West of Loathing features a storyline that takes place in The Kingdom of Loathing‘s universe, and its creators describe the adventure as “a stick-figure Skyrim with beans and big hats.”
West of Loathing is a role-playing game that offers up three playable classes: Cow Puncher, Beanslinger, and Snake Oiler. Keeping in line with its predecessor’s absurdist humor, the upcoming spinoff will confront players with scenarios that involve everything from “sarcastic bandits” to “complex bureaucracies in cursed ghost towns full of cursed ghost accountants.”
Developer Asymmetric notes that West of Loathing will feature character-building mechanics and a branching narrative that changes depending on choices players make throughout the adventure. Combat unfolds much in the style of turn-based RPGs, with players and enemies trading blows atop a grid-based battleground.
West of Loathing follows up on Asymmetric’s long-running stint as a browser game developer. The Kingdom of Loathing, originally launched in 2003 and still operating today, maintains a dedicated fanbase of players drawn in by its pun-laden skewering of RPG cliches and tropes.
Ostensibly similar to massively multiplayer online RPGs in scope if not presentation, The Kingdom of Loathing gives players a limited number of turn-based “adventures” on a daily basis. Players can use their banked adventures to explore new areas and fight creatures for stat-boosting loot.
The Kingdom of Loathing‘s core appeal lies in its scaled-back approach to RPG gameplay. Combat and exploration amounts to clicking buttons and hot spots in a browser window, and difficulty takes a backseat to careful planning and time management. While few details regarding West of Loathing have been revealed, its gameplay will likely feature similar concessions for the sake of simplicity.
Developer Asymmetric targets an “early 2017” release for West of Loathing.
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