Gotta keep the steelworks running

The Colorado of Wasteland 3 is pretty rough, and to survive it, you're going to need some steel. The Battle of Steeltown, Wasteland 3's first narrative exp???ansion, is headed to the titular Steeltown to resolve an internal conflict so the flow of arms and armor can keep rolling on June 3, 2021.

After deliveries from Steeltown start going a??wry?, the player's team of Rangers is sent in to figure out what's up. Turns out bandits have been raiding, the gates are sealed shut, and the workers are starting to revolt against Steeltown head Abigail Markham.

Alongside a new narrative with choices to make, there are also some new mechanics being introduced and expanded into the base game. Non-lethal weapons, elemental shields, stacking status effects, and telegraphed attacks are all shifting battles up, along with new weapons and armor. The Battle of Steeltown can be played solo or co-op, and it will also scale to yo??ur level depending on how far you?'ve progressed.

Add in some more original music and post-apocalypse inspired covers from Wasteland 3's music supervisor Mary Ramos and composer Mark Morgan, and sounds like this is a big chunk of RPG for Wasteland 3 fans to dig into. The Battle of Steeltown comes to both consoles and PC on June 3, 2021.

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Brothers in Arms

We're one short week away from the launch of inXile Entertainment's dystopian RPG, Wasteland 3. Keeping the hype fires stoked, publisher Deep Silver has released ?a new trailer showcasing the post-apocalyptic sequel's co-op multiplayer elements.

Knowing that a problem shared is a problem halved, even in the mire of nuclear fallout,  Wasteland 3's co-op mode will allow two players to squad up to take on a series of brutal and hazardous missions. Use tactical teamwork to overcome the odds in battle, explore enemy encampme??nts, and navigate the harsh and brutal overworld. You might have to share your ill-gotten gains, but it's probably better than ending up face-down in a ditch.

Wasteland 3, likes ?its predecessors, promises an epic adventure featuring deep character customisation, str?ategic combat, and morally-grey decision making, as your rag-tag band of Desert Rangers works and fights to thrive, or simply survive, in the ruins of post-apocalyptic Colorado. Scavenge for supplies and resources, take down ruthless roaming bandits, loot for improved gear and weaponry, and maybe - just maybe - you'll live to see tomorrow.

Wasteland 3 launches August 28 on PS4, PC, and Xbox One.

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He did say 'Well' a lot

As part of IGN's Summer of Gaming presentation, Deep Silver has released another cheery trailer for its post-apocalyptic sequel Wasteland 3. Set in a devastated Colorado, the new preview introduces? players to some of their fellow survivors, forced to do whatever it takes to thrive in the harsh aftermath of global destruction.

The video name-checks several dangerous new factions that players will encounter on their journey through Wasteland 3, but we only get to learn a little about a handful of them. First on the agenda is The Patriarch's Marshals, a fascistic law regime designed with "selective" law and order in mind. Things get very weird with?? the introduction of The Gippers, a band of survivors eagerly awaiting the second coming of their legendary messiah, Ronald Reagan. No, seriously. They even have a laser-firing statue and a Max Headroom-style hologram of President Ronnie.

Also name-checked are The Hundred Families, The Refugees, The Scar Collectors, and many others, all of whom I'm predicted are totally cool, very welcoming, and ready and willing to share their food and resources with you and your rag-tag band of Desert Rangers. How you approach and engage with each of these factions will play a major part on whether you leave with new allies, leave a fiery aftermath, or leave feet-first and lying ?down.

Wasteland 3 was delayed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but is now scheduled to la??unch ?August 28 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

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In the end, our choices make us

inXile Entertainment has released the third chapter of its ongoing dev diary series, pre-empting the launch of its post-apocalyptic RPG Wasteland 3. Following on from previous videos - which looked at the sequel's world, characters, and in?-game battle mechanics - this third diary entry focuses on the difficult decisions your party will be forced to make as they pick their way through war-torn Colorado.

Headed up by lead writer Nathan Long and studio head Brian Fargo, (rocking an awesome Godzilla shirt), the video looks at the moral quandaries that will face your rag-tag band of Rangers as the undertake da?ngerous missions ranging from reconnaissance and rescue, to salvage, exploration, espionage, and shocking acts of violence.

As explained by Fargo, player reactivity is a key element of Wasteland 3, asking adventurers to make decisions that could have far-reaching consequences for both their characters and the game's huge cast of NPCs. As noted by Long, Wasteland 3 will?? not necessarily "punish" players who make morally poor choices, but will always attempt to confront them with the consequences of their terrible acti??ons.

Following its recent delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Wasteland 3?? is curre??ntly scheduled to launch August 28 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

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This is the road to nowhere

inXile Entertainment has released the second chapter of its new dev diary series, exploring the characters, locations, weaponry, lore and mechanics of post-apocalyptic strategy sequel Wasteland 3.

Having covered some of the in-game mechanics in the previous video, this new chapter focuses on the world and its denizens, as inXile studio Head Brian Fargo and head writer Nathan Long take you on a short tour around the catastrophic Colorado, where you and your rag-tag party of Desert Rangers will explore the environment, gathe??r supplies, tackle missions, meet the locals, and hopefully not be left lying face down in the dirt.

Wasteland 3 was unfortunately delayed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and is currently scheduled to launch August 28 on PS4, Xbox ?One, and PC.

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They call me the wanderer...

inXile Entertainment has released the first episode of a new video series, taking a closer look at the development of the upcoming strategy adventure Wasteland 3. The series will speak with those close to the project, detailing the world, mechanics, chara??cters, and combat that await tho?se daring to tread through post-apocalyptic Colorado.

This first video features lead designer David Rogers, who very enthusiastically offers up information on Wasteland 3's character customisation options, detailing the various perks and skillsets made available to your party members - balancing your team members ?for the brutal journey ahead. Are you going to be a glass cannon? Slightly more diplomatic in conversation? Heavy on the support front? Or all guns blazing? However you set your squad ther??e's little doubt you'll find yourself hunkered down against enemy fire in double-quick time.

We then get to check out the combat itself, which retains the franchise's ?classic turn-based style. Of note, enemy turns are now taken in one big motion. So instead of watching the A.I. move each of its units one-by-one, all of its chosen maneuvers will activate simultaneously, getting players back in control quicker than before. We also get a sneak peek at some of the vehicles that will help you traverse deathsville, which also feature both useful and amusing customisation options.

Wasteland 3 was recently delayed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but is scheduled to launch August 28 on PS4, Xbox One, and ?PC.

Wasteland 3 developer diary #1 [Gematsu]

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Apocalypse Later

inXile Entertainment has announced that its strategic post-apocalyptic sequel Wasteland 3 will not meet it??s scheduled May release date, having been pushed back several months, and is now expected to arrive on August 2?8.

In a statement posted on the official Wasteland Twitter, inXile studio head and Wasteland series director Brian Fargo noted that the team's shift to working-from-home has caused unforeseen delays, which will r?equire a little extra time before you and your fellow Desert Rangers can wander out into the hazardous, mutant-and-mecha-filled landscapes of Colorado.

