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Failing at Desperados 3 is the best way to play itI love it when a plan comes together
I love it when a plan comes together
In the end, after an impromptu viewing of the 90s western film Tombstone, I decided to opt for the very manageable mission chunks ofDesperados 3as my big Easter holiday project, which is the latest rootin' tootin' real-time tactics game from theShadow Tacticsdevs, Mimimi Productions. I’d played the opening few missions back when it came out last summer, but its long, sprawling maps gradually demanded more time and dedication than I was able to give them. I like to do entire missions in one go, you see, and do them stealthily, which often takes even longer because I’m pretty bad at being sneaky - as my five hours doing a complete ghost run ofDishonored 2’s Clockwork Mansion level will attest. Now, though, I had entire afternoons to luxuriate in its detailed, densely packed playgrounds of trigger happy cowboys, and goodness, what an astonishingly satisfying and generous game it is.
8 Reasons Desperados 3 Is One Of The Best Stealth Games In Years | Desperados 3 ReviewWatch on YouTube
8 Reasons Desperados 3 Is One Of The Best Stealth Games In Years | Desperados 3 Review
It takes a long time for me to “get good” at stealth games. There have been times when I’ve either died or raised the alarm so much in a particular scene that hitting the quick-load button practically becomes automatic, like a natural extension of my body movement. There have even been times when I’ve pressed it when somethinghasn’tactually gone horribly wrong - it’s that ingrained in my moment-to-moment finger movements - resulting in having to replay entire chunks of game again for no good reason, a feat made all the more infuriating when I haven’t been nearly as attentive at actually hitting the quick-save button as well. Even 30 seconds can seem like a lifetime when you’re carefully manoeuvring yourself around sight cones and setting up complicated power and ability chains, and entire minutes can seem like decades.
This canyon level sees your band of heroes first break out of a labour camp, then roll an explosive minecart all the way to the end of the canyon to blow their way out. It’s thrilling stuff.
Desperados 3 lends itself to this play style beautifully, giving you a capable cast of characters and a tantalising set of abilities to distract, divert and draw attention as you see fit. Yes, you can theoretically go in all guns blazing -a point I discussed with Mimimi’s head designer last year- but like Shadow Tactics before it, I think Desperados works best as a giant stealth sandbox. There are so many avenues for potential chaos here, and the sheer number and variety of approaches there are in any given level is a perfect fit for my trial and error quick-load habits. If one approach fails, there’s no reason to keep bashing my head against the same wall until I ‘get it’. I can just try something else instead - a bit like IO Interactive’s Hitman trilogy but in miniature. Indeed, some missions' individual achievements actively encourage you to take particular routes (the right or left side of a canyon, for example), leaving even more delectable, destructive delights for you to discover on a second playthrough.
You’re rarely allowed to get comfy with the same set of tactics to get where you need to go, too, as each level constantly reshuffles the tools and characters you have at your disposal. It keeps you on your toes, and makes every new adventure feel distinct and different from the last. That’s important when even one mission can take the best part of two hours to complete on a first playthrough, particularly at my terrible snail’s pace, and it’s refreshing to be taken out of your comfort zone every now and then each time you arrive somewhere new.
I don’t care if it ruins my stealth cred, turning the Devitt Company’s gatling gun against them is sweet, sweet revenge for locking me up in a cage. It’s the only time I’ve ever let the alarm bell ring loud and free.
Ultimately, they’re just all great places for getting up to no good, whether it’s doing things the old-fashioned way such as taking out a bunch of cow pokes with Doc’s smoking med bag and Hector’s beloved bear trap Bianca, or pulling off elaborate ‘accidents’ like crushing a bunch of punks with a giant boulder or yoinking a merc’s gatling gun and turning it against them and all their mates. I might fail several times before I can pull off these stunts with any degree of success, but I really do take a great amount of pleasure in finessing these tricks and slipping through the cracks, especially when said mischief takes place in such instantly memorable environments. Maybe I’ll feel the same about Dark Souls eventually, but for now, I’m glad I didn’t let this one get away during my week off, because hot damn, it really is too good to miss.
