Is that a quest relevant object, or just a rock? Who knows? Being able to see what you’re doing is a helpful game mechanic. Red Dead does so much with hyper-realism that things can get lost in the visual noise. Unlike in the supposed graphical showcase of RDR2. Players won’t ever get lost in breathtaking landscapes or realistically lit night areas. The look of WoL is clean, simple, and memorable. Though West of Loathing is more ‘reserved’ when it comes to its art style, this certainly works to the game’s benefit. Draw your own conclusions, but the choice seems obvious. For the sake of comparison, Red Dead Redemption 2 came out 8 years after its predecessor, whereas West of Loathing took a whopping 14 years to follow up Kingdom of Loathing. Probably far too many for a single article.

Indeed, West of Loathing simply beats out RDR2 in most ways.

The collector’s edition even came with a cloth map, which is objectively cooler than RDR2’s regular ol’ paper map. Getting PhysicalĪlong with this new port, West of Loathing also received a physical cartridge release via Limited Run Games. All games will eventually come out on the Switch (except Red Dead Redemption 2, yet another reason it pales in comparison ). Technically, West of Loathing had its initial release in 2017, but in 2018 it was released on the Nintendo Switch, so we’re counting it. Everything you need in a proper, western themed RPG. This charming little black & white RPG has many of the same western tropes that RDR2 does, but trims all the fat with which Red Dead is generously marbled. That distinction belongs to West of Loathing. However, it wasn’t the best western game to come out in 2018. The long-awaited sequel was, in short, a hit.

It garnered tons of positive reviews, set a new standard for open-world videogames, and sold 17 million copies in its first week. 2018 was a big year for videogames, and perhaps the biggest game in that big year was Red Dead Redemption 2.

Best games of 2017 west of loathing