Waste Walkers

About

"Waste Walkers" is a post-apocalyptic survival RPG with over 8 years of continuous support and updates from the developers. The Prepper's Edition includes the full game, a digital art book, game guide, soundtrack, novella, and desktop backgrounds. This community-driven game also now features gamepad support for player convenience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

82%

Audience ScoreBased on 125 reviews

story8 positive mentions

optimization3 negative mentions

The game offers a unique post-apocalyptic RPG experience with engaging survival mechanics.
The developer is active and responsive to community feedback, frequently updating the game with new content and improvements.
The graphics and atmosphere create a compelling and immersive environment that enhances the gameplay experience.

The game suffers from a lack of direction and guidance, making it easy to get lost or confused about objectives.
There are significant issues with the DLC pricing model, as many achievements require purchasing additional content.
Combat can become unbalanced, with early game difficulty giving way to a lack of challenge as players progress.

story
77 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
86%
4%
The game's story is set in a familiar post-apocalyptic world, featuring a main quest that is relatively short but complemented by numerous side quests that enhance exploration and character interaction. While some players appreciate the freedom to navigate the environment and engage in various activities, others find the narrative to be generic and lacking depth. Overall, the story provides a decent backdrop for gameplay, though it may not satisfy those seeking a more intricate plot.
- “The story itself is solved fairly fast, but it was a good story.”
- “Waste Walkers is a really fun game to play through; you can explore the 2D wasteland looting pretty much anything you can find, using a wide variety of melee and ranged weapons in a fun turn-based combat system that makes you pick and choose your battles. The main quest is fun to go through, and there are some good side quests as well.”
- “The story is fairly standard for a post-apocalyptic setting: the world has been destroyed by nuclear war, and mundane life no longer exists.”
- “The main quest is about 4 missions long.”
- “Shallow story and boring gameplay.”
- “Followed the main quest for the hour that I played, felt very bare bones and generic in terms of actual story, on about the same level as a short story written as a homework assignment.”
gameplay
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
67%
9%
The gameplay of "Waste Walkers" is praised for its solid mechanics, diverse playstyles, and engaging survival elements, reminiscent of both Fallout and Pokémon RPGs. Players appreciate the balance and depth of the mechanics, including crafting, looting, and turn-based combat, though some find the survival aspects less challenging due to abundant resources. However, the game can be punishing for newcomers, with a steep learning curve that may lead to frustration.
- “Waste Walkers is probably one of the best RPG Maker games I have ever played due to its great atmosphere and complex game mechanics.”
- “Very good survival mechanics, and a nice open world.”
- “The loot system is epic, with many buildings to loot, all featuring randomly generated loot tables, a very good RPG level-up system, and character creation with skills and techniques, some of which are passive.”
- “Even though I originally bought it on a 50% off sale, I don't think the experience, graphics, or especially gameplay are worth that money.”
- “The general Fallout/Stalker style gameplay of surviving and exploring is there, but unfortunately it just wasn't any fun, and for £6.99 that's not gonna fly; maybe at about £1.99 it would feel like decent value.”
- “You will probably die and get lost a few times before finally figuring the game mechanics out.”
graphics
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
52%
14%
The graphics of the game are generally well-received, with many players appreciating the retro, 16-bit sprite-based art style that evokes nostalgia for classic games. While some criticize the dated RPG Maker aesthetics, others find the visuals fitting for the game's post-apocalyptic theme, contributing to an engaging atmosphere. Overall, the graphics are considered solid for the price, appealing particularly to fans of retro gaming.
- “I really like the art style and theme of this one.”
- “Graphics in Waste Walkers is 16-bit sprite-based with a post-apocalyptic twist to it.”
- “Gorgeous retro aesthetic, not like the other RPG Maker rubbish on here!”
- “I didn't buy this for a long time because the graphics looked crappy and it was RPG Maker.”
- “It has dated graphics; I'm pretty sure it was made with RPG Maker and it's pretty basic too.”
- “Even though I originally bought it on a 50% off sale, I don't think neither the experience, graphics, or especially gameplay are worth that money.”
music
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
18%
27%
The music in Waste Walkers is generally praised for enhancing the game's atmosphere, with a good soundtrack that complements its themes, particularly the eerie and immersive "zombie" feel. While the sound design is considered standard for RPG Maker games, it effectively contributes to the overall ambiance, creating a dark and gloomy experience. However, some players feel that the music is more of an optional addition rather than an integral part of the gameplay.
- “Waste Walkers will set you in the mood with the right music and 'you're on your own' feeling from the start.”