"As with most companies, we moved to a work-from-home environment some weeks ago, and that’s of course introduced new challenges that many of us throughout the world have been learning to manage," notes Fargo. "We’ve been excited to see the Wasteland 3 beta so well received, but the reality is that with these new logistical challenges our release was going to be impacted... With that, Wasteland 3‘s new release date is August 28, 2020."

Wasteland 3 joins a long list of industry titles and events impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, it's obviously better that developers and their families stay safe, healthy and not pressured by extra stress during this difficult time. This makes decisions such as those taken by inXile an inevitable, but correct course of?? action.

Wasteland 3 will now launch on PS4, PC, and Xbox One on Augu???????????????????????????st 28.

We have an important update on Wasteland 3’s release date. pic.twitter.com/hiX1CygcUk

— Wasteland â˜¢ï¸ (@Wasteland) March 31, 2020

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95% chance to hit... ah crap

Man, I remember when Wasteland 2 hit Kickstarter, I was so excited. Not because I had a nostalgic familiarity with the series, but because I am just so in love with traditional RPGs in that vein. I wanted to support that style of game in hopes that more and more could be made. And look what happened! Now we have Wasteland 3, alongside the likes of Disco Elysium, Pathfinder, and a new Baldur's Gate.

I like to think that it's all because of my backer pledge to Wasteland 2, even though the game itself didn't grab me and I dipped after only a handful of hours of gameplay. The important thing is, you're welcome.

Now, I've not been to Colorado, but according to Wasteland 3, it is a frozen wasteland. From what I understand about the type of runn?ers who come out of Boulder and the like, I guess that makes sense.

It is a stark contrast to the desert plains that someone might expect from a game called "Wasteland," but it takes on the appropriate atmosphere regardless. We are over a century out from the nuclear destruction of Earth, and the game takes no time ensuring that the player understands that everything is in a real bad state. Warring factions compete for land as justice and lawlessness battle it out on a daily basis. And for those who have no idea what happened in Wasteland 2, or even?? the first game: no worries, nothing really seems to matter here.

The writing is what has always elevated these games for many players, myself included, and the few hours I was able to play of Wasteland 3 made it clear that this is still a top priority. Unfortunately, this wasn't enough time to really get to know the characters very well, but first impressions are exciting and some of the situations that this preview build led me through were surprising to say the least. It also helps that everything is fully voiced -- an incredible feat that I have not come to expect in games as large as Wasteland.

The player's squad can grow up to six characters, four of which can be mercenaries or custom-made (the final two slots are reserved for recruitable NPC characters). Each come with their own set of skills, perks, and attributes that the player can distribute po??ints into as they level up. None of this is particularly new, and the perks and abilities seemed pretty standard in the very early stages of the game. 

As with any RPG of this type, there are a ton of things to do. There are animals walking around so, guess what? Someone might have the Animal Whisperer perk and be able to talk to them. Know what else there is a lot of? Machinery. And computers. Maaaaybe there are some characters that can repa??ir and hack things? You never know! Except you do, because these games have been doing this? forever.

I'm not knocking on the game -- this is what is expected and this is what has been delivered. The joy is creating a party that takes advantage of the things that each individual player likes. Some players want a soiree of sneaky snipers, others want a bumbling bunch of brutes, and others simply want all of the above. The good news is that when clicking on an object in the world, the character who can deal with it best automatically walks over to interact. It was unclear to me as to whether or not this also applies in conversations, i.e. if the "persuasion" checks are made against the highest level in the party or the ?person ??who initiated the conversation (I'm inclined to think the former, based on what I experienced).

Turn-based combat punctuates many of the encounters (sorry, you can't talk your way through this game) and feels...okay. There are a lot of options and some clever tactics to employ, but I think I'm starting to get tired of the "48% chance to hit when I'm literally in someone's face" debacle. I get it, guns are effective at different ranges BUT THE GUY IS LITERALLY RIGHT ON TOP OF ME. I think I can shoot him pretty good. The same goes for the ever-frustrating miss on the 95??% chance. There's just nothing more debilitating.

The game doesn't release for another two months, which is good news because there is plenty of jank to be ironed out in that time, including weird AI decisions. The game never quite ran at 60 frames per second, but my PC is aging at this point so I'm not quick to point fingers. It actually ran terribly at first, until I realized I was running Folding@Home in the background, so don't do that while playing Wasteland 3.

My favorite twist on the combat deals with the leftover Action Points (AP) that characters have at the end of their turn. Instead of moving, say, three tiles simply because the AP is there, players can "bank" it in a variety of ways. Using AP to ambush enemies works similar to the "Overwatch" mechanic in X-Com: the character will shoot at enemies that come by during their ?turn. Players can also turn excess AP into extra defense, or bank it and carry it over to the next turn. This small but strategic decision makes each character's turn that much more interesting and I love the mechanic.

Finally, while the visuals are...there, the music is absolutely fantastic. Multiple times I simply stopped what I was doing so that no sound effects would get in the way of the score itself. Basically what I'm saying is: if you plan to buy Wasteland 3 and they offer a bundle with the soundtrack, get it. Don't even think twice. For example, a battle erupts and "Down In the Valley to Pray" starts playing, but it's not the original, oh no, it is transformed into a country-rock battle hymn that freaking slaps. It's so goo?d. I have it on right now in the background. 

I don't think Wasteland 3 is the game to get people into the genre. If the original Fallout games or the previous Wasteland titles didn't tickle your fancy -- this is more of the same??. I also hesitate to call this a highly refined entry into the genre. It's more of just exactly what you would expect. The early hours promise some fantastic writing, an amazing soundtrack, and tactical combat that will have you missing while point-blank in someone's face. For some, that's enough to get extremely excited (this did surpass its crowdfunding expectations), and for others, it'll be a hard pass.

_{[This preview is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

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Nuke World Order

inXile Entertainment has released a "launch" trailer for its upcoming Wasteland Remastered (though the actual release date is?????????????????????????? still a few weeks away). The short clip revisits the cataclysmic event that led to the United States becoming little more than a hole in the Earth, infeste??d with bandits, mutants and dangerous vagabonds.

This new remaster of the 1988 PC adventure features an audio/visual overall, complete with the fixing of bugs that have been around "since Reagan was President." An expanded, remixed soundtrack will score your journey through post-apocalyptic America, while new quality-of-life options will help keep you and your fellow Desert Rangers above ground. For old-school wanderers, the original Wasteland will be included in its entirety.

Wasteland Remastered launches February 25 on PC and Xbox One.

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Let's not Fallout

inXile Entertainment has announced that it will be bringing a fully remastered edition of tactical adventure title Wasteland to PC and Xbox One next month. Wasteland Remastered sees the developer team up with Krome Studios to rebuild the classic DOS adventure for a new gener?ation of players.

Originally released way back in 1988, Wasteland combined tabletop RPG elements with the technology of home computers to deliver a post-apocalyptic adventure like none other. Players controlled a party of four through desolate North America - laid waste in the aftermath of global thermonuclear warfare - as they fought mutants, gathered? supplies, and undertook missions on beha??lf of the land's self-appointed military, The Desert Rangers.

With its dark, dystopian world, grim storytelling, and enthralling adventure, Wasteland would become a classic of its time, and was hugely influential in the development of Bethesda's Fallout series, which would follow in Wasteland's irradiated footsteps almost a decade later.

