The original Wasteland would always have the distinction of being the pioneer of post-apocalyptic genre of gaming. Some people unknowingly credit Bethesda’s Fallout series to have kick started the genre, but in actuality, Wasteland was the game that started it all. Now, we have a sequel to the genre spawning game titled Wasteland 2, emerging after a hiatus of 25 years! At the development helm are inXile Entertainment and Obsidian Entertainment and the game (much to the dismay of console owners) would be a PC exclusive. Another distinguishing feature of the game is that it’s being funded by the general public. This method of financing is termed as a “kick starter”, so it stands to reason that expectations are running high even before the release of the game, which is scheduled somewhere in the late half of 2013.
Plot
The game takes place in a world that’s been ravaged by a nuclear holocaust. The proponents of this nuclear holocaust were a cluster of meteors which inadvertently caused an all out nuclear confrontation between nuclear arsenal wielding countries. The story focuses on a ragtag band of survivors comprised of pre-holocaust soldiers determined to help other survivors. These soldiers go by the moniker of “the desert rangers”.
First look
Ever since word got out of making a sequel of Wasteland, avid fans have been anxiously looking forward to catch a glimpse of what was in store for them. InXile Entertainment finally released a 15 minute video demo of the game which was aimed at providing the fans a brief glimpse of the proceedings. Wasteland 2 is an isometric RPG with turn-based combat which exudes the old school look and feel of the original game with elements of modern day gaming seamlessly integrated to make it more acquiescent. The player’s entourage would consist of playable and non playable characters. The playable characters would be highly customizable in terms of skills and appearance, whereas the NPC’s would come preloaded with their own personalities, skills and appearances.
The combat system is based on action points where the AI and the player take turns. The narrator of the video Chris Keenen (also the director of the game) reminded fans that things are still on the work table and would continue to be refined, based on feedback. Personally, I like the 3D camera system that can be positioned to give overhead to top-down view and rotated left to right, which reminded me of earlier days of gaming playing RTS games.
Conclusion
InXile definitely had their work cut out for them when it came churning out a sequel for a game after 25 years. They had to balance retaining enough elements from the original while amalgamating them with modern gaming elements. From the looks of the brief video (which still presented the game in very raw format missing inventory, world map etc), things are going well. It’s too early to predict the outcome but it's safe to assume that this game would please the fans of the original game, while still be appealing to new players who haven’t played the original.
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About Today's Guest Writer:
This article was written by Edward Ayers. Edward was a journalist for a local radio station in the UK. Right now he dedicates himself to the world of bloggers.
