Wasteland 2 is a post-apocalyptic CRPG created by InXile Entertainment. The long overdue sequel to the 1988 game Wasteland, it takes place in the western United States, in Arizona and later California, after that brutal 1998 nuclear war that totally happened. You create a squad of characters, all new recruits to the "Desert Rangers," a group trying to bring a semblance of lawfulness back into a desolate wasteland.


Wasteland 2 can be seen as the spiritual successor to Fallout, as it's viewpoint, combat, and general feel is much closer to that than the original Wasteland. The combat is somewhat similar to the original Fallouts, although much more focused on in this game. Instead of controlling a single character with companions being completely AI, the game allows you to control each character on their turn. This adds more of a turn-based strategy feel in the combat; it's more about positioning and tactics than straight up firepower and ability to withstand said firepower. Fallout Tactics holds a similar, albeit clunkier, playstyle. The different skills are pretty good for the most part, although some weapon types do stand out as more useful.

The freedom in this game seems scant at first, as you are immediately forced into the Desert Rangers and sent off on a mission, but diverges almost right away with multiple choices as to where to go first, who to help, etc. Only one time limit is imposed, and this time limit simply alters the game rather than ending it outright like in the first Fallout. Folks who prefer the darker side of life also have the option to go rogue in one of two ways, but I'll leave those up for you to discover. It's not completely open world, but more a sequence of maps linked by an overworld map.

The graphics get the job done, but they're by no means stunning. Running in the Unity engine, the optimization is okay. The general aesthetic is certainly good, but it doesn't quite jump out at me like Fallout 1 and 2, or even Wasteland 1. The primary complaint would be the character models, they're not too distracting, but they aren't exactly the fluffiest sheep in the barn. To say it bluntly, the character models are bad, and at times don't even match the portrait of the character in question.

Pros
• Combat system is complex and strategic, especially compared to it's predecessors.
  
• Freedom to approach situations, although combat is less avoidable.
  
• The world itself is good
  
• Variety
  
  
  Cons
• Character models aren't very good.
  
• Some skills aren't as useful as others, although most are fun to use.
  
• Can be difficult for a first-time player.

Final Thoughts:
Fans of its forebears will find it pretty enjoyable, and certainly a worthy successor, and anyone who needs that CRPG itch scratched will be plenty happy with it. Those who like fast, action-packed games will have to look elsewhere.

Rating: 9/10

This review was written for and is published on the Lit Reviews [LR] curator page.

[b]Wasteland 2 is a post-apocalyptic CRPG created by InXile Entertainment. The long overdue sequel to the 1988 game Wasteland, it takes place in the western United States, in Arizona and later California, after that brutal 1998 nuclear war that totally happened. You create a squad of characters, all new recruits to the "Desert Rangers," a group trying to bring a semblance of lawfulness back into a desolate wasteland. [/b] Wasteland 2 can be seen as the spiritual successor to Fallout, as it's viewpoint, combat, and general feel is much closer to that than the original Wasteland. The combat is somewhat similar to the original Fallouts, although much more focused on in this game. Instead of controlling a single character with companions being completely AI, the game allows you to control each character on their turn. This adds more of a turn-based strategy feel in the combat; it's more about positioning and tactics than straight up firepower and ability to withstand said firepower. Fallout Tactics holds a similar, albeit clunkier, playstyle. The different skills are pretty good for the most part, although some weapon types do stand out as more useful. The freedom in this game seems scant at first, as you are immediately forced into the Desert Rangers and sent off on a mission, but diverges almost right away with multiple choices as to where to go first, who to help, etc. Only one time limit is imposed, and this time limit simply alters the game rather than ending it outright like in the first Fallout. Folks who prefer the darker side of life also have the option to go rogue in one of two ways, but I'll leave those up for you to discover. It's not completely open world, but more a sequence of maps linked by an overworld map. The graphics get the job done, but they're by no means stunning. Running in the Unity engine, the optimization is okay. The general aesthetic is certainly good, but it doesn't quite jump out at me like Fallout 1 and 2, or even Wasteland 1. The primary complaint would be the character models, they're not too distracting, but they aren't exactly the fluffiest sheep in the barn. To say it bluntly, the character models are bad, and at times don't even match the portrait of the character in question. [list] [h1]Pros[/h1] [*]Combat system is complex and strategic, especially compared to it's predecessors. [*]Freedom to approach situations, although combat is less avoidable. [*]The world itself is good [*]Variety [h1]Cons[/h1] [*]Character models aren't very good. [*]Some skills aren't as useful as others, although most are fun to use. [*]Can be difficult for a first-time player.[/list] [u][b]Final Thoughts[/b]:[/u] Fans of its forebears will find it pretty enjoyable, and certainly a worthy successor, and anyone who needs that CRPG itch scratched will be plenty happy with it. Those who like fast, action-packed games will have to look elsewhere. [b]Rating:[/b] 9/10 [quote]This review was written for and is published on the [url=steamproxy.net/steamstore/curator/24515397] Lit Reviews [LR] curator page. [/url] [/quote]