While there is no footage to go on, Wasteland Remastered aims to capture the original release's gameplay, but with fully updated visuals and audio, including new voiceover work. For old-school fans, a toggle will allow you to switch to?? the original 1988 edition and pull on the ol' nostalgia strings.

Wasteland Remastered launches on PC and Xbox One February 25. Wasteland 3 is cu?rrently in development for PS4, PC and Xbox One, and is schedu?led to launch May 19.

You've been asking, and now we can share...

Wasteland Remastered drops in just one more month—February 25 for Windows (Windows Store, Steam, GOG) and Xbox One (with Xbox Game Pass)! pic.twitter.com/qSCqITMRcq

— Wasteland (@Wasteland) January 22, 2020

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Apocalyptico

During today's Inside Xbox presentation, inXile Entertainment released a new trailer for the latest entry in the classic turn-based strategy series, Wasteland. Wasteland 3, which was revealed b??ack at E3 earlier this year, brings the scavenging, bartering, adventure and misery one would expect from this post-apocalyptic series.

inXile has stated that Wasteland 3 will build upon the great, intense gameplay showcased in Wasteland 2, transitioning th?e action ??to the frozen lands of Colorado. Players will be able to build up an impressive base of operations, work with other players in co-op gameplay and unravel a "deep and engaging" storyline, completely with a fully redesigned dialogue tree.

Wasteland 3 is scheduled ??for launch Spring 2020 on PS4, PC and Xbox One.

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For once, truth in advertising

RAD provides an alternate history where at some point in the mid-eighties, the world was annihilated in nuclear hellfire. Eventally, survivors managed to scrape together enough remnants of civilization to start rebuilding society. Culture froze in the wake of the apocalypse, and punk, acid-washed clothing and neon colors have been the height of fashi??on ever since the bombs fell. Over the following centuries, a group of restoration-minded survivors known as "Menders" managed to construct a vast underground network of machines intended to purify the air and purge the radioactive toxins that had soaked into the environment.

Then the world all bl??ew up again. Sometimes you just c??an't catch a break.

RAD (PC, PS4 [reviewed], Xbox One, Switch)
Developer: Double Fine
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Released: August 20, 2019
MSRP: $19.99

I have a confession to make. I'm old, you guys.

I remember doing "Duck and Cover" drills unironically in my classroom in grade school. I didn't understand it at the time, but I also recall reading news reports (and, uh, humor columns) about the MX Missile gap and the "window of vulnerability" through which evil Russians might attack at any moment. The threat of radioactive devastation wasn't exactly the foremost thought in my mind back then, but I remember it being a vague concern. Less troubling than being caught stealing cookies, but more pressing than missing Saturday morn??ing cartoons. That's probab?ly why Double Fine's latest game resonates so strongly for me.

RAD is a clever triple entendre which encompasses all three of the game's main features. It's a short form of "radical," a defunct slang term that served as a synonym for "excellent" when I was growing up and still evokes synthwave playlists and images of neon mohawks. The more traditional interpretation of radical (say, in the scientific community) refers to dramatic change, something you'll see a lot of while playing the game. Finally, RAD is also a reference to the game's main mechanic, which replaces?? a traditional role-playing game's experience points with intentional exposure to radiation. 

Your character is one of the last surviving humans in a relatively safe area of the wasteland, protected and sheltered by the Mender's machines. Unfortunately, the machines' energy is steadily declining, and the village Elder asks for a volunteer to explore the wastes and try to find a replacement water chip  reach the Nuclear Throne get the power flowing again. Bef?ore you go, he performs a ritual (using a sweet keytar) which will allow your body to adapt to the nuclear remnants beyond the town's gates. Instead of being harmed by radiation, you'll now absorb it to enhance your physique. Radiation is difficult to control, however, and the changes it inflicts on you will be unpredictable.? Learning to use these mutations and master them to reactivate the Mender's machinery is the primary focus of the gameplay.

RAD is a single player, third-person action game which borrows some elements from the classic PC game Rogue and its progeny. Maps and enemy placements are randomized for each play session, as are the mutations you'll experience as you destroy evil mutants and absorb their radioactive life force. Most mutations are beneficial and offer some sort of enhancement to your abilities or defenses, but a few are detrimental and will make fighting a little harder. Just like other Roguelite titles such as Spelunky or Dead Cells, you'll never play the same game twice.

Most of the mutations are silly, but almost all of them are useful in their own way. I'm not a fan of the Toxic Dump ability which lets me leave a slime trail behind, but especially enjoy Death Roe (which lets me poop out unlimited deadly spiderbabies in what seems like a nod to Family Guy), or the Warhead mutation which launches my flaming skull at enemies (don't worry, it grows back). You can have up to three "Exo" (attack) mutations active, each of which is bound to a different button and can be upgraded to add another function or increase their power. You can also have a seemingly unlimited number of "Endo" (passive) mutations, most of which will enhance yo??ur other abilities or provide immunity to certain types of damage. Some of these will make you weaker, however, and you can't be sure if an Endo mutation will be good or bad until after y??ou pick it up. No matter what mutations you have equipped, your character will always leave a trail of grass and flowers behind them which can help show where you've been and speeds up backtracking if necessary. 

I found that RAD played best when I focused on careful exploration. There are several optional toggles which can be set before a run to make the game easier or harder, but even with all of the former activated RAD still provides a considerable challenge. Learning?? how to react to enemy behavior and use the environment to ?your best advantage will take several runs, and I was still discovering new techniques hours into my play session.

RAD can be quite difficult, but you'll unlock several helpful features just by wandering the high plateaus of the Fallow lands. Your character will earn experience at the end of every run whether it was successful or not, and this will unlock passive benefits such as more items for sale in stores, or upgraded starter weapons. If you return to town between levels, you can bank the cassette tapes used as currency in this society. These can be accessed at handy ATMs scattered throughout the wastes, which can help if you're a little short of cash for that upgrade or healing item you have your eye on. Banking enough tapes will eventually let you buy stuff on credit, albeit at a ruinous markup. Buying things at the shop in town wi??ll let the proprietress expand her inventory, offering more useful and powerful items over time. There's also a coupl??e of other people in town who will offer permanent benefits when their requests are fulfilled.

For those who want an extreme challenge, RAD lets players activate "quirks" which significantly increase the difficulty. One of these makes it so ??you can't recover any lost health, while another prevents your character from mutating so that they have to rely exclusively on their melee weapon to defend themselves. For players who want to tip the scales in their favor, it's possible to start with double the initial amount of health, begin with a ranged attack mutation already available, or increase the amount of damage dealt to enemies. These systems let players tweak the game's difficulty until it's just where they want it, which I appreciated.

There aren't too many features other than the main campaign. A daily challenge which lets everyone explore the same seed and try to attack leaderboards seems a bit tacked-on, especially since there's nothing preventing players from attempting the challenge repeatedly. Apart from this and the aforementioned balance modifications, RAD ??doesn't offer anything other than the main game. Fortunately, that's different enough to be worth replaying over and over, discovering new entries in the Tome of the Ancients and trying to earn every ending.

Double Fine's games are known for their sense of humor, and RAD is no exception. Despite the dark subject matter there's a sense of fun and playfulness throughout; from the item descriptions, to townspeople's reactions to your ever-changing body, or the animations when you evolve crab legs or bat wings. A deep-voiced announcer punctu??ates item pi??ckups and particularly creative kills, while a female voiceover explains plot points and describes some enemies the first time you see them.

