When the originalWastelandwas released by Interplay back in 1988, the game was critically and commercially acclaimed. Considered to be the genesis of later post-apocalyptic RPGs like theFalloutseries, the first entry of which was developed by Interplay in 1997, the games have been revived in recent years withWasteland 2andWasteland 3releasing in 2014 and 2020 respectively, though this time by inXile Entertainment.
InXile isn’t the only developer that has revived the isometric RPG format. Obsidian Entertainment created two fantasy RPGs with isometric layouts that gained critical acclaim,Pillars of Eternityand its sequel,Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire. Obsidian, however, has now opted to make the same change seen in theFalloutfranchise, dropping the isometric format to makeAvowed, a first-person RPG set in thePillars of Eternityuniverse. There are some good reasons that the next game afterWasteland 3should consider the same move.
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First-Person Wasteland
The revival of isometric RPGs by developers like inXile and Obsidian Entertainment has been one of the most impressive feats by smaller RPG studios in the last decade, particularly because many of the developers on both teams helped create the format while working at different developers likeBlack Isle Studios.
However, Obsidian is making the change from isometric RPGs toAvowed’s first-person perspective because, despite the strength of its stories and the game’s setting inthe world of Eora, thePillars of Eternitygames always struggled to meet their critical acclaim with matched commercial success.
Both thePillars of Eternityseries and the recentWastelandgames have relied on crowdfunding, and one of the reasons Obsidian Entertainment developers gave for the change inAvowedwas simple: isometric RPGs struggle to make money, and cannot be relied upon to keep an RPG studio afloat. Though there are still many fans of the format, sticking with it can risk the developers going under, which means no more RPGs at all from some of the most talented RPG makers in the business, at least under the same roof.
The switch to first-person will be controversial as it has been in the past. Bethesda faced a lot of backlash fromFalloutfans for changing the format forFallout 3, but the game ended up being a hit. One of the simple reasons for this is that the first-person perspective is more accessible and often more immersive to many players than a top-down isometric view.
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The Future of RPGs
Theearly access ofBaldur’s Gate 3, another famous isometric RPG franchise which has been revived, has also been met with some criticism. It’s possible the genre simply can’t grip players in the way it used to be able to, and that for developers to survive and tell their stories, a shift in the format is necessary. IfBaldur’s Gate 3is successful at launch, however, it could mark a turning point in the industry that would make the shift unnecessary.
There will be many fans of isometric RPGs, however, who will disagree with the idea thatWastelandshould be first-person. There is certainly something to be said for avoiding making all RPGs too similar, especially since so many RPGs tried to emulate the success ofSkyrimin the wake of its huge sales. Studios like inXile, however, may have to face an unfortunate reality when it comes to their RPG format if they want to meet more mainstream audiences and also become accessible on the next generation of consoles.
Ultimately, gamers will vote with their wallets. inXile is in a good position – the developer can compare the commercial success ofAvowedwith the success of the first two games in thePillars of Eternityseries, and make its decision then. Which RPG developers will define the genre on the next-gen consoles, however, remains to be seen.
Wasteland 3is out now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
