Screenshots & trailers
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 79 | 34 |
| Creator reviews (1 tracked) | – | 97 | 1 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 82% | 76 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 74 | 12 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 85% | 79 | 307 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Jun 16, 2025) · 300 reviews sampled · 307 total reviews in window · weighted 177.1 up / 31 down · computed 3h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (48)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 70
“I’d recommend Hard West 2 to just about anyone, even if you’ve never played the genre before. Some early growing pains are easily overcome and there’s just the right amount of tactics, exploration, story, and atmosphere. While not a revolutionary take on the mechanics, it’s a solid offering on all fronts.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Hard West 2 is a joyful tactical ride with a strong story and compelling characters.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Hard West 2? More like 1.5 or perhaps an expansion with a new campaign and some improvements. It’s not a typical sequel or even a sequel at all. But maybe, if it works, there’s no point making changes?”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Hard West 2 has some refreshing ideas to consider, such as perks based on your deck of cards, and consistently refreshing action points by way of kills. Unfortunately, its over-reliance on a puzzle-like, kill-all-in-one-round concept also leads to a repetitive and tedious romp as time wears on.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“The Wild West, spiced not only with gunslingers, but also with demons, has started its dangerous train and, even if with embarrassment, it is worth getting on it.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Hard West 2 comes with an enjoyably aggressive twist on XCOM-like turn-based combat, and with a fun way of upgrading your characters alongside, but it's wrapped up in world exploration and characterisation that just leaves me wanting to get back in the fight. There's a lot of fun to be had in Hard West 2, even if it's not blowing minds as a complete package.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Hard West 2 is a hardy, accomplished turn-based tactics game with several flashes of genius.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“I found it compelling. Even if you don’t like tactical combat, you have to admire something so completely insane and very much its own thing when the world is busy making roguelike soulslikes platformers. It’s also an excuse to buy a cowboy hat of your very own.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Hard West 2 is incredibly different from its predecessor and feels target towards the casual crowd, however even for turn-based strategy masters it's still an enjoyable experience for a fair price. You might want to wait for a few patches, though.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“A supernatural western turn-based RPG with solid narrative, combat, and some technical bumps.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Today, XCOM 2 is still the gold standard for turn-based tactics and Desperados III is arguably the ultimate Western tactical experience. With Hard West 2, though, Ice Code Games have captured some of the greatness of these landmark releases. The fiction could be more compelling, and the challenge a little less unfair, but this is a trove of head-scratching shootouts that is easy to recommend to tactics fans.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Held back by a few shortcomings, Hard West 2 is still one of the best tactics games in the genre.”
read full review ↗
Gamepressure
3DNews
GRYOnline.pl
PC Invasion
SECTOR.sk
TheSixthAxis
GameSpot
MonsterVine
SomHráč.sk
TechRaptor
Entertainium
GameSkinny…and 36 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Surprise patch and a new FrontierJun 16, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 2 is now Live: After Dark Update!Oct 17, 2022significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 1 is Now Live!Aug 30, 2022significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 1 BETA Build Now Available!Aug 19, 2022significant · resets scoring window