The aesthetics evoke a more idealized version of the '80s than I remember, but it's always fun to explore the garish neon landscape as you slay hordes of many-eyed mutants. By default there's a CRT filter overlaid on top of the game, complete with VHS tracking errors during loading screens. This can be turned off in the settings, which makes the game look cleaner but does take away a bit of the flavor. Publisher Namco got in on the fun, and you'll hear classic sound clips from Dig-Dug and Pac-Man as you explore the main hub area. 

The music is similarly influenced by the setting, heavy on synthesizers and wailing electric guitars. David Earl's soundtrack doesn't reach the same heights as fellow '80s throwback Far Cry: Blood Dragon, but it gets the job done. I found?? myself tuning ?out after a while, but it's not unpleasant and does help set the mood.

I did run into a few minor problems during my time with RAD. First and most noticeably, load times are quite significant whenever you enter a new area or teleport back to town. This wasn't a big problem since once you're in an area you don't tend to leave it for a while, but I imagine this issue might be more pronounced on the Switch.  The game is also fairly short, with only six areas between the start of your quest and the final boss fight. It looks like there are plenty of hidden secrets though, and I know for certain I haven't yet seen everything RAD has to offer.

I started by playing the PC version, but my aging system wasn't able to handle it and I had to swap to the PS4 to complete the review. It wasn't unplayable on my PC, but the framerate wasn't consistent and the game was a blurry ??mess. To be clear: this is probably due to the age of my computer and not the fault of the game, but if you do pick up the PC version it might be wise to purchase on Steam so you can request a refund if you run into the same issue I did.

Apart from that, there are all the same issues any Rogue-influenced game will fall prey to. The very randomness which is the genre's hook means promising runs will frequently be shot to hell by unforeseeable unfavorable circumstances. If you don't have the masochistic temperament shared by those who already enjoy Roguelikes, RAD isn't going to change your mind.

I've had a lot of fun with RAD, even though I can tell I've really only scratched the surface. Trying to work with suboptimal body modifications is pretty funny in and of itself,?? and discovering new mutations and lore has been intriguing. I don't think any studio other than Double Fine could have made the post-apocalypse this entertaining. 

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

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Intense RPG slips from August launch

It looks like Nintendo Switch fans have a little longer to put together their bean-can grenades and cardboard body-armour, as post-apocalyptic RPG Wasteland 2: Director's Cut has been put back a couple of weeks.

Previously announced by inXile Entertainment, the heavy-duty adventure was supposed to launch this month, but will now appear on the Nintendo eShop on September 13. Already available on PS4, PC and Xbox One, Wasteland 2 is the sequel to the original 1988 title, featuring a?? band of custom-made survivors undergoing missions and gathering resources in a desolate, mechanised Southwest America.

Wasteland 2: Director's Cut launches on Nintendo Switch September 13.

#ICYMI - On Sept. 13th, the post-apocalyptic frontier awaits. Check out the latest #Wasteland2 #NintendoSwitch trailer!//t.co/GTpgjlu6xs

— InXile Entertainment (@Inxile_Ent) August 29, 2018

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Bingo

inXile Entertainment said it had plans for Nintendo Switch and as we now know, those plans include porting over the post-apocalyptic RPG Wasteland 2: Director's Cut. That might not be the precise game you? were hoping to see pop up first, but? it'll certainly bolster the Switch's library.

Her??e's a quick glimpse from inXi??le CEO Brian Fargo.

How about a little tease... pic.twitter.com/Zwh8gL8cQL

— Brian Fargo (@BrianFargo) December 12, 2017

In a follow-up tweet, Fargo confirmed that the team behind the mobile ports of The Bard's Tale will handle Wasteland 2 for Switch. "I have to give props to Nintendo owners for your love of the machine," he added. "[Th??e photo] had the quickest traction of most anything I've e?ver tweeted."

Brian Fargo [Twitter]

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Paint the snow red

As we first told you last week, developer InXile Entertainment is working on Wasteland 3 and is looking for your help to make it happen. Its Fig campaign launched today and is already raking in the dough. The developer is looking to raise $2.75 million dollars on the platform to help cover what we've been told is an at minimum $6 million budget. The reveal came with a few screenshots, but today we're seeing the game in action fo?r the first time.

Outside of that g?uy's disgusting-ass ear holes, I'??m digging the look of it so far.

If you're planning on backing it, doing so in the first 48 hours of the campaign will get you a free game, either STASIS or Underrail. Those who h??ave donated to previous InXile campaigns will also receive a $5 discount on reward tiers.

The above clip wasn't the only video released today. There's also the one below, featuring special effects and comedy straight out of bad 90s sy??ndicated television.

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Looking to raise nearly $3 million

In 2012, the folks at InXile Entertainment turned to Kickstarter to finance the development of the critically acclaimed Wasteland 2. The next year, it returned to the crowdfunding platform to fund 2017's Torment: Tides of Numenera. Next week, the company will once again be asking fans to open their pocketbooks, this time in a Fig campaign for Wasteland 3.

Breaking away from the desert and city locals of Wasteland 2, this new entry in the isometric post-apocalyptic strategy series will be set in the snowy hinterlands of Colorado. You play as the last remaining member of Team November, dispatched to the icy tundra to build your reputation amongst hostile factions and deadly lunatics. In one of the several changes fans can expect fro??m the sequel, you no longer have to go about it alone. With online co-op, you can tackle the frosty backwoods of the Rocky Mountains with a friend.

The press release announcing Wasteland 3 wanted to make it perfectly clear that y??ou can play through the game by yourself and ex??perience everything it has to offer. However, if you team up with a friend, you both have control of your own group of Rangers, giving you the ability to split up and cover more ground. If you start a game with a friend, you can continue on without them, but decisions you make in the story will affect them when they log back in.

Other additions to the sequel include an upgradeable vehicle that you can pimp out with weapons to assist you in battle, team-based attacks, and an expanded home base that will do more than just give you your next quest. It will now allow you to gather materials, reach?? out to other factions via radio, set up trade routes, research, and more.

On board for the project is concept artist Andrée Wallin, who worked on Wasteland 2 and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. STASIS developers Christopher and Nic Bischoff are also assisting with the project and are responsible for the concept art seen in the gallery below. Writing duties will be covered by the Tides of Numenera team and will incorporate that game's revamped dialog tree s?ystem.

If you want to help fund Wasteland 3, the Fig campaign will start October 5. The goal is to raise $2.75 million with $2.25 million of that possibly coming from accredited investors. There will also be opportunities for unaccredited investors as well as rewards for people who just want to give whatever money they can. So far there is no launch window for the game, but when it does come out it will release simultaneously for Windows, OS X, Linux, Pla?yStation 4 and Xbox One.

The post In??Xile Entertainment is ??banking on Fig for Wasteland 3 appeared first on Destructoid.

Going for the hat trick

Just when you thought Kickstarter had plateaued, there comes another campaign set to reignite the fire for crowdfunded game development. After the successes of other titles such as Yooka-Laylee and Bloodstained from different developers last month, it's clear that enthusiasm hasn't died down one bit. And now, the folks at inXile Entertainment have returned to the Kickstarter game to seek funding for their return to another classic role-playing title. This time, they're coming back to one of the most enduring and loved RPG titles of the 1980s, The Bard's Tale.

