Wasteland 2

 PC
User Score
7.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 1217 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 786 out of 1217
  2. Mixed: 209 out of 1217
  3. Negative: 222 out of 1217
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  1. Chomag
    Sep 19, 2014
    7
    Meh. This game is a big Meh. It's far from being a Fallout game, it's more like Fallout Tactics in that it's lacking a lot of the stuff that made Fallout great, while concentrating on the combat.
    Its production values are cheap, as well.
    The character models are atrocious and look like they came straight out of the year 2000. Also, armors don't show on your characters, as they have set    Meh. This game is a big Meh. It's far from being a Fallout game, it's more like Fallout Tactics in that it's lacking a lot of the stuff that made Fallout great, while concentrating on the combat.
    Its production values are cheap, as well.

    The character models are atrocious and look like they came straight out of the year 2000. Also, armors don't show on your characters, as they have set look you decide at character creation and you're stuck with it the whole game.

    The story is very cliche and dull and is revealed from the first hour of the game. Once again Fallout Tactics comes to mind, as the main story is practically the same.

    It's an average game that you shouldn't miss if you're a fan of RPGs, but don't expect to see a blast from the past in the form of a new Fallout game or some mind blowing story with interesting twists, it's not that good.    … Expand
  2. 123456
    Oct 1, 2014
    7
    As a veteran of Fallout and Fallout 2 I was looking forward to this game. Generally it is disappointing because combat is the worst thing about this game. After playing around 10 hours I have been frustrated by it a number of times.

    Ammo is scarce and PC's miss most of their shots unless you spend heavily in combat skills, which means you neglect the massive number of other useful    As a veteran of Fallout and Fallout 2 I was looking forward to this game. Generally it is disappointing because combat is the worst thing about this game. After playing around 10 hours I have been frustrated by it a number of times.

    Ammo is scarce and PC's miss most of their shots unless you spend heavily in combat skills, which means you neglect the massive number of other useful skills which make up parts of the game which are actually fun. Melee weapons beyond a nail board seem to be completely forgotten.

    Most of the fights, save a few, seem to be standoffs with little in the way of tactical cover, rather two teams blasting at each other until one crew dies. This is a major let down. Even setting up ambushes becomes a tedious tip-toe forward trying not to aggro the enemy, who can run at you like Usain Bolt and get into melee range on their first turn. There is no kind of CC or even debuffs.

    Loot is randomly generated apart from medical supplies and some mobs. You can easily get starved of one type of ammo so the pressure is on throughout the game to conserve as much as you can.

    The story is quite good so far, with a hard choice early on with real consequences. The dialogue is well acted and written, although sometimes you will want to turn the radio transmitter spam off so you can actually focus on your story.

    The "isometric" (3D) view is great, although the graphics in general lack a real polish, looking much like the first "Dawn of War" game which came out 10 years ago this month. The maps are exactly like the old Fallout games or even New Vegas, mostly brown but with some fun variations on the theme. The sizes are fine and walking them does not take too long. Loading times between maps were around 10-15 seconds for me. I have not found any bugs.

    There is a lot to like about this game, and like Divinity Original Sin its probably more fun with a guide on how to set your party up (which I think is a really lame thing). The combat is tiresome but the dramatic parts are good and the environment is what you would probably want. I don't think it is worth £30, if you liked fallout wait for it to be £20.    … Expand
  3. Lauranda
    Oct 24, 2014
    7
    The original Wasteland holds up as one of my favorite games of all time, so when I stumbled upon the kickstarter for this more than 2 decades later, I jumped on it...and then had to wait another 2+ years in anticipation. I probably would give it a 6, but it gets a bonus point for the nostalgia.

    Wastleland 2 definitely brought back memories of the original, but it did get a bit tedious.    The original Wasteland holds up as one of my favorite games of all time, so when I stumbled upon the kickstarter for this more than 2 decades later, I jumped on it...and then had to wait another 2+ years in anticipation. I probably would give it a 6, but it gets a bonus point for the nostalgia.

    Wastleland 2 definitely brought back memories of the original, but it did get a bit tedious. Kill the baddies, sell/salvage the extra loot to free up encumbrance, buy more ammo, repeat. I can also see how it could be tough going without having read up on how to make a party before starting off. You definitely want to understand the CLASSIC system before you start and do not spread skill points too thin.

    Multiple ways to solve problems (and decisions affecting the side stories) was nice.

    I had no problem with the graphics. They are a nice mix of modern meshed with old-school (if you are a young'un, don't expect top of the line HD stuff here).

    The story was a little shallow, but it was very similar to the original (which I think was a nod to it). I also thought the final battle was a bit of a let down.

