On the surface, Desperados 3 is a deceptively simple game, but beneath the stealth-based gameplay and western aesthetic, there's a surprising amount of nuance. Coming from the studio behind Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun, Desperados 3 is one of the best stealth games of this generation, bringing its own unique flair to a decades-old genre.
Desperados 3 gets most of its appeal from its freedom of experimentation, highlighted by a well-integrated quicksave system that allows players to instantly reload if they mess something up. After a minute passes since the player's last save, a timer appears at the top of the screen, letting them know precisely how much progress they stand to lose if they make a mistake.
The quicksave implementation is brilliant, as it keeps the three most recent saves ready to go and gives players a variety of jumping-off points. This ensures that players have a failsafe should they push to an unworkable position within a level or wish to try different, more efficient routes to a goal.
Of course, it's still frustrating when an enemy gets alerted, but it also ensures that missions aren't being played too safe, which gives Desperados 3 a faster pace than most stealth games. That speed keeps players on their toes throughout the experience, but still affords time to take in the entirety of a situation. It's a delicate balance that lesser games struggle with consistently, but Desperados 3 manages to achieve in almost every instance.
Desperados 3 is a difficult game, though there are a variety of settings for players that want to increase or decrease the challenge. Either way, failure is still a common occurrence, and Desperados 3 actively encourages players to fail. As players begin to understand the tools at their disposal, and more importantly, how those tools can be used together, solutions will steadily become more obvious.
The game features five distinct heroes, each with their own unique skills: Cooper, Hector, Kate, McCoy, and Isabelle. Each character has their own advantages and disadvantages, and players are sure to find their favorite as they play. Hector is a particular stand out thanks to a massive bear trap, generous health pool, and the ability to carry multiple bodies at once. But utilizing each character at the player's disposal is always beneficial, and usually necessary to find a viable solution to a level's problems.
There's almost never a single solution to a problem, either. Between environmental kills, diverse skillsets, and multiple routes to an objective, Desperados 3 offers a variety of options when it comes to finishing a level. One early segment dangles a Gatling gun as a clear path to victory, but it's entirely possible to find stealthier and more rewarding routes out of the mission. Players are frequently given a list of objectives that can be tackled in any order, which keeps things open-ended and unique.
With so many moving pieces, Desperados 3 requires a healthy amount of situational awareness. There are always a variety of factors at play when attempting to complete an objective, be that enemies, an important object, or some other environmental circumstance. Fail to keep any of those in mind, and players will likely alert guards, leading to sticky situations. Even with quicksave, Desperados 3 is a game that punishes a lack of planning.
That may not appeal to some, but for those that have always wanted to plan the perfect heist, successfully completing an objective without detection is a real treat. To assist with that, Desperados 3 features showdown mode, which allows players to plot out one action per character, then execute the moves simultaneously. It doesn't always work perfectly, typically due to misinterpreting timing, but the game's finest moments are when characters' actions sync up perfectly to complete an objective.
There are still moments of frustration scattered around, mostly in the form of problems that have no apparent solution, or that require an annoying amount of trial and error. Occasionally, this can be caused by something as simple as forgetting a key ability, but there are situations that feel frustrating by design.
It helps that enemies are consistent based on their AI. For instance, basic enemies are easily distracted and can be lead around the map. Meanwhile, enemies with ponchos are harder to distract, and will typically remain in place unless fully alerted.
Players have to learn to use these behaviors to their advantage and it is those types of moments where Desperados shines as a brilliant stealth game and a solid western game. When players beat AI, it doesn't feel like they've only completed an objective, but that they outsmarted the game.
Desperados 3 is a stellar game with tight mechanics and a healthy dose of variety. A strong cast of characters and a setting that feels foreign to stealth games make it a unique experience, even with some frustrating moments sprinkled within. Its challenging moments may be a barrier for some, but it ultimately succeeds as one of this generation's best stealth games.
Desperados 3 releases June 16, 2o2o, for PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Game ZXC was provided an Xbox One code for this review.
Desperados 3
