I grew up on Wasteland, and the announcement of this project represented a chance to relive an uncritical childhood joy. Ultimately, even filtered through the cynicism of adulthood, my gamble paid off.

So what did we get, exactly? Wasteland 2 is the story of a quartet of newly minted Desert Rangers, post-apocalypse cops somewhat in the vein of Mad Max, with a more cowboy feel.

Who are these Rangers? Wonderfully, that is up to you. Sincerely helpful protectors of the innocent? Disinterested mercenaries doing the bare minimum? Hardened killers who solve every problem by butchering both perps and victims? Professional soldiers in leather and fatigues? Drunken lunatics in gorilla suits and lingerie? There's even a path for players who don't want to be Desert Rangers at all. Blow off missions, attack the innocent, steal, raid, and kill your boss; you will find that there are scripted consequences there too, with a full alternate ending.

Wasteland 2 hangs its hat on substantial choices, and it delivers. Side with a paramilitary organisation intent on bringing order to a chaotic trade route, and you'll be forced to battle the cult that currently controls the region; or you can side with the cult and do a completely different set of missions, or play the two against each other, or fight them all. These decisions may have resounding effects on your game.

Part of W2's deep commitment to player agency includes the ability to fail. Try to save a drowning boy and you might end up killing him. Investigate slaver activity in an attempt to rescue an innocent girl and your actions might lead to her suicide. Resounding success in one mission might mean another becomes unsolvable or irrelevant, imbuing your choices with true consequences. Tanking a mission never means a “game over” unless your squad is wiped out entirely.