Arta Monday: the wasteland

This art first appeared on the cover of Wasteland, and 8-bit CRPG which was revolutionary in its time. It is often referred to as the forerunner of Fallout, due to the number of staff who worked on both titles, and the similar themes. Wasteland is set in a post-apocalyptic America and sees the characters engage in a dangerous journey to stop an implacable menace.

The cover art does a fantastic job of setting the tone of the game. Some things are still left up to the viewer though. Are we supposed to be one of the five figures on the sunny side of the art, or the single figure in the shadows? Is this a reunion, or a confrontation?

With the ruined city and orange tones of the art suggesting the setting, this art must have encouraged more than one 80s nerd to make the purchase.