Desperados III is a real-time tactical game developed by Mimimi Games. It sets as a prequel to the 2007 game Desperados.
The gameplay takes place from an isometric 'top-down' point of view, and sees the player direct the characters through an open area with a series of objectives to achieve, filling the region with enemies to kill or get around and obstacles in their way.
The best way I can describe the game is to liken it to tactical games like X-Com, only without the turn-based strategy or the grid-like structure. And also cowboys! The 'tactical' comes from navigation of the area and dealing with enemies, as they will present a significant constant concern.
While the player can play the game either guns blazing or via stealth, and anywhere in between, the game clearly prefers a stealthy option. The play area is littered with enemies that have distinct 'vision cones,' that show where their vision lays. It differentiates clearly where people are looking, able to see when you're crouched, and where they can't see. The player needs to navigate these enemies, either getting around or dispatching them as they see fit, via subduing, killing, or using environmental options such as bucking horses or precarious rock slides.
These skills come in immensely handy, and form a part of the tactical nature of the game. While how you complete each level is up to you, you need to observe each enemy's patterns carefully and assess if shooting them will attract attention, is there a rock you can push down on them, can you draw them over with a whistle and lead them into a bear trap? Your actions have consequences, and killing one guy might be seen by someone else you didn't account for on a hill.
Characters can also work together. Showdown mode allows you to pause the action and put together a string of actions, such as simultaneously running up to multiple enemies and killing them at the same time to avoid detection.
Not all characters are always available for every mission, and vary from mission type. This means you have to adapt to each mission according to the characters available, which I do enjoy. It also means you don't rely on one character all the time.
The game promotes a firm "try, try again" mentality. Regularly, the game reminds you to quick-save by default, and even tells you outright that the gameplay is designed to be experimental. Save often, try something, and if it fails - just reload and try something else. Some reviewers consider this to be indicative of poor game design, but I find it immensely satisfying to come up with the perfect combination of moves to clear an area. There are no wrong moves, however, just less perfect ones.
The game offers wonderful customisation of the difficulty levels as well - not just easy, medium, hard, and super hard, but customising individual traits of the game if you find some aspects too hard, but others too easy. There are badges to earn for getting the level completed fast, stealthy, no kill, among others, and after each level you get a map that shows you a timeline play by play to see how you went.
The soundtrack is absolutely gorgeous as well. Composed and produced by Filippo Beck Peccoz, it comprises of wonderfully scored tracks that perfectly overlay characters, locations, and events. The opening theme is a brilliant, epic play on the spaghetti western theme, and each track sits comfortably in detailing the world you're in, without being too on the nose.
All in all, I'm finding Desperados III immensely fun. Its design allows multiple gameplay types, increasing difficulty, customised difficulty curves, and a dazzling array of ways to complete.
