THQ Nordic and German developer Mimimi Productions have announced that the Desperado franchise will be getting a new instalment in 2019, with John Cooper returning to his gunslinging ways in Desperados 3 for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
Desperados 3 returns with its tried and true recipe of real-time tactics in the familiar Wild West setting that graced the earlier instalments. As far as the cast goes, John Cooper is the only confirmed returning name, although we may still see some familiar faces.
Much like in the earlier Desperado games, you'll be controlling a group of up to five "unlikely heroes and heroines", each with their own set of skills and quirks. The key to victory is finding a way to make them synergise while leaving a trail of blood behind you - simple enough, right?
Wrong - Desperados 3 traditionally pits you against a seemingly unbeatable group of enemies, leaving it up to you to find your way round. If you're unfamiliar with Desperados, think along the lines of its often-compared-to competitor Commandos, meaning you'll need careful planning and impeccable timing.
Of course, there's nothing to stop you from occasionally going in guns blazing, although we all know that stealth was always the way to go, both in Desperados and Commandos. There are also non-lethal options to defeat your foes, in case your ethical and moral values extend to gaming as well.
With the franchise dropping off of my radar sometime after the last attempt to revive it in 2009, I honestly thought Desperados was as good as dead. Spellbound made a mess of the last game, which was called Helldorado for name copyright reasons and neither it nor its predecessor honestly warranted a sequel.
THQ Nordic
THQ Nordic, however, doesn't seem to think so and its ever more frequent shopping sprees brought about the 2017 acquisition of Black Forest Games. The aforementioned studio was formed from the ashes of the now defunct Spellbound, together with the Desperado franchise license and THQ Nordic sure haven't wasted any time in bringing it back.
Desperados 3 returns, by Mimimi Productions and THQ Nordic
- Image: 1 / 4
