Tags: Fallout   Games


I wrote about Bethesda’s Fallout 3 which is due for release sometime in late 2008, and now I hear vague, unconfirmed rumors about a successor to the Commodore 64 classic Wasteland. Fallout is the spiritual successor to Wasteland, so this new successor would be... what? A sequel? Or yet another Wasteland-inspired successor? How about we just say that there might be a new game in the post-apocalyptic sci-fi genre and leave Wasteland to rest as a genre-defining classic in gaming history?

This rumor comes from a 1Up podcast and from a single sentence at Duck And Cover. Ignoring these rumours for a minute, it's a fact that InXile Entertainment acquired the rights to Wasteland in 2003, so there’s a good chance that there is some basis to these rumors. Brian Fargo, CEO, was the founder of Interplay and creator of Wasteland. He brought me so much joy with the early Interplay games. If I met him, I think I would have to kiss him. Anyway...

So, good news? I would like to think so. But I have far more faith in Bethesda’s ability to make a good Fallout sequel than I do in InXile to make a good Wasteland sequel. InXile made a game called The Bard’s Tale as their first game, which I guess was supposed to be some sort of spiritual successor to the classic RPG of the same name. But really, the new game had no connection to the original RPG’s. My very first computer RPG was Bard’s Tale III on the Commodore 64, and it was the greatest game I had ever found at that age. I still get chills when I look at screenshots and read about it. I think I can still remember the keystrokes to get from the refugee camp to the Review Board. Yes, I can see it in my mind immediately! I can imagine the graphics for Brilhasti Ap’Tarj in my mind without effort. There he is, repeating the same animation over and over. My party beat him many times while grinding for XP. It’s the kind of nostalgia that only geeks can understand.

So it was very disappointing to play the 2004 Bard’s Tale, which was missing all the classic elements from the original series. The writing was hilarious at times, but the gameplay just wasn’t fun or original. I couldn’t stand the combat and boring story, no matter how great the dialog was. The Bard’s Tale franchise would not be revived. This new game was something completely different. And that’s what I’m afraid will happen with a new Wasteland game.

Sure, a new Wasteland game being released 20 years after the original will have to be dramatically different. But it should still retain its CRPG roots, which the new Bard’s Tale abandoned. Point-and-click action-RPG games fail to act as mediums for telling compelling, immersive stories like those found in Wasteland and Fallout. Action-RPG’s are the new arcade games. Fast action, lots of points, high scores, and as many explosions as possible. That’s all fun, and I still have a great time playing Diablo II, but don’t waste the Wasteland brand name on arcade-style gameplay like this, especially when Fallout 3 will probably be so much more. If InXile wants to make a Wasteland successor, they have to compete with the RPG powerhouse Bethesda and their reputation in the RPG genre.

On the other hand, if InXile wants to make another action RPG like The Bard’s Tale, then they have to compete with Blizzard who... well, I guess we don’t know for sure... but more rumors say that Diablo III is waiting impatiently for its big reveal. A new Diablo would be the action-RPG to blow away all other action-RPG’s for years to follow. A Wasteland game in this genre would be adrift without an audience. RPG fans would not be interested, and action-RPG players would be crack babies for Diablo III.

InXile had better come up with a clear vision for its Wasteland, or another classic franchise will get dumped in the trash like Bard’s Tale. Bard’s Tale’s writing was excellent, so InXile’s heart seems to be in the right place. I wish I could have just watched all the dialog and enjoyed it instead of having to play the game. I’m hopeful that InXile has learned a lot from their first game and will make a satisfying post-apocalyptic RPG. I mean, Brian Fargo is at the helm, and he’s one of the greats, so I’m going to keep my eyes open to find confirmation on these rumors and watch this game closely.

There’s plenty of room for both Fallout 3 and Wasteland on my hard drive. More companies are welcome to make more post-apocalyptic games! This is an untapped genre, and I don’t know why! We have enough elves and gnomes in RPG’s, let’s get some more mutants and leather jackets, please?

Sadly, I notice that the InXile website shows an “Unannounced Project” that is an
“action adventure game”. I guess that could be the Wasteland successor. If so... meh. Nevertheless, I look forward to an announcement.