Wasteland 2 is a squad-based RPG set in a nuclear-scorched American Southwest decades after a 1998 meteor strike triggered global annihilation. You command a team of Desert Rangers—descendants of Army engineers and survivalists who bunkered in a repurposed prison—navigating faction politics, resource scarcity, and mutant threats across Arizona wastelands and beyond. Combat uses action points on a tactical grid. Dialogue trees branch based on skills like Hard Ass or Kiss Ass, shaping alliances and mission outcomes. Character building emphasizes specialization: one ranger handles explosives, another lockpicking or animal handling. Choices ripple—saving one settlement might doom another. Expect text-heavy encounters, permadeath stakes, and moral trade-offs with no clear heroes. This suits players who want consequence-heavy decisions and don't mind reading.
