Wasteland 2: Director's Cut Reviews
While echoes of the original release pacing problems remain, the Director's Cut does much to add variety to the experience with new features such as perks, quirks, and precision aiming. It's likely not enough to warrant a replay if you've already finished it, but if this is your first foray into inXile's bleak vision of the future, this is the best place to start off.
Proof that big thinking PC-based RPGs can totally work on pads, and how not to implement the weighty interfaces that come alongside them - but trudge through this and there's much to love.
Wasteland 2 gets the Switch port treatment, bringing a deep, involved RPG to Nintendo's hybrid console.
Wasteland 2 is a slight struggle on the Switch, but it's still worth your time
Wasteland 2: Director's Cut on Switch is a missed opportunity. While the underlying systems and crunchy combat are enjoyable – and it just about works as a portable experience – a steady list of irritations make an unqualified recommendation impossible. There's a solid foundation of gritty turn-based combat with some great writing, but a stubborn camera, disappointing performance and a lack of quality-of-life enhancements means the PC ‘master race' take this round.
A huge, sprawling adventure with countless branches and decisions, Wasteland 2 is unique in the console catalogue and more than worth the asking price.
The varied and meaningful skill tree system is the best part of Wasteland 2, as it pushes you to create a very defined set of characters. Assigning skill points is consequential, and while that level of permanence is not felt in the narratives decision making, the combat and unique factions you come across will be enough to push you forward. Wasteland 2 is a great CRPG ported to consoles, and while you may find some technical hiccups, the overall experience is well worth it.
An old school computer role-playing game is a rare sight on consoles, but this unofficial predecessor to Fallout is more than just a nostalgia-fuelled curio.
Wasteland 2 is an excellent game, but at the same time does nothing particularly new or ground-breaking within the RPG genre. It's easy to see why PC gamers have become so enamoured with it, yet it's hard to imagine Wasteland garnering the same appeal on consoles. Despite inXile's valiant effort in bringing the game to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, it never feels quite at home.
Wasteland 2: Director's Cut is a fantastic retro-styled CRPG with many modern upgrades. Sure, it has a few bugs and takes a while before it becomes truly interesting and fun, but that's par for the course for games with 50+ hours of gameplay. Despite some flaws, it's still a great game that offers a real challenge and isn't hindered by coddling. Fans of stat-heavy RPGs will surely love it's post-apocalyptic goodness!
Wasteland 2: Directors Cut brings the series to consoles for the first time with the definitive version that proves classic style gameplay still has some life in this rapidly evolving genre.
If you can get past the UI and control issues, then by all means, get Wasteland 2: Director's Cut on PlayStation 4. It offers up hours of engrossing and strategic gameplay, and is probably worth the $60 if you're a fan of old-school RPGs. However, if you have a decent PC, then I recommend getting it on there – it'll be a better optimized experience.
Wasteland 2 Director's Cut is, at the minute, somewhat of a disappointment for consoles. The wonder and sense of exploration it was attempting is severely diminished because the controls, and the bugs make it hard to enjoy. Hopefully this can be fixed in future releases, but at the time of writing, Wasteland 2 is just shy of being really worth playing.
Imperfections aside, Wasteland 2 is a compelling, bleak and darkly hilarious post-apocalyptic RPG that adds something a little different for the PS4's roster.
In the end, Wasteland 2 is good, it's fun, and there is a ton of content. But it's not that different, or newly 'cut', than it was a year ago.
Wasteland 2 is for players looking to get lost in world that seems perfectly comfortable in giving the players all the options at their fingertips. The wasteland is a host to deadly enemies, characters, and vile world, one in which I take my very own created desert rangers, with their own personal stories, my stories, and try to live… to see another day.
Wasteland 2 is a slam-dunk in almost every way for lovers of immersive RPGs with a nostalgic, old-school feel. In the hours and hours I logged before writing this review, I felt that I barely skimmed the surface of what this massive game has to offer.
Wasteland 2 is quickly becoming a modern classic – and deservedly so. If you have not played this game, you really owe it to yourself to give it a shot. But some usability issues on the Switch might not make it the best choice for newcomers to a game that some already find difficult to parse. This version of Wasteland 2 is serviceable, but not ideal.
The game places trust in the moral, philosophical, and intellectual response of the audience.
InXile's classical RPG translates beautifully to console, and should be picked up by RPG fans – even those neck deep in that other big post-apocalyptic title.