- “The music is nice and creepy, which is aesthetically pleasing for those who like the 'zombie' feel to a game.”
- “The ambiance is good, being primarily sustained by a good soundtrack and a clever 'fog of sight' that obscures everything past a certain radius.”
- “However, those are accurately presented as non-essential content that in no way impacts the game (much like a soundtrack DLC, they're just additional files of interest to some and not game content), so it's a minor grief of mine.”
- “Standard key binds are pretty bad and the controls screen shows no way of rebinding; however, pressing F1 brought up a window allowing me to assign keys to a gamepad (doesn't work), rebind keyboard keys, and also turn on/off the music, etc. None of this is mentioned in the controls screen, however.”
- “- Dark, gloomy, and misty effects from the music, sounds, and even enemies and visuals give it a cool feeling and, in a sense, goosebumps.”
atmosphere
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
20%
30%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and dark post-apocalyptic setting, effectively capturing the feelings of isolation and despair as players navigate a ruined world. The combination of a well-designed environment, fitting music, and engaging gameplay mechanics enhances the overall experience, making it particularly appealing to fans of survival games. Despite its dated graphics, the atmosphere remains a compelling reason for players to continue exploring and enjoying the game.
- “This game has a decent size map for what it is, the music and atmosphere are good considering.”
- “This game has a very dark atmosphere of a post-apocalyptic setting after a nuclear war; it left the world in disorder, and everything collapsed. The game looks like a post-apocalyptic movie. Your first goal at the start is to survive and find your family. There are many side quests. I highly recommend this game to players who love survival games with a post-apocalyptic setting, but I don't recommend it for players who hate tragedy.”
- “Waste Walkers is probably one of the best RPG Maker games I have ever played due to its great atmosphere and complex game mechanics.”
- “This game has a very dark atmosphere of a post-apocalyptic setting after a nuclear war. It left the world in disorder; everything collapsed. The game looks like a post-apocalyptic movie. Your first goal at the start is to survive and find your family. There are many side quests. I highly recommend this game to players who love survival games with a post-apocalyptic setting, but I don't recommend it for players who hate tragedy.”
- “It has dated graphics; I'm pretty sure it was made with RPG Maker and it's pretty basic too, but for some reason I couldn't stop playing it (atmosphere maybe?). At only £7, it has definitely been worth that money so far, and I'm damn sure I'll be doing another playthrough.”
- “The atmosphere and tone of it is really dark and despairing, yet fun to play.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find emotional depth in games like "To the Moon," highlighting its touching narrative. There is a desire for more non-linear storytelling that includes heartbreaking choices, emphasizing the importance of player agency and the impact of decisions on the emotional experience.
- “Maybe I haven't got enough experience with RPG Maker games, but I played one that is very nice, 'To the Moon.' It's touching.”
- “It requires a bit more content, like non-linear stories (especially heartbreaking ones) where you have choices and must live with the consequences, whether good or bad.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game's optimization has been criticized, with players reporting significant performance issues that hinder gameplay, often preventing them from enjoying the experience for extended periods. Despite its potential, technical shortcomings are a major barrier for many users.
- “It seems like it has a lot of potential, but I haven't been able to play for more than maybe 40 minutes into the story due to the poor performance on my system.”
- “The game is riddled with optimization issues that make it nearly unplayable on mid-range hardware.”
- “Despite its interesting gameplay, the constant frame drops and stuttering make it hard to enjoy.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Reviews indicate that the game features two main types of grinding—battle and loot—both of which are executed effectively. However, players feel that there is a lack of compelling motivation to engage in these grinding activities.
- “It's basically two types of RPG grinding: battle and loot. While it does these well, nothing about it compelled me.”
- “The grinding feels repetitive and lacks variety, making it a chore rather than an enjoyable part of the game.”
- “I found the grinding to be excessively time-consuming, with little reward for the effort put in.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Users find the game to be highly replayable, with anticipation for an upcoming storyline that is expected to enhance the experience further.
- “Very replayable; the storyline is coming shortly and will surely impress.”
- “The game offers a variety of choices that make each playthrough feel unique.”
- “With multiple endings and character paths, I find myself coming back for more.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game demonstrates impressive stability, with users noting effective resource utilization and minimal glitches, especially considering it was developed by a 19-year-old. Overall, it is regarded as technically sound.