Wild Bastards | PS5 Review

I can confidently say I have never played a game like Wild Bastards. It’s a wholly unique experience, which is something you can rarely say these days. It somehow combines roguelike sensibilities, deeply strategic thinking, board game elements, and tight shooting into a holistic package. Then it tops it off with memorable characters and a compelling story that kept me on the edge of my seat.

On the Run

There used to be a gang called the Wild Bastards, but their numbers have dwindled. Having been hunted down by the wealthy baron Jebediah Chaste, only two members remain. It’s up to Spider Rosa and Casino to pilot The Drifter, a sentient spaceship, to resurrect their fallen comrades and flee away to the mythical paradise of Homestead.

It’s an exciting setup to the weird sci-fi western tale Blue Manchu wants to tell. To my surprise, it’s told rather well. I expected a fun romp, but what I got was so much more. The characters are each varied, full of life and personality, and have their own interpersonal relationships with one another. The plot itself kept me engaged throughout its 15 hours as I learned the mystery as to why Chaste was so protective over this sliver of space, and just why he wanted the Wild Bastards dead at any cost. A few surprising twists along the way left my mouth agape as I wondered what would be coming next.

Plan Accordingly

The general flow of Wild Bastards begins with you picking a planet from a star system map. Each system map is procedurally-generated, with various forked paths having different pros and cons. You might really want that weapon mod, but is it worth fighting that particular set of enemies? The kicker is that you can’t fly backwards, so you can’t go back for that path you didn’t choose.

Once you select your planet, you select up to four characters to beam down to the surface. The surface is represented as a board game, and I can’t begin to explain what a fun idea that is. You move your various posse formations around in groups of one or two, and you can move them a set number of squares per turn. There are various stops with perks along the way, whether it be a dinner bell to lure guards away from their post, or a store allowing you to buy essential items like beans. You always have a destination objective to reach on the board, but it’s up to you how you’ll get there.

You don’t want to burn too many turns wandering, however, as Chate’s children are always on your tail. Take too long, and a very formidable boss fight will follow if they catch you. It adds tension and serves to remind you that the Wild Bastards are always on their back foot. 

Slap Leather

Inevitably, you’ll have to enter a showdown with some of Chaste’s hired goons. The firefights are often over in a matter of minutes, sometimes seconds, but you have to be careful and considered about them. Your health carries over from one battle to the next, so it’s in your best interest to play well. Certain characters are better equipped to deal with certain enemy types, so it pays to slow down and pay attention to what you’ll be up against.

Each showdown allows you two characters to bring into the battle. Every single character has their own weapons and unique abilities, and they vary wildly. Snake man Hopalong has a lasso that allows for stealthy choke outs, whereas constantly burning skeleton Smoky shoots off a finger gun full of firebombs useful for packs of animals. As you can tell, the characters in Wild Bastards aren’t always as simple as slingin’ six guns or firing off a sawed-off shotgun. Switching between the two characters is as simple as pressing a single button and happens instantaneously, similar to swapping your weapon in other shooters. The variety is inherent to the thirteen playable outlaws, and the many ways they can be used together ensure you’ll never get bored of the gunplay.

You do want to watch those characters closely, however, as each outlaw has an opinion of the other. This plays into the story in a big way, but also into the gameplay. Every now and then, a given two characters will fall out of favor with one another. They might even start a feud and refuse to work with one another. This keeps you from becoming too comfortable with any given formation, because those feuds prevent you from bringing certain characters together planetside. Nothing that can’t be solved over a shared can of beans, however. Conversely, they can become close and provide one another perks. It benefits you to pay close attention to various relationships aboard the Drifter.

Not the Man I Used to Be

As you progress through the story campaign, or subsequently in a procedurally-generated campaign, your band of outlaws level up. Each level up brings essential new skills, such as homing arrows for archer character Fletch. These upgrades are significant and help greatly on a run. There are also Aces, level up cards that you can find planetside, and these provide additional perks to your posse. In addition to those are mods, which can be applied to any character and can provide benefits such as decreased weapon spread or added fire resistance, although these go away at the end of your current star system.

As you can tell, there’s a lot going on at any given point while playing Wild Bastards. I found this to be one of the game’s greatest strengths, because even as I poured dozens of hours into it, new and exciting possibilities were constantly being presented. I fell in absolute love with the gameplay loop, finding it difficult to pull myself away. There was always “one more thing” I could do or think up. The possibilities felt endless.

Whistlin’ Dixie

The music is perfect, fully selling the western vibes in a sci-fi setting. I’m no musical expert, so I can’t really express myself on the topic too thoroughly, but I can tell you I loved it. Every line of dialogue is fully voiced, and every Wild Bastard is exactly how you’d expect them to sound. Their delivery is so expertly done that when you hear repeated phrases, it feels cool rather than annoying. Even the enemies stand out with humorous chatter as you thin their numbers one by one.

As you’ve no doubt seen by now, Wild Bastards is a stunner to look at. The art style calls to mind classic comic books, and every posse member and enemy are fun to look at. They are represented as 2D images against their 3D environments, which gives the game a very unique feel. Visual flairs are all over the place in ways that add to the experience, rather than distract.

Duel Over

As you can no doubt tell, I loved Wild Bastards. I’ve never played anything like it, and I’m not sure anything will ever be quite the same. The combination of different genres and gameplay types sound ludicrous on paper, but come together in a single sublime package that ensures every aspect of the game is synchronous with the other. I think it’s a genuine master class in game design. Add to that a story better than it has any right to be, filled with characters you won’t soon forget, and it’s the total package. Everyone should check out Wild Bastards.

To hear me talk more about Wild Bastards, be sure to listen to our September 20th, 2024 episode of The Gaming Outsider Podcast around the 49:49 time stamp.

This review is based on a purchased copy of Wild Bastards on PlayStation 5. It is also available on Xbox, Switch, and PC.