Platform(s): PC (version reviewed), Xbox Series, Xbox One, PS5, PS4
Genre: Third-person action game with brawling, shooting, cowboys, and vampires

In Flying Wild Hogs’ latest action game, the devs have traded ninja stars and katanas for cowboy rifles, shotguns, and giant mechanized fists. They’ve also switched from first-person to third-person, most likely mimicking the formula some action games are using these days where the camera is showing two-thirds of the protagonist ala your Batman Arkham titles to the 2018 God of War.

Does the change work in favour of more visceral and in-your-face action where you slaughter the undead, vampires, and bandits indiscriminately as a lawbringer with all the tools? Strap yourself in, partner, because it’s about to get messy. We’re talking 2010s Xbox 360 action game-era filth!

You play as agent Jesse Rentier, who is tasked with dealing with vampires (called Ticks) in an alternate version of 19th century USA where vampires and familiars are a real thing and steampunk tech rules the roost. Jesse is straight-laced, is about as charming as a slab of beef, and gets the killing job done. The plot is there to show that (a) Flying Wild Hogs really wanted to do a Wild West story with a supernatural twist and (b) they just want players to control a badass cowboy with all the tools needed for maiming and in third-person fashion.

Thankfully, the latter is all we care about. The pretty standard plot with your…