Tag Archives: Wasteland

"Wasteland 3 is a rewarding game with unprecedented variety and a great jump in points for new players."

• Deep gameplay systems

• Nice graphics

• A robust open world

• Sometimes youthful writing

Wasteland, the franchise that helped shape the role-playing game genre, proves once again why it's still one of the reigning champions of tactical video games. With a robust history, deeply explorable world, and unprecedented choice, Wasteland 3 offers a great introduction to new players, both to Wasteland and tactical role-playing games in general, as well as a rewarding experience for long-time fans.

Explore the wasteland

Wasteland 3 continues the story of the Desert Rangers, who traveled from the arid landscapes of Arizona to the bitter cold of Colorado. They seek the help of the patriarch, the ruler of the former state. He asked the Rangers to fight his rebellious children. In return, he will provide them with weapons, vehicles, personnel and operational bases.

Provided by Deep Silver

The story starts out simple enough, but quickly rotates in a thousand different directions, offering the player numerous avenues to either help or possibly betray the patriarch. Every place you visit is filled with unique characters whose stories make up the narrative tapestry of the game version of Colorado. The quests they offer can range from single tasks to multi-level experiences that either minimally or heavily affect the end goal of assisting the Patriarch. They help create a natural feel narrative that doesn't telegraph where its turns will take you.

The game provides a great starting point for new players, but also a rewarding experience for long-time fans.

The nice thing about Wasteland 3 is how it hides its mechanics. While playing, it is not obvious whether or not the decision you are about to make will have a massive impact on future endeavors. Unlike some games, which have significant narrative variations, the structure of Wasteland 3 is incredibly subtle. It forces the player to make decisions based on their moral compass rather than predicting how something will affect the game. There were a few times during my playthrough where I tried to manipulate the situation into a more favorable outcome. Often times, due to the consequences of previous decisions I had made, the results were something I could never have predicted.

Unfortunately, the complicated narrative contains less than outstanding writing. While Wasteland 3 is set in a somber, post-apocalyptic world, it has a rather light and humorous tone, similar to the Fallout franchise, which was heavily influenced by the first Wasteland game. Wasteland 3 triggers as many giggles as moans. For example, if you visit a brothel in search of a traitorous character, the option to pay for sex is by saying to the owner, "Let's talk about a sexy time," which is perhaps the least sexy thing anyone can do can say.

I often wish the dialogue was a little more refined and not read as youthfully, with characters written more appropriately for 2020. With developers more committed than ever to the way they construct their characters and stories, there are moments in Wasteland 3 that read as if they were written in 1988 when the first Wasteland episode was released. I just wish the game had applied the nuance it uses with its structure to writing more consistently.

Build your crew

Provided by Deep Silver

Participation in the story is not a single protagonist, but a crew of them. From the jump, the player has the option of choosing from several pairs of characters or creating their own pair. Every character has skills, perks, and attributes that determine who they are. Maybe they are great for a sniper rifle, or better for weapons that are up close. The level of customization is incredibly deep and means that the player is constantly being asked to adapt their characters to the situation or think outside the box when they may not have the right employee for the job.

Unlike some games, which have significant narrative variations, the structure of Wasteland 3 is incredibly subtle.

At the start of the game, players will then choose two more rangers from a given list as well as additional characters they find on their travels and maybe even an animal companion. The number of people you can have in your party at the same time is six, and you can change your crew at any time. The additional characters on your team depend on the types of side missions available to you while playing. Choose wisely as some characters have much better story missions than others. I felt attached to certain companions and had to weigh my affection for them against the potential for new narrative paths and rewards that I might lose.

To go to war

Your crew will tour the wasteland doing tasks for people to improve the rangers' situation. Many quests result in fights, and for the first time in the series, your team and the opposing team take turns together, rather than each character having their own initiative. It's by far the fastest game in the series and a welcome addition as it's also the largest and longest entry in the franchise.

Provided by Deep Silver

As you get close to enemies, you will see areas of vision around them. So if you fall on them, your battle advantage increases significantly. There was one particular mission where I got off the wrong foot and was very quickly decimated by the enemy. On my next try, I put my characters in better positions, and it was my enemies who went into rapid decline.

With many encounters, keep your fingers crossed that your latest tactical decision will bring you a well-deserved victory. The conclusion of a successful confrontation often brought with it a deep and satisfying sigh of relief.

If your Rangers or Companions are killed in combat, they are not permanently dead. Once the combat encounter is over, you can use certain items to bring them back or speak to the doctor at headquarters. This is great for newer players, although it's a shame that there isn't a permadeath option for those who wish.

In between quests, you can bring your crew back to the aforementioned headquarters, a gift from the Patriarch to aid you in your endeavors. Your base can be upgraded over time with improved facilities and new staff. It's a place where you can regroup and equip your gear before venturing into the frozen abyss. It serves as an evolving physical representation of your choices as you travel. This will help you better understand the consequences of your actions in the wasteland and visualize the sense of progress that can be lost simply moving from settlement to settlement.

The reworked fight is by far the fastest game in the series.

Travel between locations in the wasteland is done via a large tank called Kodiak, which is just as customizable as the members of your group. The overworld map is littered with hidden locations and sometimes you run into multiple timed events and have to choose between quests knowing that you are losing other activities. I often get lost in the wilderness, exploring every corner of the map I could before heading to my originally planned destination.

The game offers a tremendous amount of sights and activities. Since certain areas and stories are blocked depending on the selection, a repetition is almost guaranteed to be very different. While this value is great, I imagine only a few are actually interested in starting another experience that will last several tens of hours because the core progression system remains largely the same.

Provided by Deep Silver

An audiovisual leap

The original Wasteland was released in 1988 and its sequel was released with the help of Kickstarter in 2014. Wasteland 3 is just as big an advance in presentation as Wasteland 2 is for Wasteland. The graphical fidelity is amazing, with crisp textures and beautiful lighting. On several occasions, my actions during combat were driven almost entirely by my curiosity about what would visually happen, like using a Molotov grenade to detonate a nitrogen tank.

The music combines the visual quality with an incredible soundtrack. The score combines a number of different genres into a unique sound compared to audio queues typical of post-apocalyptic dishes in games and movies. There were moments when I would step away from the keyboard and mouse just to listen for fear that a conversation with an NPC or a quest would swap the current title I was hearing.

Provided by Deep Silver

Our opinion

Despite my concerns about some of the game's articles, there's no denying that the creators of the tactical RPG genre are still some of the best in the business. A near-unprecedented level of storytelling and choice, combined with a revamped combat system and a massive audiovisual upgrade, makes Wasteland 3 one of the best tactical games ever made.

Is there a better alternative?

Gears Tactics is another excellent tactical RPG that was also released on PC in 2020, although it offers a lot fewer choices and has a more linear story.

How long it will take?

A single playthrough can take up to 80 to 100 hours if the player explores it to the full. However, if some narrative choices preclude others, a second and third playthrough of the game can add up to another very different 80-100 hours if the player so chooses.

Should you buy it?

For those looking for their next RPG or tactical fix, as well as for gamers who want to dip their toes into these genres, Wasteland 3 is absolutely worth buying. Those looking for a quick experience, especially during a holiday season full of games, may want to wait until there are fewer new titles to play.

Editor's recommendations