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For the past couple of weeks, I have been playing the first Fallout game, developed and published by Interplay in 1997. I’d bought the game around a year ago, and had started several playthroughs, but never managed to get very far. This time, though, I finally got around to doing a full playthrough of the game. Now that I've finally played it, does Fallout hold up to its status as one of the best roleplaying games of all time?

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As most people know by now, the Fallout series is set in a timeline that diverged from our own, where technology continued to progress while culture very much stagnated within the 1950s, giving the game its signature retro-futuristic aesthetic. The 21st Century marks a period of great worldwide conflict brought about by the shortage of non-renewable energy resources such as petroleum and uranium, eventually culminating in a massive global nuclear war in 2077. This left most of the world a desolate ruin, in which society is now made up of small survivor groups from the fall of human civilization. Shortly before the war, a select number of people were placed in underground Vaults, including the player character, who lives in Vault 13, Southern California.

As is customary in Fallout games, the player must choose their character’s stats. This includes setting their SPECIAL values, tag skills and selecting up to two traits. There are a wide range of options to choose from, opening up to a massive variety of different playstyles and roleplay opportunities. Having created a character, the player is immediately thrust into the action with the mission of finding a “water chip” for their Vault. There are no tutorials or hints; the player is made to simply figure things out for themselves. It’s important to select a good set of stats to really do well in this game, as even the earlier sections can prove difficult to new players. The combat system does take some getting used to, being completely different to what is found in ARPGs today, however once I had gotten used to it I found myself really enjoying it. The game uses a turn-based system. The player is given a set of action points to use each turn, the number varying depending on the player’s stats. They are also given a variety of attack modes to choose from, leading to some interesting combat scenarios. The VATS system is, as expected, present, and can be extremely useful. All of these systems come together to create a rather tactical and sometimes intense experience which really enhances the feeling of survival and desperation within the game. For some people, the combat may be clunky and slow, but for me it’s incredibly fun and rewarding.

The game is presented from an isometric perspective, and the environments are highly detailed (for its time). The world itself is huge, taking place in Southern California, and there a good number of settlements to visit, from small farm towns like Shady Sands, to massive trading centres like The Hub, to creepy, Underworld-like cities like Necropolis. All of these places are full of interesting, likeable characters, the most major of whom are represented by creepy-looking “talking heads” during dialogue. They all have their own stories and quests for you to take on and you’re given freedom to complete these in almost any way you wish. Each of the locations has its own unique atmosphere, supported by the well-placed soundtrack.

To travel between these destinations, the player selects them on a map and waits as their character journeys across the wasteland. Usually, the player will encounter some kind of random event in the middle of their journey. These range from raider ambushes, to crossing paths with friendly caravans, to even finding the TARDIS casually standing in the sand. While they can get repetitive at times (some areas are reused for the generic parts of the wasteland), they do well to spice up what could have been a mundane travelling mechanic, and there are even some unmarked areas containing secrets that are easy to miss.

It’s important to note that the game has two time limits: one for the first of the game’s main quests and one for the second. Within these time limits, the settlements are also affected in some way by the ending. Travelling in this game takes time, so it’s wise to plan your journeys if you want to get the best endings. The time mechanic in this game is highly effective as it really contributes to the sense of urgency and makes you fear for the fates of the characters you’ve met on your journey. The world as a whole really feels like something you can make an impact on, for better or for worse. The story allows you to play as a pacifist or a complete psychopath, and makes no attempt to restrict you, even in the last few seconds of the game.

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Are there negatives? Of course there are. I already mentioned the repetitiveness of the interruptions during travelling, and the game does contain a few irritating bugs. Companion AI is often dodgy; they block doorways almost all the time, which is especially annoying when your group consists of every possible companion in the game. However, I find that these problems are only very minor, and aren’t really that much of a detriment to this game’s excellent story, engaging combat, and expansive, diverse game world. If you like post-apocalyptic stories, turn-based combat, interactive worlds, or all three of these things, then I’d highly recommend this game to you. To answer the question from the beginning of this review: Yes. It is one of the best roleplaying games of all time.

Sorry, I don't play games made before 2012

Good shit. It feels like it's been awhile since we've had a review.

Now someone just needs to review Fallout 2, and we'll have the entire series (minus New Vegas).

We also need Fallout: Tactics and Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel

memes

I can review Fallout 2, but since Fedorekd started it, he can.

You can review it if you want, don't feel like you can't just because I'm reviewing it.

If I get to a point where I feel like it I could end up reviewing the entire series. But I'll get the old ones done first. It's quite nice to play them in order because you can see how they've influenced the games from Fallout 3 onwards.

Quote from: Fedorekd™ on February 11, 2016, 10:08:31 AM

Quote from: BaconShelf on February 11, 2016, 08:07:38 AM

Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel

We don't talk about that.

As for Tactics, I'll probably end up playing that at some point.

I'm tempted to buy it on amazon for the ps2.

I just bought Tactics on Steam for 1.99.

Might as well get it while it's cheap.

Quote from: Fedorekd™ on February 11, 2016, 10:14:53 AM

Quote from: BaconShelf on February 11, 2016, 10:13:13 AM

Quote from: Fedorekd™ on February 11, 2016, 10:08:31 AM

Quote from: BaconShelf on February 11, 2016, 08:07:38 AM

Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel

We don't talk about that.

As for Tactics, I'll probably end up playing that at some point.

I'm tempted to buy it on amazon for the ps2.

I just bought Tactics on Steam for 1.99.

Might as well get it while it's cheap.

I mean POS.

I got 1, 2and Tactics for free on GOG a while back.

only tru 2013 kids will remember this