Wasteland 3 vs XCOM: Enemy Unknown
Wasteland 3 is an open-world RPG game from inXile Entertainment (2020) while XCOM: Enemy Unknown is an RPG strategy game from Firaxis Games (2012).
Quick answer: XCOM: Enemy Unknown rates higher, 8.3 to 7.6 on the GamingPickz Score, and XCOM: Enemy Unknown is the cheaper at $14.99.
What each one is
Wasteland 3 is filed under Open-World and RPG. In contrast, XCOM: Enemy Unknown under RPG and Strategy.
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.
The XCOM: Enemy Unknown - Slingshot Pack is Now Available!
Story, characters and reception
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)
Plot
Setting The game's campaign begins in early 2015 as a global alien invasion begins. Prior to the start of the game, a group of countries called the Council of Nations has banded together to create Extraterrestrial Combat Unit (XCOM), the most elite military and scientific organization in human history that is tasked with defending the nations from alien attack. The player assumes the role of the commander of XCOM and engages in a war against an… (Wikipedia)
Reception
Critical reception Reception According to review aggregator website Metacritic , XCOM: Enemy Unknown received "generally favourable reviews" from critics. Franchise creator Julian Gollop also praised the game, describing it as an "addictive and absorbing" experience; he liked the new alien design and enjoyed the challenging gameplay. Evan Lahti from PC Gamer praised Firaxis for understanding the core gameplay pillars of the franchise and modernizing them… (Wikipedia)
At a glance
| Wasteland 3 | XCOM: Enemy Unknown | |
|---|---|---|
| GamingPickz Score | 7.6/10 | 8.3/10 |
| Steam rating | Very Positive (85%, 22,363) | Very Positive (93%, 58,594) |
| Critic aggregate | 85/100 | 89/100 |
| Price | $39.99 | $14.99 |
| Install size | 45 GB | — |
| Steam Deck | playable | playable |
| Released | 2020 | 2012 |
| Developer | inXile Entertainment | Firaxis Games |
Prices and Steam ratings are read live and move over time.
Wasteland 3 vs XCOM: Enemy Unknown, 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
Wasteland 3Open-world RPG gameXCOM: Enemy UnknownRPG strategy gameWhat each is filed as. Each game describes itself in full above; we do not judge a premise.
How it plays
Wasteland 3CRPG, Character Customization, Choices MatterXCOM: Enemy UnknownTurn-Based Strategy, Tactical, StrategyThe tags players apply most, in order of votes. A read on feel, not a verdict.
Reception
Wasteland 3Score 7.6 · 85% on Steam · 85 criticXCOM: Enemy Unknown ✓Score 8.3 · 93% on Steam · 89 criticThe GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment, critics and popularity, computed the same way for every game.
Content and scale
Wasteland 322,363 reviews · 4 add-ons · 45 GBXCOM: Enemy Unknown58,594 reviews · 3 add-onsReach and footprint, not quality: more reviews or a bigger install is not a better game.
Price
Wasteland 3$39.99XCOM: Enemy Unknown ✓$14.99Read live from Steam and subject to change.
On a Steam Deck
Wasteland 3PlayableXCOM: Enemy UnknownPlayableValve's own Deck compatibility rating.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown takes 2 of the marked rounds to 0. That is only what a number can decide, not which you will enjoy more.
The two on the grid
Compare the whole catalogueWasteland 3 and XCOM: Enemy Unknown 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: XCOM: Enemy Unknown (GamingPickz Score 8.3)
- The cheaper right now: XCOM: Enemy Unknown ($14.99)
- The safer bet by weight of reviews: XCOM: Enemy Unknown (58,594 reviews)
What they have in common
Both are tagged by Steam players with:
Character CustomizationRPGTurn-Based TacticsTurn-BasedStrategySci-fiTactical
Where they differ
CRPGChoices MatterStory RichSexual ContentViolentPost-apocalyptic
Turn-Based StrategyAliensSingleplayerBase-BuildingUnforgivingReplay Value
Tags players apply to one game and not the other.
Difficulty and who each is for
By the tags players apply, Wasteland 3 is middle-of-the-road on difficulty. XCOM: Enemy Unknown is demanding, for players who want a challenge.
Accessibility features
Steam store pages declare 0 accessibility features for Wasteland 3 and 1 for XCOM: Enemy Unknown. A declaration is a floor, not a review.
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Common questions
How different are Wasteland 3 and XCOM: Enemy Unknown in scope?
Wasteland 3 has drawn 22,363 Steam reviews, ships 4 add-ons and installs in 45 GB. XCOM: Enemy Unknown has drawn 58,594 Steam reviews and ships 3 add-ons.
Is Wasteland 3 or XCOM: Enemy Unknown better?
By the GamingPickz Score, XCOM: Enemy Unknown rates higher (8.3 to 7.6). 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, Wasteland 3 or XCOM: Enemy Unknown?
XCOM: Enemy Unknown is cheaper right now at $14.99, against $39.99. Prices move, so this is read live from Steam and can change.
Should I get Wasteland 3 or XCOM: Enemy Unknown?
XCOM: Enemy Unknown rates higher, 8.3 to 7.6 on the GamingPickz Score, and XCOM: Enemy Unknown is the cheaper at $14.99. 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.