The gist of it:
Desperados 3 is the prequel to a classic series of tactical stealth genre which, thanks to Mimimi Games, has been successfully revived, and just like Shadow Tactics, Desperados 3 is an incredible game.
Story
Desperados 3 shows us the story of John Cooper and how he met his band of misfits made of Kate, Doc Mcoy, Hector, and Isabelle. Each of the characters you meet has its own issues to deal with, and as you progress through the game, you form a bond with them.
John’s main objective is to get revenge on the person who killed his father, and he’ll do whatever it takes. It goes pretty straightforward from here with the usual arguing, disbanding, and making peace again with one another of his group mates, and there really isn’t anything that will shock or impress you.
It’s a standard story of revenge and comradery, but even in its simplicity, you slowly start to like one, if not all, of the characters in large thanks to the good voice, acting. I personally liked Doc the most. Don’t buy Desperados for the main story. It’s not what it was made for but who knows, we lack simple cowboy stories in games these days, and you might enjoy it a lot more.
Story rating: 7.5/10
Gameplay
If you’ve come for the gameplay well, you’re in for a treat. Desperados 3 does tactical stealth almost perfectly, so good that I can’t imagine what else they can cook up in future games to impress me. If you played Shadow Tactics, you know what to expect from Desperados 3, and if you haven’t, then what the hell are you waiting for? Just like their previous game Mimimi has managed to revitalize a dying genre which was no easy task.
You’re playing as 5 unique characters, each with a set of abilities that will help you kill or knock out enemies in your path towards the objective. Enemies around the map and even the level design is masterfully crafted so that you’ll always need to use your available skills and tools. For example, Doc Mcoy, which as I’ve mentioned, is my favorite character, can easily dispatch enemies from far away and quite silently with his sniper rifle, or you can throw a decoy to attract and separate wandering guards from the rest so you can silently dispatch him.
I can spend all day writing and describing each characters unique skills, so I will say this: not only you can freely use each skill, but the game also has several hidden and fun ways of using some of the skills you have at your disposal, such as combining them with the other characters or even allowing you to carry out multiple attacks at the same time with the showdown mode.
Each level takes around 1 to 2 hours to complete depending on your skill and whether you will play stealthfully as it should be played. Playing this loud is a waste of time, in my opinion, but you are indeed offered that option. I also mentioned that the objectives are quite repetitive after a while, seeing how this game is 30+ hours long; however, you are given free reigns on how to proceed with the entire map minus the tutorial parts and some small linear missions. You’re also going to be rewarded at the end of each level with a star-based system where it shows you what you could’ve done to achieve those special objectives. I personally would’ve loved to see them all the time, but I suppose this is a good way to increase replayability.
Overall the gameplay offers a lot, and it’s fun, hard, and a lot of times nerve-racking, which requires a huge amount of patience, but I just could not put it down. Fantastic experience.
Gameplay rating: 9.5/10
Audio
The moment you boot up the game, the first thing you’ll notice is the fantastic main menu theme, and just like that, you’ll know the rest of the soundtrack will be great. It’s a long game, no doubt, and many songs will be repetitive, but not once did I get bored with them.
The voice acting is another great aspect, and it’s honestly what makes the story tones less boring. Every character in the game is voiced, and the main cast does a fine job at immersing you in the experience. Their banter is hilarious and great during missions.
As for the other sounds, there’s absolutely nothing negative to talk about. Guns, enemies talking, environmental sounds are all excellent.
Audio rating: 9/10
Graphics, performance and tech analysis
Visually the game looks pretty decent, and the way the levels are constructed and enhancing the gameplay is top-notch.
Sadly the textures and, on rare occasions, the lighting effects are not that great. They do not ruin the experience at all though it felt weird how those huge mountain rocks passed Q&A as they were quite in your face and looked pretty bad. Luckily these occurrences are rare, and overall, graphically speaking, the game looks fine, and the missions are very varied from deserts to crowded cities.
Performance is perfect, at least on my machine. There were no frame drops ever, and besides some minor enemy AI bugs, I had no problems playing the game.
Graphics, performance and tech analysis score: 8/10
Conclusion
I don’t know what to expect from future Mimimi games, but along with Shadow Tactics and now Desperados 3, it’s clear whatever the developers make, I’ll be there on day one. Desperados 3 is a masterpiece in gameplay, and hopefully, I’ll see the same characters again in future sequels. Buy the game at all costs.
Written by Nightingale Prince, follow at Twitch.
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