It may seem weird to see a 2 at the end of it but for those that may not know, Wasteland 2 is the sequel to a 1988 game that was essentially the game that is responsible for the Fallout series. So given that information you can probably assume that the game is set in a post-nuclear wasteland and you're trying to carry out tasks in an unwelcoming environment.
Developed by InXile and out now on Xbox One and PlayStation 4, Wasteland 2: Director's Cut is a Kickstarted game made specifically for the PC. A year after it released though and here we have it on consoles. So obviously, because everything was developed with PC only in mind that Wasteland 2: Director's Cut feels terrible on a controller right? Nope.
Weirdly enough, the turn-based Role Playing Game feels quite natural on consoles. The Director's Cut also sees a number of enhancements from the original release which includes it being visually more impressive thanks to its jump to the Unity 5 Engine. However, despite that, the game isn't really that pleasant to look at. It's muddy, and textures are not that good. Weirdly enough, the worst aspect though is probably just how bad your team of characters look.
One of the best things though is just how much depth you have to your characters. Everything from their class, stats and perks can be chosen and this means that you can have a vastly different team but one that can possibly cover you for all situations.
Combat takes a turn-based system, one that you'd be familiar with if you played the most recent Xcom game. This is slow and methodical and one for those of you that love numbers and statistics. I may have mentioned the series coming from it, but Wasteland 2's combat is for the most part nothing like that of Fallout apart form one thing: The V.A.T.S. system. Everything has a percentage chance and numbers is a big part of it. It can trudge and become monotonous but the complexity will keep you invested as the game rolls on.
Wasteland 2: Director's Cut is a long game too, promising up to 100 hours of gameplay. While visually, it isn't much to write home about, there is just so much character to the world that makes it hard to not keep going. Combat is deep and rewarding and while some encounters drag on, you always feel accomplished at the end of it.
The best thing though is the story writing which is just written incredibly well. If the combat doesn't do it for you but you're a sucker for story, this is just one of the best stories you'll experience all year. It includes a fair bit of chatter and reading but for those of you that are looking for it, there's not much better than what can be found here. A game that shouldn't even work on consoles is one of the best RPGs to come out this generation.
Wasteland 2: Director's Cut is far from uninhabitable. 4/5.
★★★★☆
Jason Redmond
Wasteland 2: Director's Cut at CeX
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