Overview
Wasteland 3 is a turn-based tactical RPG developed by inXile Entertainment, released on August 27, 2020, for PC, Xbox, and PlayStation. Set in the frozen Colorado wastes, it follows the Desert Rangers, a group from the post-apocalyptic Southwest, arriving in a territory that has never heard of them. You start from zero, building a reputation in a world that owes you nothing and kills you without hesitation.
The game's core strength is its macro-reactivity. Factions don't just react to your combat choices; they react to everything. Side with one group and another becomes your enemy. Let a location fall and its resources disappear from the game permanently. The world bends around your decisions in ways that feel consequential rather than cosmetic.
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Colorado itself is a character. Blizzards howl through the ruins of a society that collapsed under its own weight, and the people who survived are exactly as strange and dangerous as that implies. The tone mixes dark humor with genuine bleakness, a balance inXile has refined since the original Wasteland.
Gameplay and mechanics
Combat in Wasteland 3 is squad-based and turn-based, with cover systems, action points, and a skill tree that rewards specialization. Key mechanics include:
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- Squad composition and skill synergies
- Cover-based positioning and flanking
- Attribute and perk customization per Ranger
- Weapon modding and loot management
- Skill checks outside of combat that open new dialogue paths
Building a squad means making real tradeoffs. A medic who can't shoot is a liability in a firefight. A sniper who can't pick a lock misses half the game's secrets. Every character build shapes not just combat but exploration and dialogue options.
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Does Wasteland 3 support co-op?
Yes. Wasteland 3 supports two-player online co-op throughout the entire campaign. Both players control separate Ranger squads that can operate independently across the map, then converge for major story moments. This design creates genuinely interesting situations where one player's actions in one location have immediate consequences for the other, making co-op feel like a shared story rather than just shared screen space.
World and setting
Colorado under the rule of the Patriarch, a warlord who has maintained order through fear and family loyalty, is the political backdrop for everything. His three children are problems he wants the Rangers to solve. How you handle that family drama, and whether you believe the Patriarch's version of events, shapes the entire second half of the game.
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The writing earns its ESRB Mature rating without leaning on shock value. Characters have histories, factions have internal logic, and even the most obviously villainous groups have reasons for existing that make a certain kind of sense. The world-building is dense without being exhausting.
Content and replayability
A single playthrough runs roughly 40 to 60 hours depending on how thoroughly you explore. The faction system and branching storylines give subsequent runs a genuinely different shape, not just different dialogue trees. The Cult of the Holy Detonation and Robotic Wasteland DLC expansions add locations and story content that extend the experience beyond the base game's already substantial runtime. For players who want a tactical RPG with real weight behind its choices, Wasteland 3 remains one of the most complete examples of the genre available.