Not a waste of time

The opening cinematic of Wasteland 3, the follow up to 2014’s well-received Wasteland 2, thrusts the infamous Desert Rangers into an unfamiliar environment, taking a cold, harsh rendering of future Colorado as it’s setting. In order to adapt and survive, the Rangers fall into an alliance with the local Patriarch and make a deal. To obtain desperately needed aid for their Arizona home, the Rangers must restore the local provinces back under his control.

Join My Party.

Following the ambush depicted in the opening cut scene, the player is asked to take control of a pair of surviving Rangers. Wasteland 3 offers a choice. Players can select a pre-set duo, choosing from options as disparate as a pair of punks, a pair of lovers or a pair of family members. Alternatively, players can choose to create their own characters from scratch. I picked a pre-set pair which, with hindsight, is a choice I regret. It soon becomes clear that the pre-set characters don’t really hold any backstory other than the two sentences found on the character select screen. Having been previously spoiled with the depth of Divinity Original Sin 2’s character origin stories, which open up specific dialogue branches as the story progresses, this lack of character development feels like a gaping hole in Wasteland 3’s otherwise detailed world-building.

MSRP: $59.99 (Included with Game Pass)
Platforms: PC (reviewed), XB1, PS4

The first order of business for the player’s Rangers is getting established in Colorado Springs. Early missions will see players undertake errands for the locals, building relationships and recruiting NPCs in order to upgrade the Ranger Headquarters.Players can carry a party of up to six Rangers, which allows for a great deal of tactical flexibility. As with any standard RPG, leveling up unlocks skill points and perks. Characters can specialise in particular weapon type (assault, small arms or heavy guns), and skills range from lock-picking, modding, dialogue and science all the way through to animal taming and toaster repair (a skill that is definitely bespoke to Wasteland’s particular brand of humour).

As players progress further into the game, skill points can therefore be spent on building up a balanced squad befitting their play-style. Whilst there is the option to swap out party members back at Ranger HQ, I wasn’t particularly motivated to do so once I had settled on particular specialisms for each of my Rangers.

Ready, Aim, Fire.

Combat is well executed, enjoyable and in keeping with standard tactical RPGs. Whilst there is nothing particularly original or innovative about Wasteland 3’s core mechanics, there is still plenty of strategizing – and fun – to be had. Battles are turn-based, and the extent of available moves is dependent on a character’s action points. Players will need to pay attention to available cover, line of sight and environmental hazards – all of which can lead to being caught out in the open or used to gain the upper hand in a fight. Action points can also be used to set a character up for their next turn, by either choosing to adopt a defensive position, or set an ambush for an unsuspecting enemy.

Characters also have their own strike meter which charges with each attack. When full, players can trigger a precision hit. Like the Fallout VATS system, this will let the player target a specific body part. However, different options come with different percentages of success. A headshot will usually put an enemy down for good but comes with a risk at a 50% roll.

It can sometimes be difficult to organise your squad ahead of a skirmish – it isn’t always easy sneaking in or setting all six party members into solid positions without one member going rogue and running in to trigger the fight before the player is ready. This happened to me on several occasions and left me caught out in the open, at which point I was left scrambling to recover the fight from a disadvantaged position. However, Wasteland 3’s standard difficulty setting isn’t particularly punishing. Health boosts are readily available and often key actions such as disabling a turret or shooting a barrel will turn the tide of battle.

Oh God. Not Clowns.

The game’s style and humour is distinctive and in keeping with the quirky dystopian setting. Wasteland 3 does have real character – it’s brash and tough, and so are its citizens. It is fitting, then, that the game is keen to emphasise the importance of player choice – alliances can be forged and lost depending on the values your characters hold, and the factions your characters choose to align with. Short term benefits can come with long term consequences, and actions can cut the player out of future questlines. This is apparent from the get-go. Upon entering the World Map for the first time, I was quickly presented with a choice: intercept a convoy and acquire some armour, or save a family surrounded by local mercenaries. I chose the latter, which raised my reputation with a particular faction – but unfortunately the convoy was lost for good.

When players reach the World Map, which is traversed via the Rangers’ Kodiak truck (which can also be used in combat), the game really opens up for exploration. Points of interest and side-quests are plentiful – that is, if the player is not immediately put off by an early-encounter with a crew of killer clowns.

Wasteland 3 is also not without its flaws, some of which are performance related. On occasions characters became non-responsive in combat, which required a restart. Loading times are also extensive, which makes restarting particularly frustrating. That said, nothing is game breaking, and these types of interruption were infrequent.

Conclusion

Wasteland 3 is a great ride and fans of the genre should thoroughly enjoy it. It’s an added bonus that familiarity with Wasteland 2 is really not a pre-requisite for picking up Wasteland 3 – the game is accessible and holds up in its own right.

Whilst the player-controlled characters lack any kind of development, fortunately this oversight does not apply to the rest of the inhabitants of Colorado Springs. There’s depth to the game’s story and its setting, and for the most part decisions have consequences. With around 60 hours of content, Wasteland 3 is well worth the investment.

Review copy of game provided by publisher.

Good
  • Polished combat
  • Great setting
  • Enjoyable exploration
  • Solid story
Bad
  • Lacks innovation
  • Occasional bugs are disruptive
  • Player characters lack development
8
Great
Written by
Sophie has been a gamer since that glorious decade known as the nineties. Her console of choice is the Sega Mega-Drive. She reads books, watches television, does academic stuff and likes tattoos.