    One thing I did notice (or rather did not notice) was the lack of bugs. I know this is one of the reasons Fargo and company extended the deadline...they wanted it perfect. I can say I never had an issue whatsoever with anything going haywire.

    Overall I liked it, but it could have had a little more story and a little less monotony. Perhaps a Wasteland 3 will get the score up in the 9-10 range.    … Expand
  4. Loler13gr
    Jan 28, 2015
    7
    A good old-shcool RPG which will please the series fans and the hardcore RPG players but may seem a little too hard to the new ones. The survival aspect of the game ties in perfectly with the RPG and strategic elements and offers an experience which can only be matched by a heavily moded Fallout game. Do give it a shot but know it takes a little more patience than other games. OtherwiseA good old-shcool RPG which will please the series fans and the hardcore RPG players but may seem a little too hard to the new ones. The survival aspect of the game ties in perfectly with the RPG and strategic elements and offers an experience which can only be matched by a heavily moded Fallout game. Do give it a shot but know it takes a little more patience than other games. Otherwise you can always play Original Sin.… Expand
  5. bortengineer
    Sep 30, 2014
    7
    Don't get me wrong, Wasteland 2 is not a bad game. The problem is that it's not a good game either. At the beginning It definitely gives you that sweet feeling of an old style RPG, but as you go deeper into the game, you start to realise that it's just the surface and Wasteland 2 is pretty dull at the inside. It's not about some major issues, the problem is that there are huge number ofDon't get me wrong, Wasteland 2 is not a bad game. The problem is that it's not a good game either. At the beginning It definitely gives you that sweet feeling of an old style RPG, but as you go deeper into the game, you start to realise that it's just the surface and Wasteland 2 is pretty dull at the inside. It's not about some major issues, the problem is that there are huge number of small ones.

    1) Game mechanics is not transparent. Do you know that high combat initiative allows you have more than one move in a turn? Do you know how luck affects drop rates? How charisma works, is it party-based or character-based? Do you know that formula for action points is (STR+INT+SPD)/4+CRD/2. Sure, you can dig forums and find answers to most of your questions, but you can't find them in game.

    2) Boring levels. Maps are quite big and full of hidden crates and containers. There are no shortage of mobs as well. It makes progression tedious and dull.

    3) Most skills are poorly designed. Computer science, demolitions, lockpicking, safecracking, toaster repair - in 95% of the situations you use them to get access to some loot. And you really need that loot and those skills, because ammo is sparse. I found that Mechanical Repair and Animal Whisperer to be enjoyable, just because they are not used routinely.

    4) There are dosens of crates, safes, and blah-blah on the map. Almost all of them contains some junk, a little bit of ammo and tiny amount of money. It makes the gameplay grindy and tedious. Instead it would be much better to remove 90% of the crates and fill remaining 10% with cool items, and give the player feeling of the accomplishment.

    5) The storyline is not engaging and full of cliches. It really fits theme of original Wasteland, but what was good back in 80s is boring and repetitive now. It reminds me of Fallout Tactics, which is not cool. To be fair, there are good things about the story as well: i really like emphasis on hard decisions and "you can't save em all" attitude.

    6) There are times when game really breaks the immersion. First time you see a honey badger - it's really funny. Second time, it's ok. But when you see a whole valley full of them, you just facepalm. There are no day/night cycle (fallout 1/2, arcanum, hell - even Ultima 7 had that). And yeah - dosens of crates full of staff in what was supposed to be a wasteland.

    7) And list goes on and on.

    Note, that none of these issues are gamebreaking or something. They just take away some satisfaction of the game. So if your are a fun of post-apocalypse theme and turn based combat - by all means get it, but wait for the sale. Otherwise - avoid.    … Expand
  6. Alsvha
    Sep 21, 2014
    7
    Decent and fun try at Old School RPG - but it lacks serious polish as we're not longer in the old school.

    The game is overall quite fun, it's a nice nostalgic trip back to the days of the Fallouts that were Fallouts and not Oblivion with Guns and Mutants, so if you liked those older games - you'll enjoy this one. However there are many issues; not simply bugs but design decisions and    Decent and fun try at Old School RPG - but it lacks serious polish as we're not longer in the old school.

    The game is overall quite fun, it's a nice nostalgic trip back to the days of the Fallouts that were Fallouts and not Oblivion with Guns and Mutants, so if you liked those older games - you'll enjoy this one.

