Preview: Wasteland 2

I do not know what Brian Fargo hates our cruel world, but for the third time in his career he igrostroitelnuyu burn his radioactive fire of nuclear war. First Brian struck back in 1988, releasing the popular (mostly in America) Wasteland, then added in 1997, the legendary Fallout, and now in 2014, wants to finally finish homo sapiens using Wasteland 2 . To no one bothered to his evil plans, Mr. Fargo back in 2003 bought out the EA all rights to the brand Wasteland, waited nine years, and in 2012 shocked the world gaming community by announcing the launch of a campaign to raise funds for the development Kickstarter’e Wasteland 2.

Breaking their wallets for Wasteland

Hearing such a fantastic news, many old-school players (especially those who are under thirty) began to weep with happiness straight to the spot where they caught this good news, and their younger colleagues gaming thoughtfully wiped experienced craftsmen keyboard and mouse tears and bewilderment shrugged. Young gamers confusion is understandable – total pampering and ubiquitous 3D NextGen, they just could not believe that you can truly fanatet from the first, is netrehmernogo Fallout’a. which still turn-based fights and all!

I cite the example of Fallout for the reason that of the original Wasteland first in our country, almost no one has heard, but everyone knows about the Fallout series and involuntarily associate Wasteland 2 as its ideological continuation (of course, except that of living in the associative array his own world of Fallout 3).

During the first two days after the launch of the campaign on KickStarter sparkling with happiness oldskul zadonatil project 1 million dollars evergreen. At the time of completion of the terms of raising money, Wasteland 2 had to his credit a little more than 3 million cans – about the same number had Interplay and Brian Fargo, when they did the first Fallout.

Satisfied with this result, developers shook hands, drank champagne and celebrate all their donaterov assured that they will work like hell to give up their food and baseball – go short on every conceivable sacrifice, just to release the game faster. And seemingly clever developers do not deceive the expectations of numerous sponsors – in December 2013 on Steam appeared beta Wasteland 2, and the final release was nominated for the second quarter of 2014.

And nothing, but that’s just the quality of the gaming material presented in the beta, it was so ambiguous that, after studying all of its features, previously a single fan community Wateland two sharply divided into good and merciless critics optimists. We, in turn, tried to objectively analyze the situation and do not get it in the neck from the angry fans of this or that camp.

Without voids in the plot

It is no secret that in the post-apocalyptic RPG atmospheric whose rare series is going to fill up Wasteland 2 graphics is not central dignity. Yes, of course, it is important, but the story and the gameplay itself directly is much more important. Especially for old-school players who, as we have mentioned before, make up the vast majority of the audience for future games. Therefore, the schedule and other specifications will be discussed later, and now dwell on the story and on the central components of the game, because of which the actual Wasteland 2 and waiting.

Pendalf words from the movie “The Fellowship of the Ring”: an opinion, and not only mine, – the game interesting and well thought-out plot. A feeling that long before the first developments of the Wasteland 2, Brian Fargo promised myself that when creating storylines its new RPG, he will try to jump over your own head so that inadvertently touches flying past “747.”

In the world of Wasteland nobody even tries to push the player in tough story frame, rather, an abundance of branching quests and numerous NPC-game tasks like hints – you are your own boss, do not listen to my instructions – do as you wish! Express Yourself your own story!

Even out of beta Wasteland 2 you can quickly understand the basic concept of the upcoming games – very often pass the same task can be in several different ways, participating in various events and chatting (often the language of bullets and a knife) with variegated inhabitants radioactive fragments once beautiful world. Moreover, according to the developers, a certain part of the plot twists you create, not even set foot on the ground pitted radiation Wasteland 2 – at an early stage of formation of the character you are given the opportunity to choose a religion and a brief biography of his fighters. Brian Fargo & Co beat their heels in the chest – it will not be on duty blank text buried in one of the many game bookmarks – depending on the current beliefs and of who your ward was in the past, some of your team encountered NPC rasplachutsya delight and will give you all the most valuable, and others, without explanation, sent three gay characters, or worse – your shmalnut ranger in the head with a shotgun.

