Although its release date is still a bit away, Wasteland 3 is easily one of the most anticipated games among cRPG enthusiasts. The title is set after the events of Wasteland 2, taking place in icy Colorado.
After a successful Fig campaign, Wasteland 3 is slowly building up to become a fairly massive game. Here’s everything we know about Wasteland 3, including details on its release date, gameplay, story, and multiplayer.
Wasteland 3 Release Date
Wasteland 3 initially aimed for a Q4 2019 release date, however inXile Entertainment decided to push the title back in order to ensure it adds as much polish as possible.
After being delayed from it May 19 release date due to the coronavirus pandemic, Wasteland 3 is now expected to arrive on PC, Xbox One and PS4 on August 28.
Wasteland 3 Story
Wasteland 3’s story follows the events of Wasteland 2, seeing the Desert Rangers fighting a losing battle in order to save Arizona. When the Patriarch of Colorado Springs promises resources in exchange for helping him with his three bloodthirsty children, the Rangers set off to brave Colorado’s snowscapes.
In Wasteland 3 you take on the role of the sole survivor from Team November, the one sent to make contact with the Patriarch. Not knowing what exactly happened to your comrades, you travel across Colorado, befriending and antagonizing others while building a base from scratch, all while looking to secure the resources that Arizona so desperately needs.
Wasteland 3 Gameplay
Wasteland 3’s gameplay will feature both familiar and new elements. Firstly, the game will continue to alternate between real-time exploration and turn-based battles centered around the use of action points, cover and flanking.
Wasteland 3 gives Rangers team-focused abilities that either provide team-wide buffs or weaken all enemies. On top of that, certain characters will be able to escape death when downed in combat.
Vehicles are another addition coming with Wasteland 3. Mainly used in braving Colorado’s thick post-nuclear snow, vehicles can also serve as a handy source of cover and fire support, given the mounted turrets they bring to bear. You’ll be able to use multiple vehicles and even customize and upgrade them with parts.
The title will feature two hub areas: Colorado Springs, the largest establishment in the area and seat of the Patriarch, and your own Ranger Base. The latter has been confirmed to not require lots of micromanagement while also being the source of great “narrative opportunities”.
Wasteland 3 isn’t all about fighting, though, and its combat system is also seeing some changes. Leaning closer to that of inXile’s Torment: Tides of Numenera, players will be met with branching dialogue options that can cancel each other out. Having the right skill in the right conversation can open up new opportunities. You’ll also hear much more voiced dialogue than in Wasteland 2 and the camera will pan in closer to characters in key conversations for a more cinematic feel.
Wasteland 3 Multiplayer
Wasteland 3 will include multiplayer in the form of a two-player co-op mode that allows playing through its campaign alongside a friend. Multiplayer campaigns will be specific to the players that started them, so if one player cannot continue, the only option left will be that of converting the campaign to single-player.
Each player gets their own squad of Rangers and, while you won’t be able to have duplicate characters, you can exchange members. Then it gets interesting. Although there’s always the option of tagging along, the two squads can split up and take on quests without the other being present.
This essentially means that you can complete quests and make decisions without the other player knowing. More than that, you can take opposite approaches to deal with the same issue, which can lead to some very interesting consequences.
For example, the smugglers one player struck a deal with without the other one’s knowledge will show up at your base and demand explanations if the other player decides to be a paragon of justice and kill some of their men.
Both players will run the Colorado Ranger Base together and will have to be online to participate during key narrative moments.
Wasteland 3 System Requirements
Minimum:
- Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
- OS: Windows 7/8/8.1/10 (64 bit)
- Processor: Intel Core i5 2500K or equivalent
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 or Radeon HD 7970
- Storage: 55 GB available space
Recommended:
- Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
- OS: Windows 7/8/8.1/10 (64 bit)
- Processor: Intel i5-4590 equivalent or greater
- Memory: 16 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA GTX 970/AMD 290 equivalent or greater
- Storage: 55 GB available space
Where can you buy Wasteland 3 and how much does it cost?
On PC, Wasteland 3 is confirmed to be available for purchase on both Steam and Gog.com, although the latter storefront doesn’t yet have a page for the game. inXile is also not excluding other platforms.
While no details were given regarding consoles, it’s likely that you’ll be able to buy Wasteland 3 on the Microsoft and PlayStation stores. The official pricing has yet to be revealed, although the developer has said that the game will have an estimated retail value of $50.
Wasteland 3 Gameplay Trailer
The latest Wasteland 3 trailer, revealed at Gamescom 2019, focuses on gameplay, showcasing a good deal of what the game has to offer.
Starting with a section where the party moves through the Colorado snow while in a vehicle, it then proceeds to on-foot exploration, ending with a stretch that showcases turn-based battles which include the ability to target specific limbs; all this done to a version of “Are You Washed in the Blood” that we’ve not heard before. Check it out below.
