Hard West 2 is a novelty for us here at IndieGala. A game we’ve not written about on IndieGala’s blog. However, we did write about the West. A genre that consumes the entire video game. And it’s a fairly cool video game we might add. Released last year, but still with a cool discount for your post-festive budget. Hard West is a sequel to an equally entertaining action-packed RPG game. Let’s not forget. You can purchase Hard West here at IndieGala, and Hard West 2 too. Just click here.
But here’s the thing. Although we’ve not written about Hard West games before, we did write about westerns. Western games like Call of Juarez and games like Desperados III. Which you can also purchase here at IndieGala. And we also touched on the accompanying western movies that graced the silver screen over the years. Spaghetti westerns (here) of classic westerns (from each decade). You can look back at them here at IndieGala.
But What’s Hard West 2 All About?
Developed by Ice Cold Games and published by Good Shepard Entertainment, Hard West 2 is the sequel that the fans of the original game were waiting for. Hard West 2 is a journey to the heart of darkness in the American West. Take control of a supernatural posse and catch the mysterious Ghost Train. Outsmart, outcheat and outgun your enemies in this turn-based tactics game set in a Wild West world where nothing is as it seems.
Hard West 2 is available for purchase here.
Hard West 2 And Some Of The Most Iconic Outlaws
Picking five of the many iconic outlaws is not easy. Which is why we’re not gonna limit ourselves on real-life outlaws. There will be some iconic fictional outlaws here. And some ladies too. Hey, they were just as notorious as the men. So, with that in mind… Let’s begin, shall we?
Jesse James
The man, the legend. Jesse James is the logical starting point for this list, don’t you think? An outlaw, bank and train robber, guerrilla and leader of the James–Younger Gang. According to some sources, the James-Younger gang operated widely, from Iowa to Texas to West Virginia. Overall. And between 1860 and 1882, they are believed to have committed more than 20 bank and train robberies, with a combined haul estimated at around $200,000. He’s been such an iconic figure that Jesse James has been portrayed in video games, music, TV and movies. Brad Pitt most notably played James in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. And Colin Farrell played Jesse James in American Outlaws.
Butch Kassidy
Robert LeRoy Parker. Or as some like to call him. Butch Kassidy. That’s right. The man that was immortalized in the 1969 movie Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid western. Paul Newman portrayed Cassidy in that one, but the truth about him is very different from the Hollywood movie. For instance, he escaped to South America, specifically to Bolivia. He died there at the age of just 42, and since then, there have been rumors that he survived his fatal shooting. However, nothing about that is confirmed and this alleged survival has been nothing but speculation even to this day.
Arthur Morgan
Here’s a fictional character that’s worth mentioning. The iconic outlaw from Red Dead Redemption and high-ranking member of the Van der Linde gang. Arthur is a beloved character and one that is still beloved and respected among the fans of the game. He also has a dedicated and commanding broad skill set. Always willing and able to do whatever is needed in a given situation. And the ability to help the gang as a whole or its individual members. Arthur has received acclaim from critics, with his complexity and path to redemption most frequently the subject of praise. Reviewers also lauded him for bringing the world and other characters to life. Arthur is one hell of a character.
Pearl Heart
Although Pearl Hart may have been inspired by Annie Oakley, the two women were very different. While Oakley shot for show and entertainment, Hart used her skills for a crime. But the truth of the matter is that she’s probably the only one on this list that lived until old age. Born into an affluent family in Ontario, nobody would even imagine what would become of Pearl. An outlaw who committed one of the last recorded stagecoach robberies in the United States. That alone puts would put her on this list, but after leaving prison, Hart largely disappeared from public view. She had a short-lived show where she re-enacted her crime and then spoke about the horrors of Yuma Territorial Prison. And yeah. She was notorious as she was dangerous.
Are You A Fan Of Hard West 2?
We sure are. But feel free to share some of your favorite outlaws from the wild west. Real or fictitious.