Play Station Official Magazine - UK (2020-11)

073

REVIEW

INFO

FORMAT PS4

ETA OUT NOW

PUB DEEPSILVER

DEV INXILE

ENTERTAINMENT

WASTELAND 3

Heading back to the future

C

abbages are being grown from Cabbage

Patch Kids, a criminal mastermind’s

broad Scottish accent has been

learned from watching a decayed copy

of Braveheart, and our pet parrot has the

personality of an off-camera Ellen DeGeneres.

When we meet the God-President Reagan

we’re in no doubt: InXile’s return is a trip into

some of the best writing on PS4.

The upshot from this oddball behaviour? One of

the finest RPGs of the year, which easily matches

Bethesda’s post-apocalyptic series. The dev has

even included a bumper crop of bugs to make

any Fallout fan feel right at home. Sticky menus,

occasional drops in framerate, and even hard

crashes abound. Yet it doesn’t matter.

You shouldn’t let the technical hitches and

throwback visuals put you off; Wasteland 3’s

deep and devious ideas always wrestle away

any doubts and mask any glitches. Reset your

brain and you’ll find yourself exploring, looting,

crafting, skill-checking, and punning your way

across the best sci-fi roleplayer since Fallout

3. As we unlock a patriotic laser cannon that
   sings ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ and take on a

Santa enslaving elves to make

narcotics, all flaws are forgiven.

BIG RONNIE

Such craziness hangs off a

story that sees the remnants

of the Arizona Rangers called

on by The Patriarch, the self-

proclaimed owner of Colorado,

to get his wayward children

under control in exchange for

food supplies.

We’re in a snowy post-

apocalyptic world. The bombs

dropped decades earlier and

time froze in a 1980s vision

of the future. It’s a world that

never fails to surprise, and

like the best RPGs it grows

around you with every decision

made. Nothing is ever simple

as new sub-plots weave into

that main quest to wrangle

The Patriarch’s children and

everyone is a dialogue choice

or action away from being a

vital ally or enemy.

You’re free to explore every

environment, and upgraded

skills and perks affect where

you go, what happens when

you get there, and how you

can alter situations. Raise your

Hard Ass game, for example,

and you can intimidate enemies

into doing your bidding.

This can even affect the

turn-based, tactical combat.

Character upgrades determine

whether weapon bonuses can

be maximised, and if robots can

be hacked and turned against

their masters. Every system

and upgrade feeds into another,

and with a balanced squad

carefully arranged, Wasteland

3 makes choice, at every level,

consistently rewarding. This

stretches from your squad

to your customisable truck

and the Rangers’ HQ, which

is populated by the quirky

characters met on your travels.

It’s been done before, but

rarely bettered, and while

the game is plagued by bugs,

they’re outweighed by the

depth of choice on offer.

FALLOUT BOY @IanDean4

VERDICT

Giant mecha scorpion?

Check. But will you kill

all the robots or show

mercy? And what

effect will this have?

A game even irritating glitches

can’t keep you from loving,

Wasteland 3 is unique, inventive,

and always fun. Make the right

choice and put this one on your

must-play list. Ian Dean

“THE BOMBS DROPPED AND

TIME FROZE IN A 1980S VISION

OF THE FUTURE.”

073

REVIEW

INFO
FORMATPS4
ETAOUTNOW
PUBDEEPSILVER
DEVINXILE
ENTERTAINMENT

WASTELAND 3

Heading back to the future

C

abbages are being grown from Cabbage

Patch Kids, a criminal mastermind’s

broad Scottish accent has been

learned from watching a decayed copy

of Braveheart, and our pet parrot has the

personality of an off-camera Ellen DeGeneres.

When we meet the God-President Reagan

we’re in no doubt: InXile’s return is a trip into

some of the best writing on PS4.

The upshot from this oddball behaviour? One of

the finest RPGs of the year, which easily matches

Bethesda’s post-apocalyptic series. The dev has

even included a bumper crop of bugs to make

any Fallout fan feel right at home. Sticky menus,

occasional drops in framerate, and even hard

crashes abound. Yet it doesn’t matter.

You shouldn’t let the technical hitches and

throwback visuals put you off; Wasteland 3’s

deep and devious ideas always wrestle away

any doubts and mask any glitches. Reset your

brain and you’ll find yourself exploring, looting,

crafting, skill-checking, and punning your way

across the best sci-fi roleplayer since Fallout

3. As we unlock a patriotic laser cannon that
   sings‘TheStar-SpangledBanner’andtakeona

Santa enslaving elves to make

narcotics, all flaws are forgiven.

BIG RONNIE

Such craziness hangs off a

story that sees the remnants

of the Arizona Rangers called

on by The Patriarch, the self-

proclaimed owner of Colorado,

to get his wayward children

under control in exchange for

food supplies.

We’re in a snowy post-

apocalyptic world. The bombs

dropped decades earlier and

time froze in a 1980s vision

of the future. It’s a world that

never fails to surprise, and

like the best RPGs it grows

around you with every decision

made. Nothing is ever simple

as new sub-plots weave into

that main quest to wrangle

The Patriarch’s children and

everyone is a dialogue choice

oractionawayfrombeinga

vital allyorenemy.

You’refreetoexploreevery

environment,andupgraded

skillsandperksaffectwhere

yougo,whathappenswhen

yougetthere,andhowyou

canaltersituations.Raiseyour

Hard Ass game, for example,

and you can intimidate enemies

into doing your bidding.

This can even affect the

turn-based, tactical combat.

Character upgrades determine

whether weapon bonuses can

be maximised, and if robots can

be hacked and turned against

their masters. Every system

and upgrade feeds into another,

and with a balanced squad

carefully arranged, Wasteland

3 makes choice, at every level,

consistently rewarding. This

stretches from your squad

to your customisable truck

and the Rangers’ HQ, which

is populated by the quirky

characters met on your travels.

It’s been done before, but

rarely bettered, and while

the game is plagued by bugs,

they’re outweighed by the

depthofchoiceon offer.

FALLOUT BOY @IanDean4

VERDICT

Giant mecha scorpion?

Check. But will you kill

all the robots or show

mercy? And what

effect will this have?

A game even irritating glitches

can’t keep you from loving,

Wasteland 3 is unique, inventive,

and always fun. Make the right

choice and put this one on your

must-play list. Ian Dean

“THE BOMBS DROPPED AND

TIME FROZE IN A 1980S VISION

OF THE FUTURE.”