With the Steam Next Fest February 2026 in full swing, there are multiple demos for you to try. As a part of the showcase, Far Far West launched its first public demo, introducing us to what can only be described as Helldivers in the bullet hell of the Wild West.
Far Far West is a first-person co-op shooter, where you and up to three other robot cowboys set out on missions in the Wild West. The Wild West is under the Cryptic Overseer’s watch, so prepare to battle skeletons, skeletons with miniguns, killer robots, and even angry saloons.
What it primarily takes from Helldivers is the mission format, which is a map where you drop in and do a series of objectives before extracting. It offers a lot of freedom with side activities, including quests, adding a little bit of exploration to every run without taking too much of your time.
While the maps themselves are the same, missions and side activities are randomly generated. Every mission has a main objective, some of which are also quite similar to those from Helldivers. For example, launching a nuclear missile mission is quite similar to launching an ICBM, although with a few different steps.
This is where most similarities end, as the next stop is to kill the resident boss. In the Alpha, there are four different bosses, each unique in their own way but with straightforward mechanics and attacks. There’s Cryptic Saloon, which is literally a building you must defeat by shooting at its weak points. There’s also a Cryptic Necromancer, which offers a more traditional fight with slash attacks for you to dodge.
Once the boss is dead, the Cryptic Overseer starts hunting you down, which basically means constant attacks from skeletons until you extract. Head to the station, ring the bell to call in the train, and survive. And much like in Helldivers, the extraction music alone is worth fighting your way until the end.
Far Far West is a first-person bullet hell, meaning lots of gunfire and dodging enemy attacks, especially during boss fights. The game gives you multiple tools to use in a fight, including dashes with very little cooldown.
Your arsenal consists of a primary and a secondary weapon, both of which you can upgrade using Gold and modify using Jokers. The same goes for your character, opening up enough room for you to find your own playstyle and the developer to introduce new playstyles, without making it overly complicated.
Another key tool is the spells that can deal a lot of damage and save you in a pinch. Spells come in four elemental categories, and the more you sling those cards, the more new spells in that category you will unlock. All this combined increases your strength and invites you to higher difficulties, where you can expect to face new threats.
Despite being in Alpha, the game is in a very polished state. There are a few features that would be great to see improved, though. For example, as a solo player, you only get one life, which means one unfortunate encounter with explosive skeletons can send you back to the Saloon.
Even though you keep the Gold, Souls, collectibles, and quest progress (which is certainly great), it would be nice to have a way to earn additional lives throughout the mission to keep the run going. Then again, Far Far West is only in the Alpha, and the development team is committed to improving on player feedback and adding more content throughout the early access period.
If you’re looking for a game to enjoy with friends or even solo after a long day, Far Far West is filled with fast-paced action, fun gameplay, and incredible music. The demo is available until March 2. And if you’re reading this after Steam Next Fest, Far Far West is set to release in early access sometime in 2026.
