Wasteland 2

Wasteland 2 is a game that I really wanted to like, even though, it isn't a good game. I am sure that sounds confusing, so I'll explain what I mean.

To start off, I should mention that I really enjoyed Fallout 1 and 2 (am going to assume that you know what they are since you are looking at a wasteland 2 review, if for some reason you don't, you should spend a little time and look them up), and for the most part Wasteland 2 feels like it could be a direct sequel to those games. And that is one of its main problems with it, since Fallout 2 came out in 1998, and Wasteland 2 feels like it could have came out shortly after that.

The game's old school elements appeals to a part of me that really enjoyed the fallout games, however, another part of me knows that those elements are outdated, and that new and better game mechanics have been introduced since then. One such example of these outdated mechanics is the lack of information and tutorials in the game. And while I do enjoy finding things out for myself, I do not like having to Google basic game mechanics (i.e. how to disarm mines) because the game does not provide this information. I know that there are games out there that promote a lack of information as a feature (am looking at you dark souls) but in a game where you have to create characters with a limited amount of skill points, this omission is damaging to the experience (since you might end up having to restart the game after a few hours, because you didn't invest any skill points into a stat that didn't seem to serve a purpose).

The game's basic design encourages the user to min/max their party, which results in the player picking side characters for the stats, and not their personality. And for a RPG that all about story, choices and characters, this min/max system pulls the player out of the experience since they will no longer care about the characters they are using, but only about how they can use them. To put it another way, your squad doesn't feel like a band of brothers fighting through the wasteland, instead they feel like tools on your tool belt.

I did enjoy a few of the elements in the game which is way I wanted to like this game. Two things that they did right are the game's length and allowing the player to choose how to play the game. This game is long in a good way. There is a ton to do, and most of it is interesting. I never really felt like the game was dragging out an encounter or experience just to pad its length. And what made this experience so enjoyable was that player choice directly effects the game's flow. The player often finds themselves in a new environment with a little explanation and a lot of options. There usually a main mission to a setting, for example bandits claiming to be the protectors of an area, that the player can deal with as they see fit (they can side with the bandit, wipe them out, or just leave them alone). And there are usually also several side objectives scatter about the area that influence the setting, provide items, or are just there to add favor. These elements for the game are great, but all the other issues drag it down.

This game could have been something amazing, if they had taken the time to make a modern feeling RPG in the style of the older fallouts, however, they didn't. In the end this game will appeal mainly to a small niche community that enjoyed old PC RPGs and desperately want more of them.