The Surge 2 vs Wasteland 3
The Surge 2 is an action-RPG open-world game from Deck13 (2019) while Wasteland 3 is an open-world RPG game from inXile Entertainment (2020).
Quick answer: Wasteland 3 rates higher, 7.6 to 6.8 on the GamingPickz Score, and The Surge 2 is the cheaper at $29.99.
What each one is
The Surge 2 is filed under Action-RPG and Open-World. In contrast, Wasteland 3 under Open-World and RPG.
In a bid to survive, explore the sprawling, devastated Jericho City. Fight ferocious threats in brutal, unforgiving combat, slashing and tearing the limbs off your opponents to steal their equipment.
Following the critically acclaimed 2014 Game of the Year winner Wasteland 2, the RPG series that pioneered the post-apocalyptic genre in video games returns with Wasteland 3.
Story, characters and reception
Plot
Setting The Surge 2 is set in a dystopian future where humans have exhausted the world's resources , leading to strained social and environmental conditions bringing mankind to the brink of extinction. CREO, one of the largest tech conglomerates, makes attempts at restoring the environment but with the task taking too long, a second process is developed, Project UTOPIA, a means to use nanites to complete the project faster but costing the lives of 95% of… (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception The Surge 2 received "generally favorable" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic . ^ "The Surge 2 for PC Reviews" . Metacritic . (Wikipedia)
Plot
Wasteland 3 is set in the frozen wastelands of a post-apocalyptic Colorado . The player takes control of two members from Arizona Ranger Team November, who survived after their unit was ambushed while on a mission in Colorado. The two survivors are subsequently forced to work with the local ruler, known as the "Patriarch", in order to earn his support for the Arizona Rangers - after the last game, and the choice between Highpool and Ag Center, the… (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception The game received generally positive reviews upon release, getting a score of 85/100 from critics on review aggregator platform Metacritic . By December 2021, the game had attracted more than 2 million players. It was nominated for the category of Best Role Playing at The Game Awards 2020 , as well as " Role-Playing Game of the Year " at the 24th Annual D. (Wikipedia)
At a glance
| The Surge 2 | Wasteland 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| GamingPickz Score | 6.8/10 | 7.6/10 |
| Steam rating | Mostly Positive (75%, 9,558) | Very Positive (85%, 22,363) |
| Critic aggregate | 76/100 | 85/100 |
| Price | $29.99 | $39.99 |
| Install size | 20 GB | 45 GB |
| Steam Deck | verified | playable |
| Released | 2019 | 2020 |
| Developer | Deck13 | inXile Entertainment |
Prices and Steam ratings are read live and move over time.
The Surge 2 vs Wasteland 3, point by point
Each facet side by side. A round is marked won only where a figure settles it; feel and "which is better" carry no mark, because no number we hold decides them.
Genre and premise
The Surge 2Action-RPG open-world gameWasteland 3Open-world RPG gameWhat each is filed as. Each game describes itself in full above; we do not judge a premise.
How it plays
The Surge 2Souls-like, RPG, ActionWasteland 3CRPG, Character Customization, Choices MatterThe tags players apply most, in order of votes. A read on feel, not a verdict.
Reception
The Surge 2Score 6.8 · 75% on Steam · 76 criticWasteland 3 ✓Score 7.6 · 85% on Steam · 85 criticThe GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment, critics and popularity, computed the same way for every game.
Content and scale
The Surge 29,558 reviews · 7 add-ons · 20 GBWasteland 322,363 reviews · 4 add-ons · 45 GBReach and footprint, not quality: more reviews or a bigger install is not a better game.
Price
The Surge 2 ✓$29.99Wasteland 3$39.99Read live from Steam and subject to change.
On a Steam Deck
The Surge 2 ✓VerifiedWasteland 3PlayableValve's own Deck compatibility rating.
The Surge 2 takes 2 of the marked rounds to 1. That is only what a number can decide, not which you will enjoy more.
The two on the grid
Compare the whole catalogueThe Surge 2 and Wasteland 3 on the axes the GamingPickz Score is built from, on the full 0 to 100 scale so each dot is its real position. Change either axis to compare them on any measure.
2 games have both
Players. The share of Steam reviews marked positive, pulled toward the catalogue average in proportion to how few reviews stand behind it. A game with 200 reviews moves a long way toward the average; one with 200,000 barely moves at all. Without this a title sitting at 100 percent on nine reviews outranks Half-Life 2 at 98 percent on 278,000.
