Which Wasteland is Right for You?
Hundreds of games release every year ranging from Indie to AAA, and we undoubtedly draw comparisons to them based on genre, protagonist, art style, and many other factors. This year we already know of three massive titles on their way to console and PC that focus on the gritty reality of living in a wasteland: Far Cry: New Dawn, The Outer Worlds, and Rage 2. Each of these games offer loads of new features and content that easily surpass what Fallout 76 wish it could have done in developing an immersive, living world of life after chaos and where that game failed, all three of these unique titles are set to break new grounds and deliver the experience we were all hoping for. The survival aspect of an apocalyptic game is key, but each of these three titles – while similar – are quite unique from one another, so the real question is: which wasteland is right for you? Let’s take a closer look at each game and help you figure out which apocalypse you would enjoy gallivanting through this year.
Far Cry: New Dawn (Releasing Feb 15, 2019 on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One)
Developed by Ubisoft and unique to the Far Cry franchise, New Dawn is a sequel following after the events of Far Cry 5. At the games end – which was definitely dialed up to 11 – the prophesied “Collapse” the Project at Eden’s Gate said would happen had finally come to pass, as dozens of nuclear blasts went off. In a mad dash to safety, only the deputy and The Father survived, reaching the bunker while Joseph Seed told the player they were family now and the screen faded to black.
Cut to 20 years later and we discover the Collapse was not an isolated incident but a global catastrophe. Survivors have rebuilt new communities, but much like any other fallen society, the lawless and truly wild madmen lead savage and brutal attacks against those trying to rebuild. Highwaymen look to take everything for themselves and in New Dawn it’s up to you to gather survivors and bring the people together at a safe fort to rebuild society. Unlike many other games in this genre, the world is not barren but instead nature has thrived and overgrown the world. It is beautiful, vibrant, and uplifting. This new aesthetic coupled with the Mad Max style brutality makes for a unique juxtaposition of narrative.
Far Cry: New Dawn will also feature light RPG mechanics in that you’ll need to upgrade shops in your fort, find parts and salvage, and customize your weapons for a variety of makeshift and devastating effects. Scavenging and finding resources has always been a staple of survival games, but Far Cry’s somewhat lighter sense of humor and insanity coupled with the lush overgrowth and the kind of storytelling we have come to expect from Ubisoft make this a wholly unique experience compared to the average apocalypse. It takes everything Far Cry 5 did right and builds on it, so if you had fun taking on the Peggies this will definitely be a title for you.
The Outer Worlds (Releasing 2019 on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One)
Speaking of being unique and kooky, The Outer Worlds looks set to become the successor to the Fallout franchise if Bethesda can’t salvage their tire-fire. Developed by Obsidian Entertainment – the studio that brought us Pillars of Eternity, Knights of the Old Republic 2, and most importantly Fallout: New Vegas – The Outer Worlds isn’t quite apocalyptic but it definitely meets the criteria of a wasteland/ new frontier game. This is a game designed to be quirky and a bit off the rails. Sent on a colony ship to a new solar system, the ships faster-than-light drive malfunctions and leaves the vessel stranded at the edge of the newly colonized system. Awakening from cryosleep early, the player sets off on an adventure to explore and investigate the various greedy corporations who have bought out and sold the frontier back to those who settled it in the first place.
A wild first person shooter, the game is an action RPG and truly a spiritual successor to Fallout with much of the team having worked on the iconic New Vegas. Dialogue options and interactions with NPCs will push the game forward including opportunities to act like a coward or a complete psychopath with each option swinging the narrative one way or the other. This is a game about being the little guy and taking on the big corporations who have forcibly taken over the colonies and while that may not sound apocalyptic, much of the system is still uncivilized and very much a wasteland by comparison.
Moral choices will abound in this off-brand yet charming space odyssey as you try to settle the lawless new frontier and protect the people by any means necessary. When the trailer for the Outer Worlds dropped we all couldn’t help but smile at the prospect of a quirky Fallout-in-Space experience and with that comes the kind of adventure we know and love from Fallout: New Vegas and all those wonderful survival mechanics.
Head over to PAGE 2 for ‘Rage 2;’ and ‘The Verdict’…