Wasteland 2: Director's Cut Reviews
The Nintendo Switch lacks in titles that fit a gaming niche as the one Wasteland 2 fills. Yes, there are RPGs on the system, but the mixture between the tactical combat gameplay and the extensive RPG story is a small category of games. Given how much possibility Wasteland 2: Director's Cut has, I think it's a solid title. What detracts from the game are the gameplay issues, awkward camera controls, and the unfortunate visuals. Players willing to put the time in and overlook these flaws will find an intensely rich game, but I'm just not sure everyone is willing to do that on a system that continues to gain new titles.
Director's Cut is the right term for this release; Fargo and the crew at InXile have combed through both the finer details and the high-level ones of Wasteland 2, fixing, tweaking, and adding to take it from great to excellent.
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.
Despite a bevy of performance issues on the Switch, Wasteland 2 continues to be an excellent RPG with its terrific writing and world building.
Wasteland 2: Director's Cut brings this well known name to a Nintendo system for the first time in an effort that features an interesting and varied plot, as well as a good combat system and a long lifespan. Despite its rather outdated visual environment, Wasteland 2 on the Nintendo Switch is more than certain to appeal to a great number of players, some of whom will be put in contact with the series for the very first time.
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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.
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.
Wasteland 2 offered gamers a modern revamp of a sorely missed angle on RPG games, and the Director's Cut enhances the year-old game further, adding value, depth, and polish to an already well-rounded game. This one deserves a spot on your list of games to get to sooner than later.
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.
The game places trust in the moral, philosophical, and intellectual response of the audience.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
Put plainly, there is nothing quite like Wasteland 2 on consoles. Unforgiving, incredibly deep, and expertly written, inXile has built something that defies the conventional standard. Cleanly mapped to a console controller, Wasteland 2 is a must-have for any RPG fan.
A huge, sprawling adventure with countless branches and decisions, Wasteland 2 is unique in the console catalogue and more than worth the asking price.
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.
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.