Following the successes of Wasteland 2 and Torment, inXile plans to revitalize The Bard's Tale in the same way as its previous work. Originally released in 1985, The Bard's Tale centered around the adventures of a band of heroes exploring dungeons as they seek gold and glory. As the title suggests, their story is told from the songs of a bard who recounts triumphs while strumming a lute. It blended traditional role-playing gameplay with humor, an??d it also featured a unique take on traditional RPG storytelling.

Though technically this is the fifth Bard's Tale title, the last one being an action-RPG title developed for all consoles and PC back in 2004, this installment of The Bard's Tale seeks to be a truer sequel and an evolution of the or?iginal PC titles. And with a $1.25 million funding goal, they are certainly aiming high for this one.

But to grease the wheels a bit on whether to back it or not, the guys at inXile are doing a first-day backing special. If you choose to back the game within the first 24 hours (from any pledge), you'll receive a free copy of one title of your choosing, including Wasteland 2, The Witcher, or The Witcher 2. Again, this is only good for today, so you'll h??ave to act fast.

Although The Bard's Tale was a bit before my time, I'm ?interested in seeing how it develops. inXile has got a pretty good track record when it comes to Kickstarter, and even in its first few hours it's already approaching the $500K mark. I'll definitely be keeping an eye on this one.

The Bard's Tale IV [Kickstarter]

The post inXile Entertainment launches Kickstarter for The Bard’s Tale IV appeared first on Destructoid.

This Kickstarted RPG delivers exactly what was expected

_{[Disclosure: I backed the Wasteland 2 Kickstarter and as such received an Early Access copy of the game.]}

Wasteland 2 is one of the projects that saw success in the wake of Double Fine's Broken Age. Just a month after Tim Schafer's adventure game project blew past its funding goal, Brian Fargo and in??Xile? Entertainment also saw their Kickstarter pull in millions of dollars.

Despite the original Wasteland dating back to 1988, there were more than enough fans who wanted to see a sequel made. So Wasteland 2 exists in a strange position where the fans who remember the original played a very different game than the one that's been delive??red in 2014.

While PC RPGs have changed a lot over the years, Wasteland 2 is still very old-school in a lot of ways -- some good, some bad -- and rem??ains true to its intentions and origins.

Wasteland 2 (PC [reviewed], Mac, Linux)
Developer: inXile Entertainment
Publisher: inXile Entertainment
MRSP: $39.99/£29.99
Released: September 19, 2014

inXile head Brian Fargo has talked at length about how Wasteland 2 was rejected by numerous publishers over the years. It's a traditional, old-school PC RPG in almost every way -- so much so that it feels like a follow-up to the original Fallout games. 

The world of Wasteland 2 is still the irradiated wastes of a post-apocalyptic USA. The ??only form of law enforcement is the Rangers, a group of former military engineers operating out of a base ??called The Citadel. Starting with a party of four characters, players will roam the the Southwest, initially hunting for clues to solve the murder of a Ranger but gradually uncovering a new enemy.

What's interesting about the Rangers is that they're not universally liked; despite your best efforts, you won't always be able to change people's attitudes about your specific team or the Rangers in general. Not everything is black and white and your crew is going to have to make tough choices to achieve its goals. The wasteland is a dangerous, unforgiving place. Although the Fallout series has always had some dark humor to it thanks to the retro-futuristic setting, Wasteland 2 is mainly pl??ayed straight -- there's not a lot of joy to be found in the irradiated wild??erness.

At the start, you'll get to select a team of four characters that you can either pick from a pre-set group or design on your own. All the named characters have a predefined set of skills to suit certain roles, like a medic or sniper, but you're free to generate a custom character and choose their skills as you please. As with a lot of role-playing games, you're shown many stats, abilities, and attributes when you pick a character and it's hard to know what to invest in. Wasteland 2 is the type of game where after a few hours of playing, you'll ?realize you've got a bad or otherwise ineff??ective combination of skills and will want to just start over.

That's echoed with a lot of the quest design where there's often the urge to reload a much earlier save because you've either missed something or your party didn't pick up a vital piece of equipment from an earlier mission. You're not going to see everything on the first playthrough so don't be disappointed when there's some unresolved loose ends in the story when the credits roll. However, certain early missions just seem to lead into other ones without feeling resolved and you're left with unfinished business in your log. The game could do a better job of keeping you informed of where the most pressing mission i??s happening or let you know before you leave an area that there's still things to be done.

Eventually, you can recruit for your team and add up to three extra ??party ??members. They all have their own attributes, gear, and stats but are prone to losing their cool under fire and ignoring your commands. Most of the time this actually works out fine as they charge into battle, shooting enemies as they go but sometimes they'll walk into a trap and just cause trouble. Early on, it's worthwhile to take an extra teammate or two with you just to at least have another person for raiders and mutants to focus on instead of you. One way the game could stand to improve is sharing resources between party members; dragging and dropping items to a member's icon more often than not led me to just dump items on the ground instead.

Combat is based on ac??tion points that the player can spend to do things like move, shoot, and reload. Positioning and use of cover is key but it can be frustrating when you've got party members who are armed with melee and short-ranged weapons fighting in a big open area. An action queue is displayed at the top of the screen, showing the order of characters and who will act first, which is based on their initiative skill.

Action point usage is displayed pretty clearly -- like when you hover over an enemy to see how much AP it will take to shoot them, or to throw a grenade, for instance. Keeping characters out of harm's way is a good idea as you can roll some unused action points over into that character's next turn. While it's possible to just push your way through early battles, you'll need to make good use of your party's skills to beat large groups of enemies. ??;

It's easy to see where Wasteland 2's fairly modest, Kickstarter-generated budget has gone. Close up, the character models are basic, even compared with previous-gen console games. They're almost PlayStation 2-era?? graphics -- but they're not the reason you're playing the game.

A few darker areas could have used? some extra user-interface prompts to help players pick out their party and traps, and there's a strange lack of consistency with character's painted portraits and their actual 3D model in the game. One of my custom characters had a picture portraying him as a clean-shaven black man even though the actual 3D model showed him being white and having a grey beard. It's not a major problem at all, but it was jarring every time it popped up.

Something else that's noticeable is the voice acting, or lack thereof. While your main cont?act General Vargas is fully voiced and you'll hear plenty of radio chatter with other characters, more often than not it's only the first and last line of a conversation that has spoken dialogue -- the rest is just text. Again, not a problem in the larger scale of things, but it's noticeable.

If these sound like nitpicks, then it's because they are really the only problems that are due to how the game was made. Other issues come from the fact that this is a real old-school RPG, the kind that most developers haven't made made in a while (Divinity: Original Sin is a recent exception).

It's the type of game that sticks with the "dice rolls in the background" mechanic and there will be times when you have a 99% chance to succeed and you'll still fail. There are separate skills for lock picking, safe cracking, ?and bypassing alarms. That's been part and parcel of the genre for years so if that kind of thing doesn't put you off, you're going to enjoy your time? here.