    However there are many issues; not simply bugs but design decisions and lack of polish, which scar the playability of the game.
    The issues range from combat situations where range is seriously limited on weapons and the enemy can run as far as you can shoot in one turn and hit you on the head with his club, to other combat issues such as how the NPCs seemingly don't run out of ammo yet you loot no ammo from them.
    Other issues are with how skills are used. Instead of simply using the highest skilled PC automatically - you'll have to select him, select the skill, select the object. Might not be an issue the first hundred times, but it gets bore-some as you have to drudge through ever container you can find to stock up and that means using perception, trap/alarm disarm, lock pick/electronic/safe crack and that's likely spread out over multiple characters. Something that was fine in the 90s and 00s, but even though it's an "old school RPG" we do not need all "old school mechanics". Polish and quality of life features came into existence for a reason.
    The dialogue, and levelling up system is also a bit annoying and again - it gets tiresome because you have to do it over and over and over.

    Character creation is what creation is, but the models used aren't that "pretty", so if that's your thing - then it'll cost on the score. It's not for me, so I'm fine with it - but again, I can't help but think that it's 2014 and not 1994. Even if it is a kickstarter game.

    But the game does have that nice "wasteland" feeling, combat and questing is otherwise acceptable, and even though bugs exists - I've not found any to be gamebreaking (yet).
    So as mentioned - if the likes of Fallout 1, 2 and/or Tactics grapped you back then - you're likely to enjoy this game, but a masterpiece of score 10 it is not.

    7 to 8 because is feels and plays as a solid game. I'm properly leaning a bit more towards 7 than 8 now after having played some more hours because the lack of polish is a grinding factor.    … Expand
  7. c3p
    Nov 11, 2014
    7
    Like Shadowrun it's awesome if you're a fan of the genre.
    Then you will be blindly in love and can overlook graphic and balancing issues. It's your 9.5/10 and you love it!
    If you are only mildly interested in the genre it's a tough deal. You should read up on the Internet before playing on how to make your character "not suck" and you'll have to be willing to spend 20-30 hours until    Like Shadowrun it's awesome if you're a fan of the genre.
    Then you will be blindly in love and can overlook graphic and balancing issues. It's your 9.5/10 and you love it!

    If you are only mildly interested in the genre it's a tough deal. You should read up on the Internet before playing on how to make your character "not suck" and you'll have to be willing to spend 20-30 hours until you really can enjoy it. I'm not sure everyone has that time or wants to invest it.

    To conclude: a very slow game with many small issues that could have been solved better, but if you're willing to overlook these it's a diamond you won't find anywhere else!    … Expand
  8. rawhide1970
    Oct 16, 2014
    7
    This is a good top down RPG tactical combat game. Character creation can be a little overwhelming at first, but I consider that to be a good thing. The storyline is good and the combat mechanics are done very well. Haven't finished it yet, but there seems to be plenty of content. Cons: I'm not convinced the weapons are balanced very well, and some of the abilities don't come into playThis is a good top down RPG tactical combat game. Character creation can be a little overwhelming at first, but I consider that to be a good thing. The storyline is good and the combat mechanics are done very well. Haven't finished it yet, but there seems to be plenty of content. Cons: I'm not convinced the weapons are balanced very well, and some of the abilities don't come into play often enough to justify putting points into them.… Expand
  9. mweagle
    Oct 2, 2014
    7
    I can be very short about this one.

    The good: - Nice tactical combat with multiple characters that allows for a very versatile gameplay. - A lot of variety in the maps. - Solid quests, if you excluse some in the first half of the game. - Loads of stuff in the game. - Some nice humor and references in the game. - Nice RPG elements and the game gives you a lot of freedom to build    I can be very short about this one.

    The good:
    - Nice tactical combat with multiple characters that allows for a very versatile gameplay.
    - A lot of variety in the maps.
    - Solid quests, if you excluse some in the first half of the game.
    - Loads of stuff in the game.
    - Some nice humor and references in the game.
    - Nice RPG elements and the game gives you a lot of freedom to build and develop your characters.
    - No quests-a-la-follow-the-marker-marker-marker-marker.

    The bad:
    - Bugs bugs bugs bugs.
    - 1% Jam rate on a HMG and it still jams every gunfight...
    - Bad introduction to the game, nothing is explained so you are destined to make some wrong character creation errors. Although the game lets you figure stuff out yourself, some info about some crucial things (gameplay/gamemechanic wise)would be nice.
    - Every single thing is percentage/stat based. Sure, you can get 100%, but every single thing, from combat to lockpicking, to breaking walls to hacking computers is chance-based, with the occasion of a critical failure, making the objective perma-useless. Very annoying and a lot of quick-loading because of this. Should not be necessary.    … Expand
  10. SlightlyOP
    Apr 12, 2015
    7
    Fun game but there are things that bring it down for me. These are just my tastes but I wish it wasn't turn based, I'd prefer just being able to pause combat and issue commands. And the constant weapon jamming is incredibly annoying. I mostly play games for story and though combat can be fun, when I'm playing he game on the easiest difficulty I just want to be able to breeze through theFun game but there are things that bring it down for me. These are just my tastes but I wish it wasn't turn based, I'd prefer just being able to pause combat and issue commands. And the constant weapon jamming is incredibly annoying. I mostly play games for story and though combat can be fun, when I'm playing he game on the easiest difficulty I just want to be able to breeze through the combat, which is not possible in this game. I think many other people though could find this game good. It just doesn't cater well to my tastes.… Expand
  11. jedidiah
    Oct 1, 2014
    7
    As a backer, I have waited the game too long. And this game should really be better. There are minimal improvement since early beta. I don't see why it gets such high reputation among the critic reviews.