The only thing that slightly jars in dialogue with NPCs – is the abundance of some obscure lines or silly love romantic stories, which raves every third survivor on the Heath. Well, I do not believe that obzhivshiysya already more or less unspoiled plot settler instead of a jar of fresh water or ammo boxes can ask team protagonist find his beloved wife, who for some reason wandered into an abandoned factory building and for five days did not returns. Dude, look around! We’re surrounded by mutants and radiation, if your little woman asked for almost a week, it will not come back – you’re better than I know it!

The second weak point – is excessive technological imbalance between communities inhabitants of the new world, the cause of which explains the story very vaguely. Fans can cast me as many rotten tomatoes radioactive, but I think the silliest nonsense, when one of the survivors after a nuclear war due to lack of resources people can not build a basic water supply, while the other pulled into stylish protective suits and dissecting dead land on the mighty combat robots .

Devastating disappointment

On the background of a steep plot looks shabby triple widely raspiarennaya inXile Entertainment combat system. Even for the beta is so crude and stupid that after studying a number of post-nuclear RPG fighting future, I picked up a runny nose and a little while razuchylsa gryamotno Pysana slyava.

And the most annoying in this case is in relation figisticheskoe developers to implement quality boevki Wasteland 2 – it is not “simple technical negligence” and spit in the soul of thousands of gamers who are holding their breath, waiting for the official release zadonachennoy lyama bucks for 3 games .

At first, nothing portends global epikfeyla, rather the opposite – quite a postapocalyptic start menu with dignity for the player looks from the monitor screen, and a great sound design pleases the ears and configures only the positive, slightly poedennoe radiation thinking. In turn, competent character creation mode will cause squeaking with joy even hardened hardcore – so many specializations, skills, characteristics, etc. they have not seen even in his happiest dream zadrotskie. Digging in the Persian settings so 30-40 minutes, even the most old school olduskulny can not argue the fact that the role system Wasteland 2 is not only no worse legendary Fallout’ovskoy SPECIAL – it is much better.

But enough already training and workouts! We are the Desert Rangers, your mother! Exhausted radiation and predatory creatures people waiting for our help! In the wasteland between the hills entrenched gangsters umyknuvshie valuable resources, and your group, greenhorn, will knock them out! You wanted to tactical maneuvers? You wanted a clever turn-based combat? Come and take it!

And at the very moment when a gamer happy with my heart pounding furiously on the enemy throws his version of Fantastic Four, he receives from developers announced by me earlier epikfeylovy savory punch in the stomach.

Instead coveted tactical intricacies of attacks and counterattacks waste held in view of the terrain, when every bush becomes a shelter, and on account of even sleeves cartridges, we offer some analogue of “Chapaev checkers” – brainless opponents just stupid rod for soldiers desert rangers and as those on the teachings of the unsuccessful shot aggressors. Nobody makes even the slightest attempt to hide or circumvent opponents – poherili developers simply forgot to add those features in the beta version of its insanely hyped RPG. Moreover, the “stele” in Wasteland 2 extinct faster than dinosaurs – is unclear why all the game introduces special “Sniper”, if after the first shot, the enemies will immediately recognize where the shooter?

Meanly laughing rusty knife finishes trampled hopes Player terrible graphics. Although I do not even know if you can confidently call created Unity engine sucks dull graphics. Rather, it is an imitation.

Of course, almost deafened by the roar of thousands of angry fans. Brian Fargo has managed to publish a standard excuse by type: “Guys, do not dreyfte – it’s just a beta! By the time the final release of all the changes, you’ll thank me say, ‘and even made a couple of upgrades, tweak gyrus enemies, but for me personally it is in no way convinced. Too large gap between initially promised and today realized. And not the fact that for the six months remaining before the release, the gentlemen of inXile Entertainment and Obsidian Entertainment will be able to overcome it.

If you end up with Brian Fargo and his combat team will bring to the Wasteland 2 at least 80% of the declared before collecting money for Kickstarter’e, we get an amazing game that you want to pass more than once. Currently creator Fallout poured into their new RPG maximum of 40% of the planned amount and the quality of this 40% is a lot of questions.