Wasteland 2 is an expansive g?ame that demands to be replayed again and again to get the best out of it. While a lot of the detailed mechanics feel somewhat archaic, they're not going to hold back dedicated players who want to micromanage and really role play their group of characters. It has all of the familiar elements and even if some aspects of its presentation are not quite up to modern standards, its design and gameplay are timeless and? welcome.

The post Review: Wasteland 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

Just one month to go for the post-apocalyptic RPG

Just a few weeks ago, we let you know that the much anticipated Wasteland 2 was being delayed a few weeks into September. Now we've gotten word from inXile he?ad Brian Fargo that the game will finally be with?? us on September 19. 

If you read Alessandro's interview with Brian, you can tell how much of a labor of love this whole project has been; Wasteland 2 has been a game that h??e's wanted to make fo??r years and it's just a month from being released. I've enjoyed what I've played of the beta and I don't think Brian will have to worry too much about how the game will be received.

The post Wasteland 2 will be released on September 19 appeared first on Destructoid.

Brian Fargo talks fulfilling the trust of fans and the pressures of crowdfunding games

Take a moment and think about your dream game. You've probably been thinking about this for awhile. It's always in the back of your mind. Whenever you see new a title promising to do what your dream game does, you wonder if it can po??ssibly reach it. Your dream game, it feels fleeting and impossible, but the joy and wonder it evokes is still real and raw. 

Suddenly, you've been given the chance to make you dream game real. Friends look to you and hope you won't screw things up. Now you've got strangers invested in it. With so many people now following you, watching you, wanting you to make your game, it puts an enormous amount of pressure?? on you. 

Sounds nerve wracking, right? This is all too real for Brian Fargo and his development studio inXile Entertainment. Two years after an enormously successful Kickstarter for Wasteland 2, they're quickly approaching the time for its release. We were invited to meet Fargo during his press tour f?or the game. During our talk, we learned just how much inXile and the creator are putting on the line with this revival of a classic post-apocalyptic adventure.

The original Wasteland was released in 1988 for the Commodore 64, PC DOS, and Apple II. Players were dropped in the role of a Desert Ranger, the peacekeepers in post-apocalyptic USA. Set in the Southwest of North America, the game tasked you with exploring and combating the dangers of life after a nuclear war. As a choice-driven game, you can freely explore the ruins of the old world while forging your own path in the grim future. I know what you're thinking: this sounds like Fallout. That's because Fallout was a successor to Wasteland.

"I think Wasteland, in a way, was one of the first sandbox type gameplays," Brian Fargo said. Taking influence from the then-popular Ultima series, the post-apocalyptic setting was an enticing change of pace for many. Fargo and his team at Interplay wanted to allow players to make their story and choose where they wanted to go. Years after work on Wasteland, Interplay went on to create Fallout, which was a spiritual successor to Wasteland, set in post-nuclear-war USA.

Fargo and his team at Interplay had always been interested in creating a direct sequel to Wasteland, but licensing issues and fickle publishers prevented them. "I didn't kno??w what I was going to do with the company at the time. Honestly, I just stopped pitching titles to publishers," Fargo said. "After hearing so many horror stories, it was just a waste of time."  

Following the success of DoubleFine's Kickstarter project, which would become Broken Age, many others raced to create their own Kickstarter campaigns. While there were many that would not make it, inXile's own campaign would prove to be another success story for the crowdfunding site. With close to $3 million dollars raised from over 60,000 backers, Kickstarter allowed Brian Fargo and inXile to get a second chanc??e a??t making the game they've always wanted.

"We've been given such an incredible opportunity," Fargo said. Because of this -- and the high rate of failure and/or disappointment of most Kickstarter projects -- the? developers at inXile wante??d to pull out all the stops and make the game that would surpass expectations.

"I wanted to make sure we over-deliver and go beyond anyone's expectations for what they thought they were gonna get," Fargo said. "For me, not only from my backers that put f??aith in me, but other fellow developers who said 'don't screw this up, ?Brian. You know you need to do a good job.'

"What a lot of people don't know is I've spent twice as much money than we raised on the Kickstarter on this project to just blow it out all the way, to do somet?hing just huge in scope."

As a direct sequel to Wasteland, players will join the ranks of the Desert Rangers a?nd explore the post-apocalyptic landscapes of Arizona and Los Angeles. You will be able to create a brand new character with unique ski?lls and weaponry, acquire loot and allies, and explore both hand-crafted and procedurally-generated locations with their own unique quests and events. 

"The budget for this game is much closer to five million, but that's because I poured in more of my own money and money from our sales from Bard's Tale and sales from Early Access, because I wanted to do something more ambitious. We could've kept it at the Kickstarter budget, but I wanted to knock this out of the ballpark and h?ave people point and say 'that's what Kickstarter can do!' So I felt it was worth the risk."

And going all out was exactly what they did. They filmed a live-action opening cinematic featuring cosplayers from a post-apocalyptic convention in the desert of Nevada. They used a children's choir to sing gospel songs for the dangerous and God-fearing cult of Samson. Much of the game is voiced, bringing out words from writers who have written for the original Wasteland, Planescape: Torment, Fallout, and Baldur's Gate. The developers want the narrative to be the centerpiece of Wasteland 2's design.

"With Chris Avellone, Colin McComb, Nathan Long, Michael Stackpole, we take writing very seriously," Fargo said. There are over 500,000 lines of written dialog. "We feel it adds so much to the game and I feel it needs to be taken seriously. We have more words in this game than the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

"For Wasteland 2, I like to call it a narrative sandbox game," Fargo said. "We've written all of these different threads based upon what you've done in the narrative. You can ma??ke any choice spin off ?in any different way. On top of that, you can shoot anyone you encounter.

"I think the elements of 'old-school' [lots of choice and variables] are timeless. All this cause-and-effect gameplay, the subtlety of detail, the nuance of the humor -- good cause and effect is the hallmark of any game. By virtue of the design, when you do something, it turns something else off. I had a very famous game designer in my office a month ago, and he said 'w?hy would you do that, create all that stuff that most people won't encounter?' and I said that's the charm of what it is."

Fargo was adamant about allowing players to have total freedom in how they express themselves in Wasteland 2. This mandate is apparent even in the beginning moments. After watching the burial of a fallen Desert Ranger during the opening cinematic, pla??yers can choose to desecra?te the grave once gameplay starts.

Even after warnings from General Vargas, a returning character from the original game, players can choose to proceed with violating the grave. All ally NPC characters in the?? area will open fire on your squad, ending the game before it even properly begins. While most players will never see this scenario, the developers felt it was important to have so players can choose to express themselves in anyway they see fit.

"I think about a sandbox game like Grand Theft Auto as the ultimate sandbox, you can go pump weights, get tattoos, you can jack an airplane. You can do whatever you want, but it doesn't really affect the narrative structure, the missions are exactly the same. There's noth??ing wrong with it, but it's a different kind of thing."

There was a lot of candid talk between Far?go and I about promises from other games with o?pen-ended experiences. While it was clear that he had an enormous respect for the talent at other studios, there was still a feeling of skepticism when discussing the potential that other games aspire towards. In that respect, this is something that Fargo wishes not to fall short on.

