Report #38
Short post, as I finished only one game in the last month.
Reviews
Release Date: 2014
Wasteland 2 is a cRPG set in a postapocalyptic world. A nuclear war has devastated most of the earth and people struggle to survive in small communities. You play as a squad of rookies in an organization known as the Desert Rangers, guarding the peace in your territory. As it always happens, some enemies appear and you got to defend your home against them, before going on a road trip to find out where they come from and how to stop them at the source.
The whole game is very akin to Fallout (1&2), which isn't surprising, seeing how Brian Fargo was one of the developers of this game. It is also full of references to the original Wasteland from the late 80s, which went mostly over my head, because I did not play the original game. The gameplay is pretty straightforward. You travel around the map, talk to people, solve quests, kill bandits and other enemies and skill up your squad. There are a couple of companions available, which add some flavour.
My main criticism is a very personal one: The postapocalyptic wasteland setting just doesn't do it for me. This is not game specific, the setting is just not very interesting for me. In case you are a fan of this specific setting, add another star to my review. The game itself is not perfect, but quite good otherwise.
Achievements: With careful planning you can get all of them in a single playthrough. You get some minor spoilers though, when you do so. None of the achievements require luck or skill, they're all connected to specific choices.
Verdict: Definitely recommended for fans of the postapocalyptic wasteland setting, still a solid cRPG otherwise.
Currently playing
- Wargame: European Escalation
22.3 hours playtime
This game is soso.
I started a new job, my gaming time is a bit limited atm. May the next post be somewhat longer and more interesting again ;)
Happy backlog-clearing to everyone,
Vito
Hey a new job is good if it’s what you needed. As long as you settle in and get time to relax again though. I’ve been learning that we need balance. Too much work can make you sick.
Oh, it’s a fine job and will leave me with enough free time once I settled in a bit. And my old group disbanded so I had no choice anyways :D
60+ hours for Wasteland 2? I guess it being quite long is true. Also, does it get better in the second half when you change locations? I heard it’s almost like the team finally figured out the kind of game they were making and it goes up in quality as a result.
Glad to hear it. Never enough time, it seems.
You can do it faster if you don’t care about the achievements, but not by much. I didn’t know that the second half is supposed to be better. I’d say, maybe a bit, but not by much. I don’t think the first half is bad in the first place though. There are interesting characters, weird post-apocalyptic stuff and some very humorous elements. I’d even argue that the fights for example are more fun in the first half, because you and your enemies have a harder time hitting things and when they do, they don’t hit as hard, which leads to longer fights. I don’t think the atmosphere and story are perfect, but still pretty solid. The setting’s just not my cup of tea.
That’s good to hear. Although to be fair, as far as setting is concerned, Wasteland is way wackier than Fallout. I’m talking killer clowns and stuff. Maybe that’s your problem with its post-apocalyptic setting?
Oh it’s not specific to the game, I just dislike the post-nuclear war dystopian setting in general. I didn’t like it in Fallout either. I can’t really say why, but this specific kind of setting just doesn’t really … speak?… to me. I don’t hate it, but I can never really immerse myself in a postapocalyptic world the same I can with others. So, it’s really nothing specific to Wasteland, but slight a general aversion.
Makes sense. Taste is personal, after all. Btw,
Is that the game where devs used the engine they developed while working for Ubisoft to go and create their own games after leaving? I remember reading something along those lines.
Then you know more than me. I didn’t actually read up about the game, I can’t even remember why I bought it in the first place.