8Bit/Digi

This Land Is My Land is one of those titles that departs from the norm to present a different perspective of a familiar experience. That experience being a Western-themed guerilla warfare game that puts players in the role of an Indigenous American fighting to preserve their freedom. Something that has been rarely seen in Hollywood and seldom experienced in a video game. 

The concept of a Western is rare in video games to the point that one could easily list the best titles with one hand. So when one allows players the chance to experience the frontier, not from the perspective of a cowboy, it should get your attention. This Land Is My Land does so much right when it comes to capturing the experience but fumbles on the execution. It’s a game worth checking out but beware that it’s still a work in progress. 

Welcome to the Frontier

Set in the Western frontier (circa mid-1800’s), players take on the role of an Indigenous American. After being rescued from captivity, they join a resistance group to fight off the settlers who are invading the frontier while murdering and enslaving the populous. Players must live off the land, use whatever they can acquire, and work with other Indigenous Americans to resist the settlers.

To liberate the homeland, players must create a resistance network by uniting the other tribes in the area. At the same time, they must hit major settlements and gangs while also taking out their leaders.

Tools of the Resistance

From the start, I could right away sense the influence Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater has had on this game. Players will have to use whatever they could or make using the resources available. Weapons could be made using the resources of the frontier or one could just pick up a firearm from a settler. Stealth is always the best course of action while going in guns blazing should always be your last resort. To improve your chances, you will need to connect with other camps and set up a base of operations. One will also need to be better prepared before attacking enemy outposts as a botched raid could result in a more reinforced camp.

This Land Is My Land offers a rouge-like experience, thus no two playthroughs will ever be the same. Players will always start at a different point while their actions will have an impact on the overall story. By this I mean each playthrough will shuffle your tasks, locations, and key enemies. This allows each experience to be unique while giving players a reason to go back. Another element I must note is customizing the overall difficulty of the game, one could have an easy experience in a small world with limited hindrance or test their skills. The options are endless. 

Finally, I also have to give props to the map for being the right size. Too many open-world games work on the assumption that a bigger map is better instead of working to make it the right size with the proper amount of content. Even at its largest, it is perfectly sized and not unnecessarily bloated.  

Run to the Hills

Even though the game was in Early Access since 2019, it still has a number of performance issues. From the start, it’s obvious that the game still needs to be polished as it’s plagued with performance issues. One of the

All of This Land Is My Land shortcomings come down to performance issues. Even though the game was in Early Access since 2019, it still has many performance issues. From the start, it’s obvious that the game still needs to be polished as it’s plagued with performance issues. 

The first thing I noticed is that poor controller support. You can use a console controller, but it has not been properly set up for it. You will still need to use the keyboard for a lot of actions and commands. During the playthrough, there have been several moments that I had a major drop in framerate (even though I have a solid PC and this is not a hardware demanding game). I could also not ignore the few times the game crashed during my playthrough. 

During the actual playthrough, there were still many issues that should have been resolved. Combat and gameplay mechanics are still janky to the point that it gets annoying trying to sneak around. Honestly, going in guns blazing became more practical at times. Trying to ride a horse or a wagon also required more polish due to the janky setup. Overall, the lack of polish makes simple moments more difficult than they should be. This is more true for those who prefer console controls over mouse and keyboard. 

While the patches have improved the game compared to its time in Early Access and launch, the game needed more time. While the concept is solid, the performance holds it back regarding the quality.

Fighting for Freedom 

Not since Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater has a game successfully balanced stealth and action in a survival environment. One that requires players to live off the land and fight with whatever they could find. It’s also a game that is far from perfect due to the performance issues and lack of polish that hold it back. If one could forgive the performance issues then this is a game worth picking up.  

This Land Is My Land presents a unique take on the Western genre by putting players in the role of an Indigenous American fighting to preserve their way of life. It hits all the right marks in regards to the gameplay and story but falls short in regards to quality due to a lack of polish.  

Disclaimer: Game Labs provided the game used for this review.

This review is the critic and thoughts of one writer. If you want to see how other critics felt then check it out on OpenCritic.

8Bit/Digi is an independent media outlet that highlights the video game community and industry of the San Francisco Bay Area.

This Land is My Land (PC)

7

Good

7.0/10

Pros

• The perfect combination of stealth action and survival.
• Rouge-like experience in which no two playthroughs will ever be the same.
• An ideal sized map that is not empty or unnecessarily bloated.

Cons

• Game still needs to be polished while plagued with performance issues
• Janky combat and gameplay mechanics are still present