    I list my humble complains here: The loot system is a pain. Random-drop makes the game experience unstable. Opening every safe and box provides very little fun. There should be less    As a backer, I have waited the game too long. And this game should really be better. There are minimal improvement since early beta. I don't see why it gets such high reputation among the critic reviews.

    I list my humble complains here:

    The loot system is a pain. Random-drop makes the game experience unstable. Opening every safe and box provides very little fun. There should be less containers and better loots.

    The difference of weapon strength between every tiers is very queer. If only there are several characteristic weapons of similar power, player can combat with more play styles.

    The skill success rate system is just very troublesome. If the game allows saving and loading, the check should better set as a threshold of all or none. Asking player to ponder for a proper action before an object may be funny in 1988 but not now.

    The 3 kinds of speech check make confusing in my skill-picking but not as much enjoyment in doing those speech.

    The maps are way too wide thus make too many running, as many user commented.
    The mini-maps are irrelevant.
    Tactic component of the battle is too thin and covers are difficult to use. The combat is not interesting.
    The story of NPCs are either very short or coming as a big mass in a very short moment. I was hoping a storytelling that allow their story to be discovered step by step.    … Expand
  12. Noi
    Feb 25, 2015
    7
    I very much anticipated this game as a fallout 1 and 2 fan. The game delivered quite well. But I must say that I was quite disappointed with the lack of variation in combat, it had quite a few bugs and one especially annoying with character movement.

    Story was good and overall the game was enjoyable.
  13. luciferwez
    Aug 21, 2015
    7
    If you're looking for a challenging and fun 3D version of the Fallout 1/2 combat system, look no further. It has its flaws but overall good and since I love turn-based RPG (which is extremely hard to find) I enjoy playing it.
  14. CoreGamer1408
    Dec 17, 2018
    7
    Not as deep a CPRG as Fallout 1/2, but way better party based combat that is a lot of fun. I'd say this was more combat heavy than story rich. Stuck playing the Rangers wasn't a problem. I mostly role play as the good guys anyway. Tactics of Lazer Squad meets a good guy Fallout lite sort of experience for sure.
  15. Enex
    Sep 20, 2014
    6
    I really wanted to like this game, but it's only okay.

    There is no reason to lie to the player, and the critical failure rates are outright lies (as are the success rates for skills). There is no reason for every other box you find to have a bomb strapped to it. That's idiotic. Resources are supposed to be scarce. Where is everyone getting all this TNT? (To safeguard their scrap and    I really wanted to like this game, but it's only okay.

    There is no reason to lie to the player, and the critical failure rates are outright lies (as are the success rates for skills). There is no reason for every other box you find to have a bomb strapped to it. That's idiotic. Resources are supposed to be scarce. Where is everyone getting all this TNT? (To safeguard their scrap and broken gray level junk, no less).

    The game also seems obsessed with wasting the player's time. Skills that you click take a long time to complete, for no gameplay reason but to annoy.

    I strongly suggest anyone reading this review to wait for a sale.    … Expand
  16. zmora
    Apr 23, 2015
    6
    Very simple combat, cliche filled story and in my humble opinion way too many things to find, that dont actually mean anything. As in finding some locked, trapped chest behind locked and trapped door hidden in the corner of huuuge ass map should award something more than some pants, 3 bullets and a human leg.
  17. MRGamer
    Sep 27, 2014
    6
    This game is a commendable effort to bring back the feel of old school CRPGs. It creates a gritty environment, presents fairly interesting characters and story, and is at times clever and darkly humorous. However, as a tactical experience it is mediocre at best and obviously broken at times. Combat mechanics are shallow and shortcuts have been taken to make up for the lack of adequateThis game is a commendable effort to bring back the feel of old school CRPGs. It creates a gritty environment, presents fairly interesting characters and story, and is at times clever and darkly humorous. However, as a tactical experience it is mediocre at best and obviously broken at times. Combat mechanics are shallow and shortcuts have been taken to make up for the lack of adequate tactical AI. A real game breaker for those who seek a satisfying tactical combat challenge.… Expand
  18. Bowdown
    Sep 22, 2014
    6
    I did not back this game, I did not wait for it. I haven't even heard about it and its predecessor. But I am a huge fan of quality games of all genres and tactical strategies are no exception. I've noticed this game a few days before its release and was excited to try it out, having read about the Fallout feel and all.

