What Critics Are Saying About Wasteland 3
Inxile is well known as an RPG studio, but up until this point, many of its projects have flown under the radar. You may not have heard much about prior Wasteland titles or Torment: Tides of Numenera, but Wasteland 3 is getting a huge roll-out thanks to Microsoft's acquisition of inXile. In a world where first-party titles are hugely important,Wasteland 3 now feels like one for Microsoft, despite the game itself being published by Deep Silver. And perhaps those Microsoft bucks helped make Wasteland 3 a better game, too — it's certainly getting a healthy amount of praise from critics.
Wasteland 3 is now available for purchase on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, and can also be accessed via Xbox Game Pass at no additional cost. Here's what critics have been saying about inXile's newest RPG, and why you might want to check the game out for yourself.
Wasteland 3 is wild and unpredictable
If you're down for the kinds of quirks and humor you might find in an RPG from Obsidian or Bethesda, Wasteland 3 might be your cup of tea. You'll be forced to confront a number of factions in the game, "from Reagan worshippers to Hispanic murderclowns," as PC Gamer put it. And PC Gamer also took careful note that, while Wasteland 3 behaves in ways an RPG should, it isn”t afraid to throw you a curveball from time to time. What kind of game has a Toaster Repair skill you can equip to a character? This one apparently does, which means "malfunctioning toasters can be cracked open for sweet loot."
Wasteland 3 is reportedly plenty deep, too, and offers many twists and turns for those willing to put in the time. GamesRadar wrote that "There is more going on beneath the surface than players will ever see. [Wasteland 3] remembers your choices, and builds on them in surprising ways." If you like a story that you can help shape, Wasteland 3 appears to have that ready for you.
Wasteland 3 could have innovated more
PC Gamer summarized Wasteland 3 at the end of its review with the following: "A wilfully strange setting explored through a predictable but enjoyable old school RPG that's been streamlined just enough." You can pick out a few words there and decide Wasteland 3 is a great game, but the "predictable" aspect of that summary is something other reviews touched on, as well. Wasteland 3 reportedly executes well enough, but some feel it doesn't try new things nearly enough.
As GamesRadar's Andrew King wrote, "I would love to see inXile attempt to innovate in their next release. The developer has made its name expertly retreading old ground. But, to put it in words the Provost would approve of: 'Audentes fortuna iuvat'. Fortune favors the bold." Perhaps inXile — which will have been fully under the Microsoft umbrella by the time its next game drops — will find the courage to experiment a bit more in Wasteland 4.