Wasteland is the forerunner in spirit and in design of all post-apocalyptic RPGs, such as the Fallout series. In fact, Fallout could be considered in a lot of ways (including its character development system, balance of elements in the gameworld and gameplay mechanics) to be merely Wasteland with updated graphics.
The character development of the game is excellent, and you can see traces of it in even fantasy games now. There are many different skill sets, and a nice touch is that it is possible for every character to perform every task, simply the risk of failure much increases the less skill they have at it.
The graphics are as could be expected from the mid 80's, very simple and very colourful. However, the use of the very limited scope in graphics technology was well used by the developers of Wasteland, everything being clear, concise and logical.
The gameplay and story is where the real meat of the game is. The story is incredibly evocative, bringing to life a fallen world where elements of the modern, such as robots, roads, etc. can be seen alongside the encroaching barbarism of raiders and mutants. To fully grasp the story, it is necessary to read paragraphs from a file or manual when prompted (for some reason, possibly as an early attempt at stopping piracy, the main plotline, almost a small novel divided into random paragraphs,
is not displayed in the game), however this small inconvenience is worth it for having the story unfold in such a compelling way. Its not so much the different element of the story, such as a nuclear war, different groups of survivors trying to make their way as best they can, etc. but more how all the elements fit together as a whole.
Combat is simple, but well executed. There is a mixture of melee weapons, firearms of varying types, and also futuristic energy weapons that bring a depth to the planning of combat and such. The enemies you will face are also varied, and seem to be well leveled to suit the player who follows the story, but it is entirely freeform so you can seek out much harder or much easier enemies whenever you like.
There are some nice features in the travelling map also, such as increased radiation levels in certain areas requiring the characters to have anti-radiation equipment.
All in all, it is an engrossing game that, despite its archaic graphics and sound, will give any player many, many hours of enjoyment. This game is a classic, in the truest sense of the word.
