re through putting trouble on the run, you call the train by ringing a bell at the tracks, hold out against a final wave of nasties, and return to town to spend your booty.
Between missions, you’ll explore a hub populated by a motley crew of robot citizens who behave in delightfully “cowboy” ways. Whether they’re drowning their sorrows in the local saloon or delivering dramatic, drawling lines like, “War is just a theater where no one remembers their lines, and everyone dies in Act 1,” the writing keeps the world feeling amusing and charming.
Gold and Souls are the central currencies, earned by killing skeletons and completing objectives. While gold is spent at the Rootin’ Tootin’ Shack for essential kit like ammo bags, health upgrades, and cosmetic skins (for both you and your horse), Souls allow you to purchase Jokers.
Jokers are special cards that provide unique modifiers. Some are purely for flair, like the “Hero Shine” which makes you look dashing, or the “Rubber Duck” which replaces your footsteps with squeaks. Others are literal lifesavers: the “Heavy Drinker” Joker boosts health potion effectiveness by 25%, while “Helping Hand” lets you revive downed teammates twice as fast.
Beyond the upgrades, Far Far West is mostly about the joy of discovery. Even in Early Access, the world is full of unpredictable asides. While play-testing for this review, I accidentally struck out in the wrong direction and found a small homestead where evil pumpkins had over-run a vegetable patch.
I spent ten minutes fruitlessly trying to “whack-a-mole” the regrowing gourds until another solitary cowboy robot rode up. Without a word, they joined the squishing, helped me clear the patch, and then simply tipped their hat and rode off into the sunset. It’s these unscripted, communal moments that make the game feel like a true playground. Throw in a pardner or 3 and you’ve got yourself the grounds for some true mayhem.
With Far Far West, developers Evil Raptor has achieved something rare: a co-op shooter that balances a bold aesthetic with clearly defined simple goals, and a sense of fun. As a small French studio of just eight people, they have injected more personality into this “robot-gunslinging-occult” vibe than many AAA studios manage with ten times the budget.
While there is still plenty of road ahead in Early Access, the core loop is already incredibly polished. If you’re looking to dip into a stylish, fun high-energy playground with friends, saddle up.
This is one frontier you don’t want to miss.
Many thanks to Fireshine Games for the advance review key.
Our Score: N/A (We don’t assign scores to Early Access games.)
Release Date: April 28, 2026
Platform: PC (Early Access on Steam)
Developer: Evil Raptor
Publisher: Fireshine Games