    Well, I was severely disappointed by the game itself. It certainly    I did not back this game, I did not wait for it. I haven't even heard about it and its predecessor. But I am a huge fan of quality games of all genres and tactical strategies are no exception. I've noticed this game a few days before its release and was excited to try it out, having read about the Fallout feel and all.

    Well, I was severely disappointed by the game itself. It certainly has some appealing things, but most of the time it's just boring, slow fights again and again and poor level design. You always have to go back numerous times, picking this and that, hacking, breaking and so on. First couple of hidden chest locations were fun to memorise, but it became really tedious after the count reached 10.

    Now this one is up to personal taste, but I really think that RNG system in hacking/picking locks/disarming alarms/etc. is bad for any gamer who's obsessed with exploration and collecting things. I instantly started abusing quicksave-quickload if I didn't lockpick something successfully. Would be much better if there just was a skill threshold, in my opinion. As soon as your skill was above it, you could lockpick chests of lower level and so on.    … Expand
  19. Siffy
    Sep 20, 2014
    6
    This game is slow in every possible way that a game can be. The maps are too big and empty (putting dozens of (sometimes hidden) locked containers out there is not my understanding of a living world), i.e, there is too much running (and backtracking) around. The fights feel ALWAYS the same. It does not matter whether you are level 1 or level 20 there is no change.On top, there are just toThis game is slow in every possible way that a game can be. The maps are too big and empty (putting dozens of (sometimes hidden) locked containers out there is not my understanding of a living world), i.e, there is too much running (and backtracking) around. The fights feel ALWAYS the same. It does not matter whether you are level 1 or level 20 there is no change.On top, there are just to many of them for no reason but prolong the play time. I am completely disappointed by the combat system and the leveldesign. More content on each map or less maps with the combined content of several maps and a combat system alike to Jagged Alliance 2 or even X-COM would have increased the user experience dramatically. However, some gamereview state that Wasteland 2 is first a RPG and only second a turned based strategy game. Yet, the rpg part cannot convince me either. Skill increase means that your chances increase for lockpicking, hitting, hacking etc. but the gameplay does not change, with exception to dialog based skills. While new weapons do increase the damage output, other loot like new armor (that has an some use other than new looks) does not really exist, similar to Mass Effect 2.
    True, the dialogs are great, the choices have severe impacts which is always nice for multiple playthroughs. But the tedious level design and the unnecessary often and boring fights interrupt the otherwise interesting story or sidequests, which already make my first run unenjoyable.

    I can only recommend this game to fans or people who like mindless grinding and backtracking for about 3/4 of the game just to see some hours of real RPG gameplay. Instead of creating a 50+ game, which game mechanism just don't fit the developers should have focused on a more dense, more capturing world by improving the combat system and reducing the size of the maps.    … Expand
  20. MeritCoba
    Jun 19, 2016
    6
    I usually refrain from mentioning other reviewers, but Alsvha hits it on the head for me so you are invited to read his review. I will add something of my own here.
    Wasteland 2 captured my interest after I was allowed to play it for free for a short while. Frankly, I decided on it for the lack of games to play. This is actually my own problem for I have this rule not to spend money more    I usually refrain from mentioning other reviewers, but Alsvha hits it on the head for me so you are invited to read his review. I will add something of my own here.
    Wasteland 2 captured my interest after I was allowed to play it for free for a short while. Frankly, I decided on it for the lack of games to play. This is actually my own problem for I have this rule not to spend money more than 15 euros on a game unless I am certain I want to have it. The next one I am looking forward to is Cyberpunk 2077.

    Wasteland 2 is positioned as an old school rpg, which is more a sales pitch than anything else. It is old, therefore it is good? Like wine that has matured over time giving us a rich bouquet of flavours? But perhaps it is more an excuse for the vinegar taste it might turn out to be? Perhaps both depending on the situation.

    For me a game is made in the here and now and not in the back and then and although it might have the same features in a way I hope we have progressed somewhat and learned to make things better. But next to that, a good story is a good story as a bad story is bad one. As far as I know the only difference the technology makes, for that is what discerns old from new basically, is in the delivering. And is that not what the sales pitch tries to smooth over?

    So ignoring the old school blurb we can say it resembles games like Blackguards, the 2014 tactical role play game set in a fantasy realm. But Wasteland stresses roleplay more and feels less combat oriented therefore. The world is also more open and allows you to travel about although there are 'guides' and barriers keeping you from spinning of into the wrong direction.

