w Run West and Shoot for Gold!...Westward
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Gunslingers, sheriffs, bandits and gold - this real-time strategy ain't from New York City, if you catch my meanin'. Boy howdy.
Set during the westward expansion, when everyone and his uncle was runnin' west and lookin' for gold, the aptly named "Westward" brings frontier life to your computer. You run the lives of townsfolk as they try to survive the trials and tribulations of the unknown frontier, and - in my case - my ineptitude.
The music of "Westward" sets the mood immediately; the soundtrack would fit well in the background of any of the early westerns. The graphics are crisp and clean, the animation is whimsical but fairly authentic, and the sound effects – especially the voices of your villagers – are humorous and consistently entertaining. With the atmosphere set, you're ready to jump right in.
The early tutorials walk you through the features of the game as you learn how to move around, fight, harvest resources, manage your population and build new structures. Try not to worry! Even if it sounds complex, you'll find it easy to learn; the game introduces you to each feature one at a time, allowing you to take it all in at your own pace. You can even save the game and pick it back up where you left off later, something I find incredibly appealing, and something that enhances "Westward"'s value to the casual gamer.
The interface of the game is nice and simple, with point-and-click control making it easy to manage increasing numbers of townsfolk. Learning to use the features of the interface – like the tabs appear on your screen to represent a new task to be handled, or a villager who needs something to do – makes managing those increasing numbers easy; for instance, it helps you keep track of which gunslinger is guardin' the entrance, or which mine needs some minin'. The click-and-drag movement of the villagers can be made even easier by holding down the SHIFT button as you click a destination, making it easy to muster your townsfolk to repair a building or fend of some bandits. Throw in the map and your to-do task list and you'll never be lost or not have something to do. There is gold to mine, lumber to harvest and food to grow; who knows, if your town is successful, you may even end up on one of the railroad lines that were expanding through the area during that time-period.
The only way to know if you'll like it is to try it, and by gosh you ain't got nuthin' to lose. You can download and try it for free. If you like it, keep it, if you don't, do what you like.
Give it a shot – you know those gunslingers will.
I think that those old west towns used to run out people who used bad puns. I don't know how long I would have lasted.
J. Weston
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