I went to Wasteland 3 after I attempted to play Wastleland 2 and had no idea what I was doing and then it just drops me in the game and tells me to "Go." Well, i took a few steps and decided it was too much and quit. Now I know im probably being extremely silly about that, but I just decided to go to 3 and boy wow. It just has a whole intro sequence that teaches you some of the ropes of what you're doing and what your goal is. Really shows me how good onboarding is in games and how much I can't really tolerate having none.
Wasteland 3 is what I what from CRPG's, which is grid based tactics combat. I tried to play Tyranny a little bit ago too and I got to the first combat and immediately quit. I really do not want to do party based real time combat isometrically, there is just too much shit to think about. Even if those games have pause, I can't really stand it if it isn't only turn based. The tactics is fun (not the funnest of the ones I've played but is still a good system).
I really like the choices and shit in this game because I really didn't know what is the "right" choice and kind of fumbled the whole thing at the end. Like New Vegas for example, the Legion is like obviously bad and terrible, and all the other choices are pretty "Clear cut" to me. The choices in this game really didn't feel that way to me. You are coming to Colorado to help The Patriarch with his problems, then he will send you home with a supply chain to help your kin back in Arizona (who desperately need supplies). Along the way you can learn of the bad things this guy does to keep a decently civilized kingdom in this brutal post-apocolyptic world and turn against him. It's just like, do you try to take this guy down in attempts to make something better, when its probably pretty damn good for whats going on in the world right now. Do you sacrifice the lives of your people back home for the people here? I think this game has a lot of things you need to think about in the long term and while small term choices may feel morally good, might end up fucking the region in the long run. Like I said, I basically fumbled it all up in the end cause I was trying to play nice a little, but I wasn't thinking about what doing what I did would do in the long term.
I do think this game has a little problem with its mixture of custom built XCOM-like party members and real companions that are characters. You make 2 custom characters at the start, these are your OC's, then once you get settled into HQ, you get a companion, and the ability to recruit 2 more rangers to your team. You can hold 6 controllable party members at once, 4 rangers max, and 2 extra companion slots. I think you want your party full as quick as possible, so you are gonna take 2 custom built rangers to fill out spots in your team you dont have covered. Later you will meet other companions to recruit, but I found that I coudln't really replace anyone on my team because the new companion's stats didnt't 1:1 replace who I had already. I had someone who had high assault rifle skill, and high stealth, but I met someone who had assault rifle with no stealth, but stats my other characters had, so why would I put him in tacticly? This really sucked when there is a companion that is basically critical for end game missions, but I didn't take him because I already had someone who did what he did, so he got pissy at me about it. This could be alleviated on repeat play throughs because you could build your early team around inviting these people later, but on a first one its rough not to enjoy the companions.
You can get more people in your squad though, but you can't control them and they do their own thing. I found this very enjoyable to have a whole extra 6 "pets" following me around by the end game. I also enjoyed the use of licensed music in this games, and most of them are used as battle themes! It's part folk songs akin to O Brother, Where art thou, part good ol' American partiotism songs, and part 80's pop. They are all covers so they fit, but they are used really well, at least I wouldn't expect a fucking battle theme with lyrics in a CRPG.
Also this game has some "first person" dialogue cutscenes where they have whoever you are talking to move around and are animated. I really like these scenes and it gives me a good view of how these characters are.
Liberty Buchanan... my goodness gets the vapours and fans myself.
Overall I think its a fun time, good combat, good exploration with uses for your skills, and good decisions.
Wasteland 3 is what I what from CRPG's, which is grid based tactics combat. I tried to play Tyranny a little bit ago too and I got to the first combat and immediately quit. I really do not want to do party based real time combat isometrically, there is just too much shit to think about. Even if those games have pause, I can't really stand it if it isn't only turn based. The tactics is fun (not the funnest of the ones I've played but is still a good system).
I really like the choices and shit in this game because I really didn't know what is the "right" choice and kind of fumbled the whole thing at the end. Like New Vegas for example, the Legion is like obviously bad and terrible, and all the other choices are pretty "Clear cut" to me. The choices in this game really didn't feel that way to me. You are coming to Colorado to help The Patriarch with his problems, then he will send you home with a supply chain to help your kin back in Arizona (who desperately need supplies). Along the way you can learn of the bad things this guy does to keep a decently civilized kingdom in this brutal post-apocolyptic world and turn against him. It's just like, do you try to take this guy down in attempts to make something better, when its probably pretty damn good for whats going on in the world right now. Do you sacrifice the lives of your people back home for the people here? I think this game has a lot of things you need to think about in the long term and while small term choices may feel morally good, might end up fucking the region in the long run. Like I said, I basically fumbled it all up in the end cause I was trying to play nice a little, but I wasn't thinking about what doing what I did would do in the long term.
