Wasteland 3

Wasteland 3 is an isometric tactical RPG from inXile Entertainment that takes players to a frozen post-apocalyptic Colorado as members of the Desert Rangers, sent from Arizona to restore an alliance with a local warlord. The game builds on turn-based combat with an emphasis on building a squad of four to six characters, base management, and an extensive dialogue-choice system that genuinely affects the story's development and the fate of the world's factions. A prominent feature is the dark humor and morally ambiguous decisions, where almost every choice comes with some sacrifice or compromise, giving the game a sense of real weight to its consequences.

On Xbox One the game offered full two-player online co-op, quite rare in the isometric RPG genre, allowing the whole campaign to be played together with a friend from start to finish. The visual style combines snowy wastelands with the ruins of an old civilization and industrial complexes, while the music rounds out the grim, but at times also grotesque, atmosphere of Colorado as a whole. Contemporary reception was very positive, with critics praising the depth of its systems, the writing, and the amount of content, placing Wasteland 3 among the best-reviewed turn-based RPGs of its generation. It remains a celebrated return to the traditional CRPG style, offering dozens of hours of thoughtful content and freedom in how to shape the Wasteland according to one's own values.

Base management in the form of an abandoned prison building gradually turned into a functioning Desert Rangers headquarters gives players a sense of building their own stronghold amid a hostile world, similar to previous entries in the Wasteland series. The combat system relies on cover, a wide range of weapon types from pistols to heavy machine guns, and the special abilities of individual squad members, so assembling a balanced team is key to overcoming tougher encounters. The choice between diplomacy and violence also shapes relations with factions such as the Patriarch's family or a religious sect worshipping an element, and the game never lets players forget that even a seemingly good decision can carry an unexpectedly cruel price.

Why play it: Anyone who wants to build their own base and assemble a balanced squad around cover and special abilities will appreciate the thoughtful combat system and the morally ambiguous decisions that shape relations with the game's factions.