Wasteland

The Good
First off, one of the main appeals of this game is that its an RPG that isn't some sort of D&D ripoff. I didn't play this game until about 1997 when I got a copy off of a Computer Gaming World demo cd-rom. I had heard a lot about this game but expected it to be dated when I loaded it. I was wrong. Everyone can tell you about how great the plot is or the superb skill based system (which is better than Fallout's). What was important to me was that the interface was still good. A lot of these old games suffer from not just dated graphics and sound but a clunky interface. This game's interface is still amazingly functional next to modern games. You use your keyboard to move around the map but the best part is that the IBM version lets you program macros that can store your most used functions. Instead of plowing through a tedious menu system to pick a lock all you do is tap a key and you character goes to work. You can program any key sequence you need so you can concentrate on solving the game rather than stumbling through 15 year old menus. This saves considerable time and makes the game much more playable to a modern gamer used to ease mouse menus.

The Bad
The sound is almost non-existant. The map graphics while funtional are spartan. Also in some areas, especially the final base at the end, there are just too many random encounters. EA hasn't come out with a Wasteland Gold edition with VGA grahpics and Soundblaster music... yet.

The Bottom Line
Obviously this games compares as an 80s version of Fallout. If you liked Fallout then you have to play this game! The plot is more interesting and the game is more challenging and longer than Fallout.