    The game strikes a decent balance between combat and role play, but unfortunately for me I never quite liked it. One way to suck away the fun is the tedious scavenging. The country side is littered with boxes, safes and landmines which you have to discover, examine, disarm, crack, open and empty of the random generated paltry contents. Since ammunition is scare and expensive and well paying jobs are far and in between you are almost required to live of the land and the droppings of your enemies, which is at times unrelated to what weapons they bring to bear and even at times your opponents do not drop anything at all.

    Another annoying feature is to stuff the contents full of items listed as junk, which isn't always junk we are warned over and over so, you carry around a lot of excess baggage just in the offhand chance it might be required for something.

    What I find even more damaging for this game, which is why I liked games like Torment and Baldurs Gate, is that most of your team members have almost no personality. The basic team has non and only a few of your npcs have something of their own mind. Even Blackguards gives more personality to your team members. If this was a deliberate choice than the lack of original personalities ought to be off set by a good combat system. But wasteland doesn't deliver much. It is decent enough, but nothing special or spectacular as it lacks depth.

    What remains is to evaluate the story line. And here Wasteland is the most weak. It has no general story line that draws you in. The stories are fragmented and you feel more like an emergency response team that is running from one unrelated crisis to the next. So yeah, there is the murder of Ace. So yeah, there is the synth tale. So yeah, there are the mutated plants. But it is unrelated and often feels like a distraction for a main plot that has yet to develop.

    Overall the game is decent and works in a fashion, but it lacks a good story line and well develop characters. Ironically that is exactly my criticism for Fallout 4. Perhaps old school and new school have something in common?    … Expand
  21. TSTINKERS
    Dec 29, 2014
    6
    OK. this game is not a 10 to everyone giving it a 10. I played it all the way through, 120hrs... so... it is definately OK. But... the battles are terrible. The RPG and quests and going around talking etc. is perfect. The only thing missing (and it is a big thing) because it's 50% of the game, is the battles with enemies. With Jagged Alliance 2 you could creep around, every shotOK. this game is not a 10 to everyone giving it a 10. I played it all the way through, 120hrs... so... it is definately OK. But... the battles are terrible. The RPG and quests and going around talking etc. is perfect. The only thing missing (and it is a big thing) because it's 50% of the game, is the battles with enemies. With Jagged Alliance 2 you could creep around, every shot counted, if someone was injured they were out for a while, ammo was scarce., there weren't crates every 5 steps you take, if you found a crate it was actually exciting and it would have a ton of stuff instead of 3 bullets. So... this game is basically not polished. When you go to switch your gun for a gernade to throw the gun suddenly unloads all the bullets. Just weird stuff like that. With Jagged Alliance 2 if you walked around the corner and you were 2 feet from an enemy, if they hit you close range with a pistol you'd be dead. With Wasteland a pistol shot from close range is like a slap on the wrist.

    So... basically... this game is not a classic. It doesn't suck, but it isn't a classic. If they thought out the fighting as much as they thought out the RPG, yes, it definitely had a chance.    … Expand
  22. bordo
    Sep 22, 2014
    6
    It does have some bad aspects, sometimes it is stupid, sometimes it's meaningless. I was expecting a darker, meaner, more offensive game.
    It probably won't leave a nice mark in my mind as fallout 1 & 2 did, but it is enjoyable and there are no games like it nowadays, so play it, you won't regret that much.
  23. PowerGamer
    Nov 26, 2014
    6
    Boring, Boring,

    I was looking forward to trying this game. Hell, I'm one of the original Fallout 1 programmers. I knew Brian Fargo of course because he was the president of the company, and probably knew some of the people that worked on this game; including many that elevated their participation with Fallout but in fact had little to do with it. Doesn't change my opinion of the    Boring, Boring,

    I was looking forward to trying this game.

    Hell, I'm one of the original Fallout 1 programmers.
    I knew Brian Fargo of course because he was the president of the company,
    and probably knew some of the people that worked on this game; including many that elevated their participation with Fallout but in fact had little to do with it.
    Doesn't change my opinion of the game however..

    I put so many hours into the game. Fun at times, but frankly the majority of the time it's just slow, dull and boring.

    Furthermore it was hard to progress as it was hard to tell where anything important was at.
    The wacky map setup didn't help it either. The map always faces relative North, but then you can spin the camera around so you can be facing any direction. It's too bad this wasn't shown with some kind of circle, and, or cone shape et al. I had to switch between rotating the view camera around to into into orientation with the map to figure out where I was on it.

    Kind of cool to go back to an old style, but then if a game is not good it's not going to help, just making things worse. A 1990's style, done worse.
    It sat on my hard drive for months now, it was time to uninstall it knowing I wasn't coming back.

