Wild West soulslike Tombwater unveils full class lineup, from a Red Dead Redemption-style gunslinger to a hex-casting occultist

What would happen if you took Red Dead Redemption, made it top-down and 2D, infested it with eldritch horrors, and threw in some soulslike combat? Well, you'd get something not too dissimilar to Tombwater. We've had our eye on this intriguing and surprisingly deep Western game for a while, and while there's sadly no news to share on a firm release date just yet, solo developer Moth Atlas has got me salivating all over again by revealing all seven of its starting classes.

Already renowned for his 2D homage to Bloodborne, Moth Atlas (led by Max Mraz and Jake Wagner) is bringing that expertise to Tombwater. While it may seem like a Wild West cliche to begin with (you're a "lone gunslinger" in a "once-prosperous mining town" where the sheriff has gone missing) you'll quickly find yourself facing Lovecraftian beasts and dark, supernatural forces. The map of Tombwater is bigger than you'd expect, with well over a dozen named areas and distinct biomes. Metroidvania-style exploration also means you'll be able to return to locations later and uncover hidden areas and connecting pathways.

Defeating the enemies you encounter on your travels involves a combination of ranged combat, close-up melee, throwables, and hexes. In appropriate soulslike fashion, you'll be able to dash and dodge out of the way of enemy attacks, but constantly battling these dark creatures will increase your Madness meter, something you need to keep an eye on. However, the combat experience equates to more than just finding items, putting together your preferred loadout, and slashing and blasting away - there are several starting classes that you can choose from, each with different stat spreads and bespoke gear.

As you'll see in today's new trailer, which PCGamesN can exclusively reveal ahead of its global debut, there are seven classes you can pick from at the beginning of your adventure: Soldier, Gunslinger, Occultist, Tinkerer, Spellblade, Drifter, and Nameless.

Soldiers and Gunslingers feel like more traditional Wild West builds - the former is a "durable" all-rounder that is aggressive and bulky, while the latter is all about being a deadeye shooter and utilizing their unique "high-damage, high-fire-rate revolver."

The Occultist is kind of like your traditional sorcerer - their specialty is in casting hexes. They are also very resilient to Madness build-up, and their signature melee weapon can reduce Madness every time you land a successful hit. The Spellblade is built similarly, but with slightly less focus on hex casting and better melee abilities. They can, however, trigger a hex that calls on the skeletal remains of the dead to briefly reanimate to deal damage to foes.

The Tinkerer sounds like a very intriguing class, with a focus on items that replenish over time and crafting. While there are still opportunities to slash and shoot, launching explosives and planting traps are the most effective ways for the Tinkerer to deal damage.

The Drifter is a jack of all trades - they've seen it all. With a balanced stat spread, they're pretty versatile, but also come with a unique melee weapon that allows them to quickly lunge at enemies, dealing damage while also dashing through them.

Finally, the Nameless class is both a blank canvas and also the option for "soulslike veterans looking for a true test of skill and perseverance." Less about leaning into a certain playstyle, and more about mastery of all the combat options Tombwater provides you, it comes with a balanced stat roll across all abilities apart from your Life stat, meaning you'll have to be adept at dodging or avoiding situations where you take damage altogether.

Tombwater is aiming for an early 2026 release on Steam, but there is a demo available right now, which lets you explore just a small slice of what will be a sprawling map. To find out more or to download the demo yourself, head to its Steam page here.

While I never got the chance to play Moth Atlas' Bloodborne demake, I don't think I'll be making the same mistake with Tombwater. While you can take the traditional, grizzled cowboy route, you can also become a hex-casting wizard - I'd love to see John Marston try that.