Usually, when I get to reviewing a game, I start as soon as the credits roll – or as soon as I had physically, and mentally enough. However, when I took on Wasteland 3, I took a week-long break to sit, and think on it. And this was mainly due to the fact that my first and last impressions of this particular Computer Role-Playing Game (CRPG), where rather negative. At first, I thought I got it all wrong as all the other reviewers and players alike, were all talking about Wasteland 3 in absolute superlatives. But even after all this time, I still can’t quite get on board with this particular RPG epic from InExile.
The beginning of Wasteland 3 is rather intriguing. But once you get past the initial cut-scene, it all slowly begins to fall apart. On PlayStation 4, all, and I mean all character models, are missing all their facial features, and have completely blank, skin-coloured faces. And this is not a temporary glitch, but something that persists throughout. While I’d like to pass it off as a meaningless issue, as in the end, Wasteland 3 is an isometric title, then it is ultimately, incredibly immersion breaking. As it is rather difficult to get into the story, when everybody is a faceless mannequin.
Overall, the visual presentation of Wasteland 3, at least on consoles, is rather lacklustre, and in comparison, to other CRPG’s which you can find on both PlayStation 4, as well as Xbox One, it ironically enough, it appears rather pale. Especially, when you place it right besides a title such as Divinity: Original Sin 2, or even the original Divinity. The sense of disappointment, is not only limited to the title’s visuals, but also its gameplay, and other systems.
I could spend the next thousand words, harping on how inadequate Wasteland 3’s User Interface and basic gameplay mechanics are on consoles, but in earnest there is really no need. As it can simply summarised that this particular title has been designed and developed for PCs first and foremost. And you can see it, and feel it from the very first combat encounter, all the way until the final credits. The in-game menus are rather difficult to navigate, and combat encounters often take much more time than they should, as the core systems of Wasteland 3 have been simply ported from PC and remapped onto the controller. And in short, they are all rather fiddly, and at times even infuriating. But once you scale the learning curve, or rather the learning mountain of Wasteland 3, you are guaranteed to have some ‘swell time with it.
If you were to remove the navigation from combat, you’d be left with a rather exciting and exhilarating experience. As Wasteland 3 is not only more complex than other CRPGs, but it is also much more captivating. The expanded party size, which in other games of this ilk is usually limited to four, or even three companions, in Wasteland 3 can feature up to 6 Rangers. And those include custom built player characters, basic mercenaries, as well as fully fleshed out companions, with all the bells and whistles attached. This does not just add the flavour to the proceedings, but also gives you a level of complexity and flexibility, unmatched by other titles of the genre.
While other components of Wasteland 3 can be seen as rather archaic, then this cannot be said about the title’s core combat mechanics. As for example, you can choose to have the entire hostile AI make its move at the same time, and this allows you to skip having to sit through, and watch each and every enemy think through its move, make it, and then finalise it. What makes this all even better, is the fact that unlike in Divinity: Original Sin 2, the AI of Wasteland 3 is much superior. So, you never have to wait for as long as a minute at a time, only for a hostile to make two steps and end its turn.
Since we are on the subject of combat, and things which are bigger and better than before, then I feel that it is important to underline that the arsenal of skills, abilities, weapons, armour, trinkets, and other items has been expanded exponentially., and this allows you to not just customise your characters, but the approach to combat as a whole.
My biggest gripe with Divinity: Original Sin 2, stemmed from the fact that all your party companions could be jacks of all trades. Your mage could use bladed weapons, your rogue could use magic, and your hunter and knight, could both easily navigate the battlefield with the use of many abilities related to reversal. However, Wasteland 3, while providing you with many more tools and weapons, makes you pick and choose what you both want and need. Sure, flamethrower may give you and edge when fighting within buildings but will put you at a disadvantage when in combat riflemen and snipers. So, you need to be wise how you spend your skill points, and most importantly when you spend them.
Wasteland 3 gives you the freedom to play however your heart desires. But it also keeps a short leash by constantly reminding you that your actions, and choices have consequences. And this gives it this additional dimension, which other CRPG’s simply do not have, and while Wasteland 3 may look rather repulsive at times, then its roughness does compliment it quite a bit. As it suits the title’s unforgiving nature perfectly. All this is neatly packaged with a proverbial bow composed of eccentric writing, and rather excellent voice acting.
Before I sign this review off, I simply wanted to highlight Wasteland 3’s superb voice acting, and the immensely suitably writing which stands tall behind it. The core plot of Wasteland 3 is nothing to write home about, then the world, and the characters which InExile have created are simply superb. But at the end of the day, I do wish that those rather fun and quirky characters, did have faces when I looked at them in-game.
To end this already review all that really has to be said is that Wasteland 3 is a game of some really high highs, and some rather low lows. While I’d love for Wasteland 3 to be the Fallout killer many wanted it to be, then unfortunately it is far from it. Don’t get me wrong, Fallout, or at least its modern iterations aren’t some high-brow masterpieces. But they all feature this level of consistency, which unfortunately Wasteland 3 is completely devoid of. Not to end on a sour note, it has to be said that Wasteland 3 is a great example of the CRPG genre, and will serve all fans for dozens, if not hundreds of hours – and it will do so rather well.