"A lot of games promise to do it," Fargo sai?d about offering flexibility in choices. "But we're really delivering on all that stuff. The game is so large in scope, you can play this game over and over again for more than ten years. My president is still finding new content even after 700 hundreds hours of gameplay."

One of the least-talked-about aspects of game development through Kickstarter is the perpetual state of anxiety the developers are in. With your development under a microscope by fans and press alike, this level o??f transparency is unprecedented for traditional game development. Unlike developing games through a publisher, you're beholden to your backers. And there's no greater low than getting their buyer's remorse.

"The first scary risk for me was that we were committing to tal?king about and showing things that were not in their final state. You know how when these people come out with a game, and there's this first impression and that you can never get out of this hole of the first impression? That was a risk, and we wanted their feedback, but it worked."

Fargo was so anxious about the initial reveal of Wasteland 2's gameplay video back in February 2013 that the potential development of their next title was dependent?? on the reception to the ?video.

"If the first gameplay demo for Wasteland 2 didn't play well for the fans, then I wouldn't have done the Kickstarter for Torment," Fargo explained. "It's completely, 100% based on trust. For me, I've never had more pressure ?in my life. I can't imagine what would happen had I not been able to deliver. You'd be done right at that point."

Fortunately for them, the video was well received by backers and newcomers alike. Emboldened, they started a second Kickstarter campaign for the successor to Planescape: Torment a month later, which found even greater success. ????It brought in over $4 million from over 70,000 backers.

"When you're utilizing the power of the crowd and really listening to them, it's really powerful because you're vetting the great ideas and getting them from a lot of different so??urces," Fargo said. "That has paid off great, and Early Access has been an adjunct of that too."

With the advent of Steam's Early Access, the extra feedback from direct play has served as a boon for inXile. "Going back to the old days of Fallout, we would just make the game, do our best  instinctively and keep our fingers crossed, but now we're getting it out there and taking all the feedback that you would? usually get post-launch. So we got it all moved up to the front without having people beat on it after release."

With the rise of the internet and the organization of online communities, the constant communication has served as great tool for the develop??ers, but also a reminder of a shift in power. "Think back in the late '90s, if people had a problem with the game, they'd have to do a letter-writing campaign. The consumers had zero power in the '90s, but now (with social media and the internet), they have all the power."

Fargo and his team's collective experience helped them handle the demands of game development, publishing, and communication simultaneously. However, on the morning of our interview with Fargo, the Kickstarter for Areal, which received a lot of press for its development and business practices, had just imploded. This was a rather timely reminder of the results of mismanaged production ??funded publicly. And Fargo offered some harsh, if helpful, truths about folks looking to get into making a game through Kickstarter for all the wrong reasons.

"I've said this before about Kickstarter, it's n??ot the place to cut your teeth and learn how to m?ake a game. I don't think it's good for that," Fargo said. "Because once you've gone out and failed, you're publicly flogging yourself out there. It's gonna be harder to start another project, and it might even hurt you finding a job. Who knows, right? He's the guy who took your money and failed to deliver. You don't want to be that guy. So I think it's a horrible idea for people to cut their teeth on their first project on crowdfunding. However, once you've done production for awhile, then it's easier to do."

Fargo is still optimistic about the future of development through crowdsourcing. "That's why Kickstarter is so perfect, because the mid-level developer was disappearing for the most part. You have the big AAA guys, then the small indie-developers making the smaller titles like Goat Simulator and all that stuff. There are games like [Wasteland 2] that can't be made with three or four guys and so [crow?dfunding] does allow for games like this to be made."

The release of this title means a great deal for all those involved. Not only is it the return of an influential and much-loved title, but it's also a game that feels like a blast from the past that's adapted and accommodated the skills and tricks f??rom the modern day.

"We've put our heart and soul into this game, I've put my own money into this, my guys have been working seven days a week, and I hav??en't even gone on my honeymoon," said Fargo. "My wife wants?? to kill me, she's been waiting two years for our honeymoon."

While the game is now available on Early Access, the official launch of Wasteland 2 should come in September, 26 years after the release of the or??iginal. It looks like Kickstarter is about to get another success story. And for inXile Entertainment, that means another shot at making something memorable.

The post Father of the Wasteland: How to trust your fans and revive ??a classic appeared first on Destructoid.

The delay is due to manufacturing physical versions

Another day, another delay. It turns out that Wasteland 2 will be likely be missing the August launch date for a release in the first half of September instead. An update on the game's Kickstarter page revealed the delay is due to "fulfillment of the physical goods and discs." Discs? Who buys PC games at retail these days? To be fair, one of Wasteland 2's Kickstarter backer rewards was a boxed edition of ?the game and I think that's the culprit here.

I've been playing Wasteland 2 for a few months now, albeit in an unfinished state, but it's been full-featured, largely bug-free, and fun to play. With Wasteland 2 being for sale in Steam's Early Access section, people have been playing th??e game for a while now, so does having to wait a few more weeks for a "Version 1.0" really matter?

The post Final v??ersion of Wasteland 2 likely delayed into Septe??mber appeared first on Destructoid.

Full game headed for release August 2014

Wasteland 2 is poised to ship at the end of August 2014, and you can play it right now via the Wasteland 2 Steam Early Access beta. Well, you can play the entire Arizona area of the game. That's still playing, kind of. Right? Sounds good enough for me.

inXile Entertainment's projected launch window means there isn't too much longer to wait before you can get your hands on the sequel to the predecessor to the Fallout series, and that's great news. Because I've been waiting for something to really scratch that Fallout itch, and n?othing's been hitting the spot thus far.

Wasteland 2 is a turn-based RPG that follows an elite squad of desert Rangers who trek across a post-apocalyptic wasteland of a fallen America to come to the aid of the remaining human survivors of a world wracked with decay and radioactivity. A projected 50+ hour game with a word count "greater than the Lord of the Rings novels" sounds like something I want to get my hands on, so I'm tempted to see if the game, in Early Access form, lives up to the expectations set by the original Wasteland.

What do you say we check it out and report our findings, dear? readers?

The post Scavenge a post-apocalyptic Arizon?a in Wasteland 2 now via Steam Early Access appeared first on Destructoid.

You won't see all the content on a single playthrough

After playing the beta on and off between updates, I've already figured that Wasteland 2 is going to be a big game. Developer inXile thinks it's going to? to take at least 50 hours to play though the game which is a pretty big chunk of time. You won't see all the content on the first go, however, as many locations will be in a different state depending on choic??es you make earlier on in the game.

I've never been too hung up on how many hours I'll be able to get out of a game; I realize that folks want value for money and that feeds into the desire for a longer game but too often that just results in unnecessary grinding and padding. Still, I've enjoyed? the beta so far so having another 50+ of that to play doesn't sound like a bad idea. 

An update to the Wasteland 2 beta is arriving next week and will include most of the Arizona portion of the? game. inXile is teasing a later location, Los Angeles, which you can see in the screenshot above. It'll be nice to see some greenery -- the Arizona desert is a harsh mistress. 

The post A regular playthough ??of Wasteland 2 ??will take about 50 hours appeared first on Destructoid.

inXile's long-awaited sequel is still in Early Access

Development on inXile's Wasteland 2 continues to rumble on after its release in beta form at the end of 2013. There's still no news on when the game will be complete and an update from inXile head Brian Fargo confirms that old videogame chestnut, "it'll be finished when it's finished." Yes, it's the oldest cliche in the book but Brian says that inXile has been working on 2,300 bug fixes and suggestions and addressed almost ?half of them so far.

