Wasteland 2
Preview
For Gamers. By Gamers.
by Sergio Brinkhuis
previewed on PC
Knife, Pistol, Shotgun
Not too long ago, inXile announced that they are tweaking combat – different combat stances are being considered for instance. From that statement, you would think that combat needs fixing, but it is already very enjoyable ‘as is’. Much of that enjoyment is due to wide variety in weapons, going far beyond the usual blunt, blade and ranged types. Just looking at the ranged classification alone yields a list that includes Assault Rifles, Sniper Rifles, Handguns, Shotguns and Energy weapons. With 10 different weapon classes and accompanying skills, as well as close to one hundred different weapons, the potential for customizing your character for combat alone is tremendous. And I’ve not even begun to outline the General and Knowledge skills such as lock picking, healing, et cetera, et cetera.
What impressed me most was that it is not just the distinctly different feel across weapon types, but also the unique feel of each individual weapon. The revolver’s clinical, tinny bark brilliantly conveys that you are not going to do a lot of damage, but it also says that it is ready to fire again, and maybe even a third time in a single turn. In contrast, the deep, reverberating bellow of the shotgun makes it very clear that whatever comes out of the barrel will hurt, but it’s not likely to bellow a second time.
Some weapons have different fire modes that allow you to fire multiple rounds, which sounds great until you realize that ammunition is at a premium. While you will love the sound of shell casings dropping on the floor, the scarcity of ammunition is bound to make you consider every round as if it were your last, pushing you to think both of the tactical and strategic consequences of your actions in combat.
Streamlining? No thank you
I have come to dread developers announcing that they are “streamlining their game”. So often streamlining is synonymous to dropping any number of features while trimming down others. Luckily, Wasteland 2 will have none of that nonsense. Where other developers shave layers of depth away from their games, inXile piles them on left, right, and centre and to great effect; Wasteland 2 is shaping up to be a magnificent beast of a game that does not apologize for either its depth or being a “gamers’ game”.
