The upcoming release of Wasteland 3 is exciting and proof that crowdfunding can be a great way to develop some interesting games. The demos, trailers, and interviews that have come out about this highly anticipated game are looking to be everything fans dreamed of.
While there is a lot that’s known, there are some things that aren’t as clear. There are still many features and game mechanics fans are hoping will be in the final game. Until more details arrive here’s everything we know and what we’re hoping will be in the game.
10 We Know: Changing Base Of Operations
Your Ranger Base will be your home away from home as you try and help the Patriarch bring his unruly children in line. It has been confirmed that this location will change and adapt based on the decisions you make in the game and the quests you complete.
Exactly what those changes are is unclear. Perhaps it could be aesthetic or functional, but in either case, it sounds like your base is going to grow as your team does and be a character all its own.
9 Hoping For: Tough Choices
Speaking of choices, many fans are hoping this game presents some tough ones. The previous game did a decent job with this, but fans are hoping for something grittier.
Life in the apocalypse is dark and depressing, so the choices you’d have to make to survive or help others should be equally dark and depressing. Each choice should feel deliberate with clear cut benefits and downsides for each stance you take. The hope is that you’ll constantly wonder if you’re the hero, villain, or something in between as you try to do your best to keep yourself and others alive.
8 We Know: Multiplayer
For the first time since the introduction of Wasteland in 1988, this game will have multiplayer capability. Two players can run through the game’s campaign in co-op mode, with each player controlling their own squad.
Even more interesting is that the players don’t even necessarily have to cooperate. One player can choose to help the smugglers while the other one can immediately after attack their base. It’s supposed to introduce an interesting and realistic dynamic between two players playing side by side. It’s also possible for the second player to drop in and out of the story without too much hassle.
7 Hoping For: Harsh Consequences
Another aspect of the game fans are hoping for is that it gives weight to the choices you make and the consequences of those decisions are felt. For instance, if you decide to help the cannibal group continue to survive because it’ll open up a key area you need to progress to, then you should either notice people disappearing from the community or expect retribution from your neighbors when they find out what you did.
It’s frustrating in RPGs to make a tough call and then not see any major effect. If you choose the lesser of two evils you should still be hounded by that lesser evil the rest of the game.
6 We Know: Better Dialogue
If the demos are anything to go by, the developers at inXile have really gone all out with the dialogue in this game. There’s more voice acting and it’s done well. There’s also an interesting cinematic view when talking to someone important or about something important.
Most interesting is the branching dialogue sequences very similar to those in Torment: Tides of Numenera. Depending on your skills and what you choose to say, you could open up or close off entire sections of conversation.
5 Hoping For: Down But Not Out
The developers have confirmed there is a "down but not out" mechanic in combat, but there have been little if any details released about it. Fans are hoping that however it’s utilized, it doesn’t take away from the realism or grittiness of combat.
For instance, if a character goes down from a grenade explosion then it wouldn’t make much sense for them to be revived without any negative side effects. Depending on where the blast was they shouldn't be revivable at all. Hopefully, the system introduces injury effects or conditional requirements for revival to make it interesting.
4 We Know: Vehicles
Another new introduction to Wasteland 3 is the use of vehicles. The player can obtain a snow truck called the Kodiak that can be customized and upgraded to be a force to be reckoned with in battle with weapons and armor, a mobile stockpile for supplies, or even get your squad out of hairy situations.
It’s an interesting feature that could make missions and combat very exciting as it introduces unique strategies to take advantage of. There might even be quests to outfit your truck for certain scenarios.
3 Hoping For: Fewer Bugs
Admittedly, Wasteland 2 didn’t have a lot of bugs and was fairly well polished. However, the bugs it did have were often mission or even game-breaking. This is a six-year follow-up and gaming technology has been through some major developments after all.
There’s also the matter that they’re introducing a lot of new elements to gameplay and how the game functions. Vehicles sound like a lot of fun, but not if pathing proves to be an issue. Hopefully they do some serious bug testing before release.
2 We Know: Familiar Combat
One thing fans are excited about is that it doesn’t sound like the combat mechanics have changed all that much. It’s the same squad-based strategic gameplay that was present in the previous title.
There are some improvements, quality of life changes, and the aforementioned "down but not out" system, but fans of the previous game should be able to jump right in without too much difficulty. The only big change coming is new team-focused abilities that can buff your whole squad in some way or be used to punish all enemies on the battlefield.
1 Hoping For: Multiple Endings
One thing fans are hoping for is multiple endings that give the game great replayability. It sounds like there will be some freedom and choices to be made, but fans would like to decide their own fate.
Maybe we could side with one of the children we were sent to take down, maybe we could overthrow the Patriarch and his children and let the locals set up a new system of government, or maybe we could entirely abandon Arizona and become the new Patriarch. Whatever the case, multiple endings would be greatly appreciated.