Wasteland 3: The Battle of Steeltown
By Marc Saltzman,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Fun, challenging, mature expansion is a hit for series vets.
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Wasteland 3: The Battle of Steeltown
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What’s It About?
THE BATTLE OF STEELTOWN is the first expansion for 2020's Wasteland 3, a squad-based, turn-based RPG that takes place in a post-apocalyptic Colorado. The game has you first choose a team of Rangers attempting to rebuild society, and you must select your weapons and upgrades carefully in order to win several skirmishes throughout your missions. The Battle of Steeltown is a narrative-heavy add-on, or DLC (downloadable content), which is unlocked once your playable characters reach level 9. At that point, you're notified of a problem in Steeltown -- the huge manufacturing hub for Colorado that builds and ships all vehicles, weapons, armor, and robots -- and your job as loyal Rangers is to investigate why shipments of gear necessary for survival have been mixed up or halted altogether. What you uncover there is a chaotic scene: striking workers, bandits running rampant, and a political powder keg about to ignite under Steeltown's leader, Abigail Markham. You can take on this mission by yourself in single-player mode or with another person in co-op (cooperative) play, as you'll take on several quests, engage in tactical combat, and attempt to uncover the mystery. Mostly against robotic enemies, new battle mechanics include damaging telegraphed attacks (requiring two turns to complete), stacking status effects (certain weapons, like the Tar-Thrower, will apply status effects that stack; the more stacks applied, the more impactful the damage), elemental shields (to lower the effects of elemental attacks, like fire, energy, and cryo), and nonlethal weapons called Disruption tech (so you can stun but not kill, including factory workers you need to keep the city running) -- all adding to the depth of your arsenal. Plus, these additions are now added to the base game, too.
Is It Any Good?
Everything that made Wasteland 3 a gratifying post-apocalyptic adventure is amped up even more for the content in this expansion. Toss in a whole new story and location, extra gameplay mechanics, and more decisions to make during combat, and The Battle of Steeltown is a clear winner. There are a couple of minor issues, mainly technical, but it's a stellar and relatively inexpensive purchase for those who want more meat from this game universe. The Battle for Steeltown challenges you to travel to this troubled industrial area at the request of the Patriarch. While your characters have to be level 9 to play the expansion, don't expect it to be a cakewalk. In fact, you should be at a higher level to tackle these tougher skirmishes, as well as the new gameplay mechanics, which add some extra depth.
This expansion is perfect for those looking for a real challenge. The addition of nonlethal weapons is great because it gives options to change the story, since you can either knock out or kill some foes. In fact, you'll need to make some decisions that will affect future events, too, such as siding with the factory workers or the security guards. The main quest and optional side missions, elemental attacks and shields, new gear, and even a robotic sidekick you can enlist all help to keep things fresh. Also new to this expansion is Tellurium Steel, a rare alloy exclusive to Steeltown that can be used to make stronger weapons and armor, as well as craft equipment and some items. The character dialogue breathes life into your squad, including the same kind of humorous banter as the main game. The biggest issue is that there are some technical issues, like occasional sluggish frame rates and some units that couldn't be clicked on at times. Wasteland 3: The Battle for Steeltown is a worthy addition to a great game -- but it's only for advanced players looking for a tougher fight.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about violence in video games. Is the impact of the violence in Wasteland 3: The Battle of Steeltown affected by the blood and gore shown during play? Would the impact of the violence be the same if there wasn't so much blood and gore in the images?
Is there a reason that there's so much profanity in Wasteland 3: The Battle of Steeltown? Is it for comical effect, is it because this is how some people talk, or is it to drive the action of the story further? Would the game have the same impact if the language wasn't as strong?
Game Details
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One
- Pricing structure: Paid
- Available online?: Available online
- Publisher: inXile Entertainment
- Release date: June 3, 2021
- Genre: Role-Playing
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Adventures, Robots, Wild Animals
- ESRB rating: M for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Last updated: July 26, 2021
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