Wasteland 3 is a role-playing video game created by inXile Entertainment and published by Deep Silver. It is a sequel to Wasteland 2, which was released in 2014. The game was available on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on August 28, 2020. A version for Linux and macOS was released on December 17, 2020.

Gameplay

Wasteland 3 is a squad-based role-playing video game that includes turn-based combat. The game is played from an isometric perspective and offers both synchronous and asynchronous multiplayer modes. Players make choices that affect the game's world and story. A vehicle is introduced that players can use to move around the game world. The main campaign can be played together with another player.

Plot

Wasteland 3 takes place in the frozen wastelands of Colorado after a major disaster. The player controls two members of Arizona Ranger Team November, who survived when their group was attacked during a mission in Colorado. These two survivors must work with the local leader, called the "Patriarch," to gain his support for the Arizona Rangers. This happens after the previous game, where the Rangers faced challenges choosing between Highpool and Ag Center, and now struggle to maintain order as food and water become increasingly scarce.

Once settled, the Rangers are told by the Patriarch that they must find and control his three heirs, who are fighting each other to take over his rule. They also must protect the Patriarch’s authority over the many settlements and scattered people in Colorado. As the story progresses, the Rangers learn about the Patriarch’s harsh treatment of others. They are then contacted by Angela Deth, a character who appeared in earlier Wasteland games, who asks for their help in starting a rebellion against the Patriarch. The player must choose whether to follow the original agreement with the Patriarch or support the rebellion, which could risk the future of Arizona.

Development and release

Wasteland 3 was announced by inXile Entertainment in September 2016. The game was created using the Unity game engine. The development team included people who had worked on Torment: Tides of Numenera (2017). Like Wasteland 2, inXile raised money for the game through crowdfunding. This time, they used a crowdfunding service called Fig. The campaign began in October 2016 and ended one month later, raising over $3 million.

The game was planned to release on Linux, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in the fourth quarter of 2019. After Xbox Game Studios bought the company, inXile added more staff to the project and delayed the release to early 2020. The budget for Wasteland 3 was three times larger than Wasteland 2. Extra money was mostly used to create dialogue scenes and hire voice actors. The release was delayed again because inXile’s team worked remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Mac and Linux versions were postponed to an unknown date because the developers decided to focus on Windows 10, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 for the initial launch. The game was later released on Linux and macOS in December 2020.

Two expansions, called Battle of Steeltown and Cult of the Holy Detonation, were released on June 3, 2021, and October 5, 2021.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack for Wasteland 3 received special attention from inXile's Brian Fargo, who hired Mary Ramos. Mary is known for her work as Quentin Tarantino's music supervisor. She created music for Wasteland 3, inspired by the idea that future civilizations might find music or lyrics without understanding their meaning or purpose. The soundtrack includes post-apocalyptic versions of the Welcome Back, Kotter and Green Acres theme songs, Wang Chung's "Everybody Have Fun Tonight," as well as American anthems and Bible hymns. Mark Morgan, who previously worked on Wasteland 2, Fallout, and Fallout 2, returned to compose an atmospheric score for the post-apocalyptic setting.

Reception

The game received mostly good reviews when it was first released, earning a score of 85 out of 100 from critics on the review website Metacritic. By December 2021, the game had more than 2 million players.

It was nominated for Best Role-Playing Game at The Game Awards 2020 and for "Role-Playing Game of the Year" at the 24th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards. However, it did not win either award, as both were given to Final Fantasy VII Remake.