14 DAY TRIAL // Wasteland 2 is a game about a world that’s recovering after a catastrophic event, trying to rebuild at least some semblance of civilization from scratch, and about an organization that seeks to implement some sort of justice and to keep the peace between various groups.
But while I was exploring an agricultural center and trying to help them with some major mutant plant and animal infestation issues, I noticed that the development team at InXile Entertainment also managed to deliver a quick and emotion-filled story about one-sided love with just a few lines of dialog and a few gameplay moments.
Rose is a researcher with a prosthetic arm that includes a gun and she joins the party in order to deal with a mutagen that sabotaged the facility and made even rabbits murderous and cruel.
In an area of the facility where cabbage is grown, a farmer with a powerful rifle is busy taking them out and even lends the player a hand, while gently suggesting that he has feelings for the companion I have just picked up, even though they might never be expressed overtly.
There are other moments in the game when the development team expresses grief just as safely or deals with the impact of loss on characters who might not play a major role, showing the full range of emotions that can be encountered in the world of the game.
Wasteland 2 and the irony of the apocalypse
The video game might take place in a world where living is hard and death comes easily, but there’s a surprising amount of humor included, with plenty of the NPCs that appear early on commenting on the relatively ineffectual nature of the Desert Ranger while taking potshots at other organizations.
InXile Entertainment understands that fans of the classic Fallout titles want the new title to maintain that fine line between drama and comedy.
The only element of classic role playing I have missed is banter between the members of the party, who have interesting backstories and are varied enough to support some interesting conversations.
The game also fails to make the villain a powerful presence that truly seems scary to the player.
Wasteland 2 is not a perfect game by any means, but the studio has delivered on the promises made when its Kickstarter effort was first introduced, and long-term fans will be happy to explore the world InXile has created.