    P.S. It looks like their are shills making +10 reviews. Look at some of them. This is the one and only game they made a review for. Go figure..    … Expand
  24. deettis
    Oct 4, 2014
    6
    Come on people, be honest with your reviews and try to hold on to your objectivity even if you're a kickstarter backer. I LOVE old school RPGs and I'm very excited that someone skilled is bringing them back. However, if an old school RPG, "a spiritual successor" of many games, is a simplified version of a game relesed FIFTEEN YEARS AGO, something has gone very, very wrong.

    The combat    Come on people, be honest with your reviews and try to hold on to your objectivity even if you're a kickstarter backer. I LOVE old school RPGs and I'm very excited that someone skilled is bringing them back. However, if an old school RPG, "a spiritual successor" of many games, is a simplified version of a game relesed FIFTEEN YEARS AGO, something has gone very, very wrong.

    The combat system of WL2 has almost no tactical aspects in it and the rules and physics of a gunfight have are not from this world. The cover system was a nice try to bring some tactics in to the game, but the logic of it is just silly.

    I wish it all had gone perfectly and we could've witnessed a cinderella story of gaming, but it did not go that well in all honesty. I'm sorry to say that this game is far to simplified and stupid for me to keep my interest in it and it only made me more hungry for a good turn based RPG.

    Please, my fellow gamers, be honest with your reviews, you're doing a disservice for the devs and to our whole community by praising a mediocre game. Wasteland 2 is a 10? Seriously? What is the far more versatile FO2 then, a 12?    … Expand
  25. Garfoodle
    Sep 23, 2014
    6
    Not the best TBS game on the market,not the worst, It plays well and all,but for some reason,it just seems to be missing something. Maybe it's the lack of surprise, the whole "I've been there, done that" feeling that comes with playing this game. Maybe it's the heavy $40 price of admission to get into the show,per say. Maybe it's just the very overdone setting.But,none thE less,it's stillNot the best TBS game on the market,not the worst, It plays well and all,but for some reason,it just seems to be missing something. Maybe it's the lack of surprise, the whole "I've been there, done that" feeling that comes with playing this game. Maybe it's the heavy $40 price of admission to get into the show,per say. Maybe it's just the very overdone setting.But,none thE less,it's still a fun,decent length romp through nostalgia that is worth getting for the soon to be $20 steam sale.… Expand
  26. Booeyww
    Sep 22, 2014
    6
    Wasteland 2 has the potential to be a great game. The character design has depth and the idea of team building and skill management is excellent. I only wish that the game is more polished. From the awkward camera angles to a lack of quest aid the player the game is quite frustrating to play especially for newer players.
  27. bugeric
    Sep 22, 2014
    6
    Its a game with mixed feelings, in short, is its far from what you would expect from the creator of Fallout1,2. Even when you compare it to other small budget kickstarter games such as Divinity Original Sins, it does not deliver half of the fun you would have.

    I played the early access and was expecting the final game is better, but its not. I am very, deeply disappointed. I enjoyed    Its a game with mixed feelings, in short, is its far from what you would expect from the creator of Fallout1,2. Even when you compare it to other small budget kickstarter games such as Divinity Original Sins, it does not deliver half of the fun you would have.

    I played the early access and was expecting the final game is better, but its not. I am very, deeply disappointed.

    I enjoyed the post-apocalypse settings of the game, it has some smart writings.

    However, the graphic is really meh, even for Unity, they are not using it to its full potential I guess. Characters models really hurt my eyes. And it doesnt even change according to the armor you wear.

    Combat is boring and simplified, it just doesnt give you the satisfaction of fallout. Most cases that you are forced to use melee in order to save ammo instead of letting you play the way you want.

    main story is short and often lack of orientation, I really got lost in the railroad nomad camp. Some of the dialog are just too long and does not give you a better insight.

    Gameplay-wise the player perks are redundant such as smart ass, kiss ass and hard ass. Also you need 3 "lock picking" skills to open different boxes is just BS why make a differentiation for Toaster, Safe and locked boxes??
    And I really dont get the part where you can type keywords in a conversation.    … Expand
  28. Ahzeem
    Sep 29, 2014
    6
    If you take off your rose-tinted glasses for a moment and look at Wasteland 2 with a reasonable amount of objectivity, it very quickly becomes clear that the game is not without flaws. Performance issues, clunky and sometimes unreliable game play, and confusing aesthetics ground Wasteland 2 firmly in the Indie / Unpolished category of games these days. It delivers exactly what it promised,If you take off your rose-tinted glasses for a moment and look at Wasteland 2 with a reasonable amount of objectivity, it very quickly becomes clear that the game is not without flaws. Performance issues, clunky and sometimes unreliable game play, and confusing aesthetics ground Wasteland 2 firmly in the Indie / Unpolished category of games these days. It delivers exactly what it promised, but it does so in a rather poorly constructed package. The game is far from bad, but it's frustrating to play a game that you know in your heart of hearts is an absolute masterpiece hidden behind underdeveloped game play, not-so-spectacular aesthetics, and an underwhelming role-playing aspect.

