Three generations have passed since The War, and all that time your "tribe" has been living in a self-sufficient fallout shelter called Vault-13. Unfortunately, its water purification system is broken, and it's your job to find either another chip or a safe water supply before the current reserves dry up. Alone, you leave the safety of the vault and embark on an unforgettable adventure.

There are several elements that elevate Fallout above similar role-playing games, but the detailed character statistics are at the top of the list. This is one of the few games that lets you truly fine-tune a character to your liking, and the skills, traits, and attributes you hone have a real impact on gameplay. A sneaky character with a great personality can easily steal items and talk his or her way out of a tough situation, while a character specialized in ranged combat can let his guns do the talking. Different character types will develop the plot in different ways, and it's worth going through the game again with a different character just to see how things change.

As the game progresses, you'll find that there are more important things happening in the outside world than the troubles your vault is having. In fact, it's possible to ignore the plight of your people entirely and focus on the bigger picture if that's the way you want to play the game. There are a few problems with this nonlinear play style in that you'll occasionally see things or hear conversations that make no sense, but it's a small price to pay for the chance to play one of the most ambitious role-playing games ever produced. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

• Compelling story set in a postapocalyptic future
• Detailed character stats and skills lets users play the game exactly as they want to
• Spiritual successor to the Commodore 64 classic Wasteland

• Nonlinear story line means sometimes events are triggered when they shouldn't be
• Some characters that join your party can be a terrible burden during combat sequences