We’ve always had a soft spot for Western games, long before Red Dead Redemption made the genre mainstream.
One title that always sticks with us is GUN on the PS2, an underappreciated title which actually pre-dated Red Dead Redemption by a few years. (Yes, we know there was Red Dead Revolver, but that was a very different experience.)
Westlanders seems intriguing, then: an open world survival game similar to the likes of The Forest and Green Hell – but set in the Wild West.
The catch is we’re not convinced this will ever come out.
According to the press release, Early Access is planned for 2026 with a Kickstarter campaign also scheduled to go live in the new year.
It’s been a long time since we’ve seen a crowd funding campaign like this revealed, but Ferran Punti – who’s boss of dev The Breach Studios – says it’ll allow the team to “work hand in hand with motivated, invested, and passionate players”.
The concept does sound cool. You’ll be able to play solo or co-op, and your wagon will be your sanctuary out on the road as you explore the Wild West.
Eventually, you’ll be able to build camps and houses and “weave your own economic network”.
In addition to rival gangs, you’ll have to deal with the wildlife, as well as challenging weather conditions and even diseases.
So, it sounds like a mixture of survival game and tycoon-type sim, which instantly has captured our attention.
The game’s planned for PS5, but there’s no word on when Early Access will get underway and if it’ll even be available on Sony’s system.
We really like the ambition, but we’re going to get too excited until something a bit more tangible emerges here. Hopefully this project can deliver on its evident promise, though.