?"We know better than to give an exact date at this point because in addition to pushing the game in the ways we'd planned," Brian confirms. "But we are in the final stretch, and are thankful our backers have consistently agreed we should take the time we need." Brian also mentions that there's work still being done on things like animation and AI and that backers will see more changes in beta updates.

Like a lot of Early Access games, I've been playing Wasteland 2 on and off since its initial beta release and whilst it's still rough in some spots, the core game is there and works just fine. Some of the changes have been really small, like a re-worked inventory system but the game feels pretty complete so far. Still, it's always good to see a developer sign off on a project and give it the "yes, we're done" stamp of approval but I'm o?kay with waiting.

FTW For the When [Kickstarter]

The post Wasteland 2 will be done ‘when it’s done’ appeared first on Destructoid.

Kick dirt in Kickstarter backers' faces

Wasteland 2 finally hit beta for its Kickstarter backers. Those of you who adopted the John Dorian "wait and see" approach, however, are free to cackle embarrassingly at all the chumps who plunked down their coin mad early, because you can slip right on into the same Wasteland 2 beta through Steam Early Access. 

Now, the catch is that you'll still have to pay $60 for early access -- much higher than typical -- because that was what Kickstarter backers paid for the beta access tier. Can't screw over the folks that funded development. If you wait for the full game to release, it will be cheaper, though the $60 early access will also net you some extras, including a copy of the original Wasteland.

Still, if you're itching to play Wasteland 2 -- hopefully that's not the radiation getting to you alrady -- inXile says its, "basically feature-complete. We’re including 30% of the game levels so you can see how Wasteland 2 plays: AI, gear,?? inventory,? creatures, line-of-sight, exploration, world-maps, fast travel, dialogue, and more."

Grab yourself some chilaquiles, loosen your waistband, and go give Wasteland 2 a twirl if you have the time and money.

We’re starting out at $59.99 and you’re going to get a lot for your money over time, in??cluding a truckload of digital extras, in??cluding:

-- A free copy of Wasteland 1 - The Original Classic
-- Two digital novellas set in The Wasteland world
-- Mark Morgan's Wasteland 2 OST in digital format
-- A digital concept art book

* We expect the ??final release price will be lower, but the digital novellas, OST and concept art book are exclusive to Early Access

The post Steam Early Acces??s: Waste some time with Waste??land 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

Go play it already!

At last, backers of Wasteland 2 can start playing the beta on PC. If you log into your Ranger Center account, you can get a Steam key to start playing. To be eligible for beta access right now, you have to have been one of the original backers for $55 or more. Late comers who have donated $55 or more should have beta access soon, and sometime after that inXile will re?lease it on Steam Early Access.

Brian Fargo, the director for Wasteland 2, made it clear on the latest Kickstarter update that this is a beta, and that the game still has some bugs that will need to be worked out. All?? of the maps aren't available t?o play just yet, so the beta will feel more linear than the final release will.

If you haven't backed the game yet, you can still donate to get a copy of the game. $25 will get you the basic digital edition, and $55 will get you the digital editio?n and beta access.

Building a Better Beta - Right Now! [Wasteland 2 Kickstarter]

The post Wasteland 2 beta out for?? backers, coming to Steam so?on appeared first on Destructoid.

Wasteland 2 backers will get it for free

The classic 1988 computer role-playing game, Wasteland, will be available once again for you to purchase starting right now, to play on your modern computers from Steam and GOG.com. inXile, the studio working on Wasteland 2, is responsible for the game being made available, and backers of the Wasteland 2 Kickstarter will be getting a copy of the ori??ginal game for fr??ee today.

The early beta for Wasteland 2 will be available to backers soon, once they finished putting some polish on it. You can follow @Wasteland2Beta on Twitter?? if you want to get updates on when you'll be able get into the actio??n.

As a bonus treat, the inXile team let Miracle of Sound create a song based on Wasteland 2, and you can hear it in the video at the top of th?is ar??ticle.

Almost there, Almost there… [Wasteland 2 Kickstarter]

The post Wasteland 1 re-released on Steam and GOG.com appeared first on Destructoid.

And more: Wasteland 2 to waste no chance creating meaningful encounters

A cool piece of news regarding the much anticipated Wasteland 2 comes courtesy of Rock, Paper, Shotgun. World building, exploration, and individual experience are pivotal to this style of role-playing game. It seems that Wasteland 2's NPCs will r??espond to things like party composition and other factors, rather than constantly addressing you as the default male S?im.  

'Here’s a merchant that turns into a store if you help him get his cart out of the mud,' explained inXile president Matt Findley. 'Otherwise he&?rsquo;s just a guy that hates you. The conversation that he has with you is really dependent on so many different factors – the makeup of the party. He has different lines if you come up with an all-women party or if there’s a really high charisma male. There are little flags that he’ll react to.'

Beyond gender, Wasteland 2 has its own rich lore and history to pull from, in terms of discrimination. Plenty of ?fictional factionalism and the like, so you can be discriminated against in all manner of ways by shifty eyed wastelanders.

Findley was? also quick to note that inXile was watching to make sure these unique reactions didn't cause any balancing issues, noting, ?"there’s enough diversity in the characters that you deal with that no matter how it’s made up, there will be some advantages and some disadvantages." Plus, plenty of the unique reactions are non-gameplay affecting -- just slightly altered bits of dialogue. Little, divergent details like this are great for world-building and giving each player a more unique experience. Count me inTrigued.

How Wasteland 2?? Will Acknowledge Gender, Discrimination [Rock, Paper, Shotgun]

The post Uni??que snowflakes: Wasteland 2 NPC consider player gender appeared first on Destructoid.

Free for backers of Wasteland 2

Now this is a pleasant turn of events. inXile Entertainment plans to sell Wasteland on GOG.com and Steam ahead of the release of its new Wasteland 2.

Those of you who contributed to the game's crowdfunding initiative will get a free copy of the classic role-playing title, as has been the plan for a while now, but after talking it over with Electronics Arts, everyone will have the chance to buy the game on tho?se digital platforms.

And if you regret not participating in the campaign originally, inXile is still accepting funding. This free Wasteland offer extends to lat??e backe??rs, too. Nice to see this finally happen.

You Asked For It [Wasteland 2 Kickstarter]

The post inXile is bringing ?the original Wastel?and to GOG, Steam appeared first on Destructoid.

So much DLC!

Since my intrepid co-host is still off in Hawaii, undoubtedly contracting several deadly strains of bird flu, Adam Sessler stepped in on today's show again to talk about Steam's new exclusive daily challenges for Spelunky, the Ouya's disappointing sales numbers, and the upcoming compendium of DLC for Saints Row IV.

We also discuss the new season of DLC for Borderlands 2, the (rather unsurprising) delay of Wasteland 2, and the drama surrounding Eidos Montreal and Square Enix. I've said it once, and I'll say?? it again: Can't we all just get along?

No? Oh, okay then.

The post The DTOID Show: Wasteland 2, Borderlands 2, & Square Enix appeared first on Destructoid.