    If you can look past its flaws and enjoy it for what it is, Wasteland 2 is perfectly enjoyable. Amazing story-telling, incredibly immersive hooks, and absolutely outstanding character writing will give you a truly wonderful RPG experience. But don't be surprised when you find yourself feeling that the game is lacking that special something that would put it over the top.    … Expand
  29. binmaze
    Oct 5, 2014
    6
    A mixed bag you got here. I like "Choose and take the consequences." aspect of quests.
    I really do. It is one of the best in that aspect.
    But other than that, it is not up to expectations. Most of all, the combat is way too boring. Can you believe it? It is no better than the text combat of original Wasteland which was made nearly 30 years ago. No, it's worse, because it is    A mixed bag you got here. I like "Choose and take the consequences." aspect of quests.
    I really do. It is one of the best in that aspect.

    But other than that, it is not up to expectations.

    Most of all, the combat is way too boring. Can you believe it? It is no better than the text combat of original Wasteland which was made nearly 30 years ago.

    No, it's worse, because it is slower.
    What is worse, you have to repeat it endlessly.

    And the skills.
    There are bunch of pointless skills and it requires you to use it over and over and over and over and over and over again. Oh god, I cannot overemphasize how boring it is.

    And there is no creativity of what so ever in using skill.
    Just a sickening amount of grinding.

    You may think it's not really a problem. But it is.
    It takes too much time just to pick a lock on a random box, or to open a door.

    If it had been an adventure game(combats and skills stripped off), it would have been better.
    But as an RPG, it is not a masterpiece they promised.
    It is just an ok game.    … Expand
  30. Draegnar
    Oct 6, 2014
    6
    Wasteland 2 could be a great game but right now (October 6, 2014) it is rigged with too many bugs and balancing issues. IMHO, this games was not ready for full release.

    Pros: - The post-apocalyptic feeling is great. - Dialogues and story are well written. - The huge amount of references and nods to the 80s is rather enjoyable. - Old-school cRPG are so rare nowadays and Wasteland 1    Wasteland 2 could be a great game but right now (October 6, 2014) it is rigged with too many bugs and balancing issues. IMHO, this games was not ready for full release.

    Pros:
    - The post-apocalyptic feeling is great.
    - Dialogues and story are well written.
    - The huge amount of references and nods to the 80s is rather enjoyable.
    - Old-school cRPG are so rare nowadays and Wasteland 1 was always one of my favourite.

    Cons;
    - So many fights and so little strategy involved, enemy AI is meh...
    - Lack of meaningful choices: open-ended quests are uncommon and mostly leads to flavor-only consequences.
    - A lot of skills feel redundant and artificial (there's 5 different skills for unlocking things, 3 for persuasive dialog,...).
    - Current attributes balance promotes character builds with 2 to 4 dump stats.
    - Ranged weapon balance is terrible: Assault rifles are OP, Sniper and SMG are OK, there's only one good Energy weapon in the entire game, the rest is garbage.
    - There's too much randomness in loot and skill success, savescumming will lead you anywhere.
    - UI is clunky and not user-friendly, too much wasted time in skill usage delays,...
    - Poor optimisation. For example, any activated alarm makes the game unplayable because of lag.
    - After first patch, there's still lots of bugged quests, combat related and inventory management issues (clicking dragging an item fail 2 times out of 3),...

    The most serious issues of Wasteland 2 comes from really bad design choices (randomness, artificial skills, balancing issues,...). This game seriously needs a huge re-balancing patch (or modding tools) to live up to its expectations.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

58
#58 Best PC Game of 2014
25
#25 Most Discussed PC Game of 2014
24
#24 Most Shared PC Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 65 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 53 out of 65
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 65
  3. Negative: 0 out of 65
  1. DarkStation
    Nov 25, 2014
    80
    Wasteland 2, for the most part, provides everything that its Kickstarter backers and fans of the genre are looking for.
    Read full review
  2. RPGamer
    Nov 13, 2014
    60
    If you're a fan of this style of game and have played the best recent releases, look behind you. Because that's where Wasteland 2 is going to be.
    Read full review
  3. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Nov 12, 2014
    100
    The epitome of old-school that doesn't reek of decay. There are a few bumps along the road, but oh, is it a road worth taking. [Issue#246]
See all critic reviews »