Popularity. A blend of two things that are not the same. Audience is how many people wrote a Steam review, which is a floor on how many played it. Reach is how many language editions of Wikipedia document the game, which is cultural footprint rather than sales. A game can score high on one and low on the other: a huge free-to-play title has audience without reach, and a landmark console exclusive has reach without a Steam audience at all. Where both exist they are averaged; where only one does, that one carries it.
- PC
Every point links to that game's entry. The value map and the reception map are fixed views of the same data.
How positions are decided
No paid placement, no favouritism, live third-party data
- Placed by the published method, not by us. Every coordinate is computed from the axis definitions and weights printed on this site. Nobody moves a point. See the axes.
- Nothing here is paid for. No sponsored placements, no promoted slots, no arrangement of any kind affects a position. If that ever changes it will be labelled and sit outside the ranking.
- No favouritism, including our own. The 16 games we have written full reviews of are scored by exactly the same formula as the other 1,510, from the same third-party inputs, and they land where it puts them. Our own opinion of a game does not enter its coordinates.
- A position is not an endorsement. It says how a game was received and what it costs, not that we recommend it. Where we do recommend something, it carries a written review with a name on it.
- Fetched from live third-party data. Player sentiment from Steam, critic aggregates as published on store pages, prices checked hourly, attention from Wikipedia. Each figure carries its source and the date it was read, and we do not adjust any of them.
Which to pick, by what you want
- The higher-rated of the two: Wasteland 3 (GamingPickz Score 7.6)
- The cheaper right now: The Surge 2 ($29.99)
- Better on a Steam Deck: The Surge 2 (verified)
- Lighter on storage: The Surge 2 (20 GB)
- The safer bet by weight of reviews: Wasteland 3 (22,363 reviews)
What they have in common
Both are tagged by Steam players with:
RPGOpen WorldViolentSci-fiCharacter CustomizationStory RichCo-op
Where they differ
Souls-likeActionDifficultThird PersonSingleplayerCyberpunk
CRPGChoices MatterSexual ContentPost-apocalypticTactical RPGParty-Based RPG
Tags players apply to one game and not the other.
Difficulty and who each is for
By the tags players apply, The Surge 2 is demanding, for players who want a challenge. Wasteland 3 is middle-of-the-road on difficulty.
System requirements, side by side
| The Surge 2 | Wasteland 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum GPU | 2 GB | — |
| Minimum CPU | AMD FX-8320 (3.5 GHz) / Intel i5-4690K (3.5 GHz) | — |
| Minimum RAM | 8 GB | — |
| Install size | 20 GB | 45 GB |
Can your PC run them? Check each against your own kit: The Surge 2 · Wasteland 3.
Accessibility features
Steam store pages declare 1 accessibility feature for The Surge 2 and 0 for Wasteland 3. A declaration is a floor, not a review.
If you like one, also try
Common questions
How different are The Surge 2 and Wasteland 3 in scope?
The Surge 2 has drawn 9,558 Steam reviews, ships 7 add-ons and installs in 20 GB. Wasteland 3 has drawn 22,363 Steam reviews, ships 4 add-ons and installs in 45 GB.
Is The Surge 2 or Wasteland 3 better?
By the GamingPickz Score, Wasteland 3 rates higher (7.6 to 6.8). That is a composite of player sentiment, the critic aggregate and popularity, not our taste. "Better" also depends on price, length and platform, which the table above lays out.
Which is cheaper, The Surge 2 or Wasteland 3?
The Surge 2 is cheaper right now at $29.99, against $39.99. Prices move, so this is read live from Steam and can change.
Should I get The Surge 2 or Wasteland 3?
Wasteland 3 rates higher, 7.6 to 6.8 on the GamingPickz Score, and The Surge 2 is the cheaper at $29.99. It also depends on what you want: the "which to pick" section above calls out which is cheaper, lighter on storage, better on a Steam Deck and the safer bet by weight of reviews.
Do you rank one above the other for a fee?
No. Neither game, nor anyone else, pays for placement or a verdict here. The order and every figure come out of the same public data the rest of the site uses.
Related comparisons
How we compare, and what we will not do
The GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment (adjusted for sample size), the critic aggregate and popularity, computed by the same code every ranked list on this site uses. The Steam rating label is Valve's own, reconstructed from the positive percentage and review count. Prices are read live. We do not write an opinion of which game is "better": we report the numbers and say which wins each measurable question above.