Raphael Colantonio, director of past Arkane Studios hits such as Weird West is an action RPG which follows the stories of five different characters throughout the bizarre titular setting.
While Raphael Colantonio's well-known projects like Prey and Dishonored were played from a first-person perspective, Weird West instead utilizes a top-down camera angle. Despite the change in perspective, Weird West strives to maintain the same levels of player freedom and immersion that were presented in Arkane Studios' hits. The title's role-play mechanics will allow gamers to interact with all of the settings' unusual inhabitants, and different game systems will play off with each other in realistic ways. An interview with Weird West's Raphael Colantonio from July 2020 sheds more light on the mysterious and often terrifying adventure, including how its five distinct stories intersect in surprising ways.
Now Raphael Colantonio, in a video posted to YouTube by publisher DevolverDigital, has revealed the release date for Weird West. The title will launch on January 11, 2022, more than two years after its initial announcement. The reveal is accompanied by a gameplay demonstration which shows off many of the game's immersive sim elements. Players can manipulate different systems in unique ways, such as rolling a barrel of water to extinguish a growing brushfire or throwing a bottle to distract an enemy. Each of the game's five protagonists will also possess unique powers, with a werewolf character being a standout example.
Watch the Road to Weird West video on YouTube here.
While Raphael Colantonio continues to produce innovative immersive sims with WolfEye Studios, his former team at Arkane Lyon is creating a big-budget shooter. Redfall is a cooperative shooter which will see players work together to fight their way across a city occupied by an army of vampires. The recently-announced title has been compared by many to fellow supernatural co-op shooter Left 4 Dead, though Redfall will reportedly retain Arkane's distinct style. Multiple different playable characters will give players access to a plethora of different supernatural powers, and the city of Redfall can be freely explored at the player's convenience.
While it may look quite different from Dishonored or Prey, Raphael Colantonio's Weird West seems to retain the spirit of those past projects. Players are given the freedom to choose how they play through the supernatural adventure, with numerous game systems to manipulate and various choices to make. These choices will have a tangible affect on the game, meaning that no two playthroughs will be identical. Players can experience all five of Weird West's intersecting storylines when the game releases on January 11, 2022.
Weird West will release on January 11, 2022 for PS4, Xbox One and PC.
Source: DevolverDigital/YouTube
