One of the first Kickstarter-backed gaming projects gets a gameplay breakdown by inXile’s Chris Keenan.
While some of the luster for crowd-funded games has faded in the wake of Kickstarter exhaustion, many developers who obtained their funds are still hard at work on their projects. Among these is inXile Entertainment’s Wasteland 2, one of the first player-backed games to gain popular attention and a return to the universe that inspired the popular Fallout series. In the interest of keeping backers appraised on its progress, inXile Entertainment recently posted a 15-minute gameplay video that introduces viewers to Wasteland 2‘s world, combat, skills, and customization options.
The video opens with a brief introduction of Wasteland 2‘s story. Almost a century following a destructive nuclear war, the radiation that blanketed the American southwest is finally beginning to dim. As it does, the Desert Rangers from the original game start to pick up radio signals from other distant settlements, many of which are threatening and hostile. The Rangers nonetheless intend to continue their mission of providing order to the Wasteland, starting with a distress call from the nearby agricultural center.
The footage itself is narrated by development director Chris Keenan, who provides context to what has been constructed so far. If you’ve played the original Wasteland or Fallout, you’ll probably notice that Wasteland 2 is strongly reminiscent of the classic RPGs. Keenan covers a lot of ground, but worth noting is inXile’s emphasis on customization. Each character in the player’s squad can be individually designed right down to their portraits (Keenan’s team includes his two-year son and “resident dog designer” Chewie). Customization even extends to the UI itself, which can be completely altered or moved during play to suit your individual liking.
While Wasteland 2 appears to be in a playable state, inXile’s Kickstarter page notes that development is only at the halfway point. There are reportedly many features to add, including sounds, particle effects, world map movement, and multiple combat variables. Wasteland 2 has a planned release for October 2013, at which point we’ll find out how much the finished project resembles this already impressive demo.
Source: Kickstarter, via Joystiq