I do think this game has a little problem with its mixture of custom built XCOM-like party members and real companions that are characters. You make 2 custom characters at the start, these are your OC's, then once you get settled into HQ, you get a companion, and the ability to recruit 2 more rangers to your team. You can hold 6 controllable party members at once, 4 rangers max, and 2 extra companion slots. I think you want your party full as quick as possible, so you are gonna take 2 custom built rangers to fill out spots in your team you dont have covered. Later you will meet other companions to recruit, but I found that I coudln't really replace anyone on my team because the new companion's stats didnt't 1:1 replace who I had already. I had someone who had high assault rifle skill, and high stealth, but I met someone who had assault rifle with no stealth, but stats my other characters had, so why would I put him in tacticly? This really sucked when there is a companion that is basically critical for end game missions, but I didn't take him because I already had someone who did what he did, so he got pissy at me about it. This could be alleviated on repeat play throughs because you could build your early team around inviting these people later, but on a first one its rough not to enjoy the companions.
You can get more people in your squad though, but you can't control them and they do their own thing. I found this very enjoyable to have a whole extra 6 "pets" following me around by the end game. I also enjoyed the use of licensed music in this games, and most of them are used as battle themes! It's part folk songs akin to O Brother, Where art thou, part good ol' American partiotism songs, and part 80's pop. They are all covers so they fit, but they are used really well, at least I wouldn't expect a fucking battle theme with lyrics in a CRPG.
Also this game has some "first person" dialogue cutscenes where they have whoever you are talking to move around and are animated. I really like these scenes and it gives me a good view of how these characters are.
Liberty Buchanan... my goodness gets the vapours and fans myself.
Overall I think its a fun time, good combat, good exploration with uses for your skills, and good decisions.
CRPGs aren't my natural home turf but this one is heavily rewarding for those who love to explore.
Wasteland 3
Wasteland 3 has been thoroughly recommended to me every time I ask for a recommendation for RPGs with a good story, so I got into it extremely excited. The game starts with an incredible opening that sets high expectations for the rest of the game. Unfortunately, the plot and storytelling fail to maintain this momentum. The storyline often feels immature and lacks subtlety. Maybe I was hoping for my mind to be blown away by the characters, overarching narrative, or plot twists. But no, I feel like the game heavily leans on absurdity as amusement. When you have one or two characters that are quirky or weird, they are memorable in themselves—an oddity, if you will—but if everyone is quirky or weird, then you are in a circus. Every character, from minor NPCs to major plot figures, behaves like clowns trying to outdo each other in banter or attention.
This over-the-top humor overshadows any potential for meaningful character development or emotional investment. The absurdity of situations and characters often feels forced, with the game relying too much on bizarre humor that doesn't always land. This focus on comedy detracts from the stakes of the story, making the wastelanders appear more concerned with petty antics than the dire circumstances of their world. This lack of serious, grounded characters makes it difficult to care about the events unfolding in the wasteland.
As mentioned before, the story starts with promise, featuring a "cliché" plot that could have been enjoyable if executed well. However, as the game progresses, the main story becomes forgettable, and the side stories feel pointless. Aside from companion quests, there are few side stories that capture interest or add depth to the narrative. With the constant barrage of jokes and absurdity, going from quest to quest feels like visiting the next patient in Arkham Asylum. As a result, the quests feel like mere excuses for delirium rather than meaningful adventures.
Not to mention the ending is a rushed mess that undermines the decisions made throughout the game. The game’s attempts to tie up the narrative quickly lead to a dissatisfying resolution that leaves much to be desired. I would recommend this game as a sort of palette cleanser for gritty, dark, and serious RPG stories, but other than that, I would not recommend it unless you enjoy the tone and atmosphere of it.
This over-the-top humor overshadows any potential for meaningful character development or emotional investment. The absurdity of situations and characters often feels forced, with the game relying too much on bizarre humor that doesn't always land. This focus on comedy detracts from the stakes of the story, making the wastelanders appear more concerned with petty antics than the dire circumstances of their world. This lack of serious, grounded characters makes it difficult to care about the events unfolding in the wasteland.
As mentioned before, the story starts with promise, featuring a "cliché" plot that could have been enjoyable if executed well. However, as the game progresses, the main story becomes forgettable, and the side stories feel pointless. Aside from companion quests, there are few side stories that capture interest or add depth to the narrative. With the constant barrage of jokes and absurdity, going from quest to quest feels like visiting the next patient in Arkham Asylum. As a result, the quests feel like mere excuses for delirium rather than meaningful adventures.
Not to mention the ending is a rushed mess that undermines the decisions made throughout the game. The game’s attempts to tie up the narrative quickly lead to a dissatisfying resolution that leaves much to be desired. I would recommend this game as a sort of palette cleanser for gritty, dark, and serious RPG stories, but other than that, I would not recommend it unless you enjoy the tone and atmosphere of it.