When I saw the marketing for Wild B@stards, I was stoked. I've put a lot of hours into the original game by developer Blue Manchu and the shift to the space cowboys motif seemed like an inspired choice. I'll start with that decision and I really dug the atmosphere and world/lore they built in this game. The animation style is still striking but they also switch it up a little by making it more angular and playing with familiar locales in the genre to put a new spin on it. This also applies to the character designs, I'll get to their personality and development later but I also liked how distinctive yet fun everyone looked. From Casino having a slot machine rollers for eyes to Roswell looking like an ET from yesteryear fiction to Kaboom being made of vapor, they really went all out. My hats off to the team for not just being content to just recycle what worked about Void and they decided to build upon it.
My biggest problem with Void B@stards was the lack of a strong central narrative. Other than trying to escape the Nebula as a dangerous convict, there's little to nothing else. I feel like the developers actually listened to the constructive criticism brought forward against Void and did their best to improve upon it. Wild's narrative isn't amazing but it's strong enough and effective in moving the story forward. A mostly dead gang of outlaws are mysteriously resurrected by their former ship to fulfill a mission and reach their version of a getaway. It's not Shakespeare but it's a noticeable previously missing piece of the puzzle that's been filled in and there's enough there to allow your focus to drift to the game's real strengths.
One of the best parts of Void was the real tension that permeated when you went scavenging on a derelict ship. Trying to maneuver around Screws and Zecs when you're almost out of ammo and oxygen is a RUSH. Wild let's the player choose their route and which outlaws to bring but the planet surface acts like a tabletop strategy game. You have so many movement/action points to accomplish your goal and the get out of dodge before the powerful enemies show up. I liked this function, it allowed for a different kind of control of the situation. I also liked the showdowns with the gunplay. They're relatively simple, you just eliminate all the enemies but you can alternate between fighters, use their perks and tilt the fight in your favour. To me, there's was a beauty in the simplicity and I really relished in each encounter.
The real strength of Wild for me was in the diverse cast of characters, their interplay and how gameplay changes based upon which one you use. The gang looks great, sounds great (the game has a lot of fun vocal performances, credit to the cast for sure) and they're often hilarious. I couldn't really get attached to any of the characters in Void, I didn't have that problem here. You can also create alliances and squash feuds inside the gang with resource allocation and it can lead to different perks opening up that will help in showdowns.
If you haven't gathered from the paragraphs above, I mostly adored this game. The only minor flaws I can fling at it are that it can be a tad repetitive and that if you don't allocate resources or budget personnel properly, the difficulty ramps up quickly. I understand that the game can be a little rote for some but so was Void to be honest. The loopish style and the cyclical nature of combat is part of the genre, I'm not criticizing the opposing viewpoint but I don't know what people were expecting from a sequel to the original game. In terms of the difficulty, I think Void was actually more punishing to the player when you made mistakes so I can only recommend turning down the difficulty if the challenge is insurmountable.
I know this game has gotten a mixed reception from Void's fans but I was supremely pleased with Wild. Wild is brave enough to be different while still retaining a lot of what made Void work. Stronger plotting, stronger character development and a new genre slant propels Wild slightly past Void. It might not be everyone's cup of tea but it's mine for sure and I'll wholeheartedly recommend it.
