Virtuous Western

Highly recommend!! The game isn't very long (takes around an hour, more or less, to finish it), but it's a thoroughly enjoyable experience. For the price, its definitely worth it. [b] THE GOOD: [/b] The gameplay is great! Really well-sequenced level progression. They introduce new elements (crates, shotguns, dynamite, etc) frequently enough to keep things interesting, but also its never overwhelming. Each level presents a puzzle, and you always have the tools to solve that puzzle without ever feeling like you're being spoonfed the solutions. "Virtuous Western" has one of the best challenge-to-reward leveling curves I've seen in an indie game. Overall, incredibly satisfying game loop. The graphics are simple, but the pixel art assets have a pretty charming and consistent style throughout. The gameplay is definitely the main focus, but I still think the art is cute enough to be a selling point. [b] THE BAD: [/b] The soundtrack is cute at first, but perhaps a little grating towards the later stages because it lacks the same variety and development as the gameplay. Its a minor nitpick, but I'd maybe recommend playing with the default music off. [b] THE UGLY: [/b] Some of the keybinds are unintuitive, and I wish there was an option in the settings menu to rebind them. I played on controller, and kept wanting to press right trigger button to shoot my gun (the default binding is "x"). I got used to it eventually, but would've preferred to rebind. But also... Aside from self-competition with the speedrun mode, "Virtuous Western" has very little replay value. The story is straightforward-- there's no hidden routes or extra content. Once you've solved the puzzle of each stage, that's it. It's an enjoyable game, but it's short-lived. [b] OVERALL, [/b] "Virtuous Western" is a fun game and well-worth the price.