While I have fond memories of the likes of Sunset Riders, Gun.Smoke, and even the more obscure Bank Panic from the old arcade days, it has been quite some time since I played a decent retro-styled western shooter. Looking to fill that void we now have Westild's Law, a title that perhaps borrows some elements of play from its classic brethren, but overall has a style all its own.

A once peaceful town out in the prairie has been overrun by a band of outlaws, and as luck would have it a brother and sister who grew up in that town have returned to reclaim it and restore some law and order. You’ll be able to play as either one of them, working your way through a pretty wide variety of mission types that will allow you to accumulate money to fund a host of new weapons, skills, and perks that will aid you in your quest to reclaim your town. 

In general, play is pretty straightforward, with you testing your ability to quickly aim, fire, and shoot down enemies. What’s refreshing is that how you’ll face them will change up almost constantly, with some missions requiring you to save hostages, take down bad guys on horseback, or even deal with them on a train. This does a great job of keeping the action as fresh as can be managed given the overall simplicity of the gameplay, as do the various upgrades you’ll be able to get which allow you to better cater to your own unique play style. One mechanic that I really appreciate is how you’re able to pick up and use enemy guns, but not reload them, making for sometimes pretty frantic play. Since their weapons are often more effective, it’s worth picking them up, but they work wonderfully for throwing at enemies to stun them as well. 

It’s the small details like this that keep the action from being predictable, and I really appreciate the effort. It still may be a relatively humble budget arcade-style shooter, but its more unique qualities and style of play really help to set it apart. Perhaps it won’t be for everyone, but if you’ve ever enjoyed being a gun-slinging law man tackling outlaws one bullet at a time it should prove to be a good time.