Sawbuck Gamer is our daily review of a free or cheap ($10 or less) game.
“Son, you don’t live to be sheriff this long by sticking your nose everywhere that reeks of murder,” explains the pragmatic lawman of Clintville, the main town in Westerado. Anyone who has ever seen a western knows the truth of his words, but that wisdom doesn’t really help you in your quest to find the murderous snake who massacred your family and torched their ranch. Since the law isn’t going to be much use, it’s up to you to take care of the townsfolk and get clues to the killer’s identity, so you can have your revenge. To this end, your uncle gives the most helpful advice: “Practice yer murderer-shootin’ skills on these bottles.”
It’s not a particularly sophisticated send-up of the genre, but the old school Sierra-style presentation and a soundtrack worthy of Sergio Leone are terrific. As you track down that no-good hombre, you can accumulate wealth playing five-card draw at the saloon or take on the Beefhand Bulls gang down at the mines. (Tip: When you find yourself outnumbered and under fire, run around as much as you can. Bad guys have a tendency to accidentally shoot one another like it’s Gun Appreciation Day, and gunfights require two hands on the keyboard, which can get thorny.) While Westerado isn’t quite the Hotline Miami of the Randolph Scott set, it’s still worth saddling up for. Don’t get your hat shot off.
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