I missed it at the time, wrote about it (scroll down, near the end) yesterday but didn’t realise it was newly announced, and today the penny dropped. Wild Bastards, the spiritual successor to Void Bastards, has been unveiled!
The news was revealed late on Thursday during a PC Gamer event. Those who watched the livestream were treated to the announcement trailer below, and I’ve grabbed all I could from the newly published Steam listing.
The premise in this Western-themed first-person roguelite shooter is that you’re trying to resurrect fallen comrades after they were wiped out by a rival gang. To save them we’ll get access to “13 outlaws, each of whom has their own weaponry, special power, and growth tree.”
What happens in Wild Bastards
We are promised “intense showdowns” and “bullet-flying shootouts”, in tactical battles where you’ll have to move your characters around to get the jump on your foes. You’ll also have to manage your gang and build relationships, and level and heal them – all that fun stuff.
Expect a procedurally generated galaxy to explore, and the Steam listing also details a post-campaign Challenge Mode, to boost long-term replayability. It certainly sounds like a well-rounded package, and developer Blue Manchu has earned my trust after Void Bastards – a decent shooter that offered a lot of fun ideas.
If you’ve not played the studio’s previous game, it has a lot in common to this follow-up. The most notable crossover is the first-person shooter gameplay, but knowing the studio’s work, I think we can also expect plenty of irreverent writing and, of course, there’s the stylish presentation.
Wild Bastards is heading to PC at some point in 2024.
