Wasteland 2 got you confused and sad? Me too! Here are some starting tips.

Wasteland 2 is a tough nut to crack. I would know; I started the PS4 version twice and the PC version once. Each time, Wasteland 2’s interminable character creation system and intimidating first couple of hours sent me scurrying back to the cool comforts of the Fallout universe. Wasteland felt like something I should love, but it was daunting as hell. Each time I tried to play it, I came away with the feeling that I just wasn’t worthy.

Wasteland 2 is releasing on Switch this Thursday, Sept. 13, and I have been playing the game for review. While the Switch version of the game is still under embargo, the core game has been out since 2014. So while they will be helpful to players first setting foot into the wastes on Switch, these tips apply to any version of the game.

This time, I buckled down and  muscled through the opening hours of Wasteland 2 (because I had to), cracking the hard candy coating to get to the gooey gaming goodness inside. I’m happy to report (like so many others before me), that once you get over the hump and get on board with its 1987 wavelength, Wasteland 2 opens up like a flower.

Here are my observations to make starting Wasteland 2 less painful:

Play on Easy the first time – Easy mode is there for a reason. It exists to help new players get acclimated to the ins and outs of a game before coming back for a greater challenge. There is no shame in playing on Easy the first time, especially if it keeps you from shutting the game down in disgust. Easy mode in Wasteland 2 will still offer you a decent challenge, but you won’t be dying in every single battle. This will help you learn the UI and tactics needed to survive and thrive in the wastes.

Play with a pre-made party for a bit – If you are confused about how all of the different skills come into play in the game, take a test run. Playing through the first hour or two of the game with a pre-made party will be enough to show you exactly how often “Lock Picking” and “Toaster Repair” come into play, to help you decide if you absolutely need them, or if you can pass. Once you have a good feel for things, then go back and make your “real” party (or don’t, if you are having a good time).

Don’t freak out about the character creator – That character creator is ridiculous. If you are anything like me, you fuss over your characters for hours before getting started on the actual meat of the game. The character creator in Wasteland 2 looks as complex as the control panel for a military jet. Don’t panic – it’s not as bad as it looks.

The skills you pick at the beginning are not the only skills you get – So, are you freaking out because you think you really need “Safe Cracking”, but you just didn’t have the points at the beginning of the game to give it to one of your characters? Don’t sweat it. You will regularly gain levels in Wasteland 2, and each time you do, you will gain more skill points. You can easily plop those into new skills to open things up a bit. So…

Give yourself a weapon skill at the beginning so you don’t get slaughtered – You want a diplomat with soft skills that will be able to talk your team out of tough situations? Fine, but load that fool up with some weapon skills at the start of the game. For a while, the only diplomacy you will be doing is negotiating wounds into punks, so your diplomat is going to be hot uselessness if they can’t fight. Give them a fighting chance, and you will soon have more skill points to sink into those communication skills. Speaking of which…

Don’t sleep on Intelligence – The Intelligence attribute determines how many skill points your character receives each time they level up, so it is deadly important. An Intelligence of 6 gets you three skill points each level, but an 8 gives you four skill point. Consider doing this, it will pay off in the long run. If you need to dog some other attributes, get rid of Luck and Charisma. They aren’t nearly as important as they seem to be.

Don’t double up on skills - You only need to equip a skill on one character for it to work for the whole party. Having two characters with Brute Force is a waste of skill points. EXCEPT for healing and surgery skills. It’s good to have one primary healer, and at least one other healer in case the first one goes down in flames.

Wait! Don’t leave! – I know you are excited to get into the wastes and start doing damage, but look around the starting area first. There are a few treasures and weapons you can dig up with that shovel you snagged at the beginning of the game (you DID snag the shovel, right?) But most importantly, there is a tag-along companion character right at the beginning of the game that will make your life much easier. Angela Deth comes equipped with a lot of nice skills you might have skipped, and she is totally willing to hang out with your party for a large chunk of the game. All you have to do is say yes, and you get a higher-level super woman to accompany your crew.

Go North instead of South – I know that those panicked calls from the Ag Center seem urgent, but trust me, those fools aren’t going anywhere. Ignore the impulse to rush to the South to the rescue, and instead go North and explore a little bit. There are some lower level encounters and a few other nice surprises up there that will let you gear up and gain levels a bit before you move into the game’s main storyline. Once you have yourself comfortably equipped, then pick one of the main storyline’s destinations and head out!

There’s a bunch more advice I could give, but I have to cook breakfast for my hungry kids. The biggest takeaway I can offer though is “stick with it!”. Once you have your feet under you, Wasteland 2 is an epic good time.

Oh yeah – one last thing – energy weapons suck except when you are fighting robots. Then they rule. Take that as you will…