User Reviews (1 - 11 of 25)

Show these reviews first:

Highest Rated
Lowest Rated Newest
Oldest Most Helpful
Least Helpful

They just don't make'em like this anymore.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: August 15, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I think the late 1990's were a golden age for the computer gamer. I remember I could walk into the local ComputerCity or BestBuy and browse rows and rows full of video games. Compare that now to maybe one row or less. *sigh* The good ole days!

One of the great relics of this golden age is Fallout. Fallout is a roleplaying game that takes place 80 years or so after a nuclear war engulfed the Earth. The adventurer's mission starts off trying to save a group of humans that survived the devastation by taking refuge in a vault. Their water purification system has failed and a replacement chip must be found. So you wander the wastes in search of this chip and find what is left of humanity.

The gameplay itself is spectacular. There are many ways to solve the quests in the game and violence is not a prerequisite. A lot of how you play the game is determined by how you build your character at the beginning. You could gear your character towards a warrior, a thief, a negotiator or even a scientist based on about 20 or so skills and traits. As the game progresses your character improves on those skills and gets "perks" along the way. Because every quest and encounter is dependent on your skills, outcomes can differ and so the replay value is extraordinary.

One of the things I love about this game is that it is geared toward adults. It can be as violent and bloody as you want depending on what preferences you set when you begin the game. Some of the language is also coarse and that too can be controled by the preferences you set. That said it should be noted that even though in its day it was considered edgey, it does not come close to the graphic nature of say GTA3, so things should be kept in perspective.

One last thing, if you can still get hold of it, the manual is absolutely awesome! It is spiral bound, beautifully illustrated and actually tells you what you need to know. This was another feature of the games that came out in the golden age, the manuals were complete and they would tell you most if not everything you need to know to play the game. Nowadays....well don't get me started.

If you still have this game, lucky you! If you do not have this game and are a big fan of CRPG games I highly recommend this classic treasure from Interplay!

P.S.

My only regret is I did not keep the beautiful box it came in.

Absolutely the best RPG out there!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: December 22, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I love RPG's, but always get fed up with some illogical puzzle or impossible to beat enemy and stop playing about 3/4 of the way through. This is the first I've ever finished. Very well balanced, and has replay value, as there are 3 paths you can take: fighter, thief, or diplomat. Unlike most games it is possible to finish the game (but not quite all quests) with any of these paths.

One very minor issue: On windows XP, the help screen and movies have the color all messed up so that it's hard to make out what's in them. Probably easily solved by changing some setting, but I never bothered trying.

If you like RPG's, but want some variety from the AD&D type world, don't miss this one!

A reinvention of the Computer Role Playing Game. Brilliantly unique.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 8
Date: September 08, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Fallout 1 and Fallout 2 are available in a cheap bundle pack, but the bundle apparently does not include the amazing game manuals.

The Fallout games rank among the top few computer RPGs ever created. When the genre was in a slump, Fallout breathed fresh life into it. Fallout's originality, gritty post-apocalyptic environment, brilliant plot, and open-ended non-linear gameplay left an indelible mark upon the face of role playing.

Fallout has an isometric three-quarters view and features turn-based combat.

When nuclear fired rained from the heavens, incinerating most of humanity, a lucky few reached the safety of underground bunkers. You were born and raised in the womblike Vault 13, and its sterile walls encase the only world you have ever known. Fifty years after the war, the vault's water chip malfunctions, and you are sent outside to find a replacement. The door locks shut behind you, and as you exit the cave you are blinded by your first sight of the sun. You are alone in the blasted wasteland of California, a world teeming with danger: mutant beasts feed off of unwary travelers; the few decent farmers who plow the barren soil are murdered by barbaric raiders; criminals overpower lawmen; and a greater threat lurks over the horizon. You, the Vault Dweller, must adapt quickly if you wish to survive.

In a CRPG market dominated by fantasy archetypes of elves and wizards, the Fallout setting is radically distinct. It revitalizes tired fantasy conventions: the fallen, legendary kingdom is America; dark undead-infested dungeons are replaced by crumbling mutant-infested sewer systems; there is an unconventional stronghold of armored Paladins and Knights; and ancient buried scrolls are supplanted by scientific holo-disks.

The Fallout world is highly stylized, blending many influences into a unique package. It melds futuristic and retro styles, reflecting a futuristic post-apocalyptic world as imagined by 50's-era Americans, complete with vacuum tubes, blasters, giant mutants, and war propaganda. Fallout also drew inspiration from westerns, Mad Max, cheesy sci-fi movies, Monty Python, and Douglas Adams.

The unique character creation system does not involve classes or races, and focuses instead on attributes, traits, skills, and perks. It is simple to use and allows endless customization: a perceptive sniper can target a Radscorpion's eye across the screen, a skillful thief can creep past guards and rob merchants blind, a martial artist can kick highwaymen in the groin, and a diplomat can end conflicts without violence. Any combination is possible. The game's non-linear plot rewards unique characters by allowing multiple solutions to each quest.

Players have unprecedented freedom to shape their destiny without being herded along by a forced plot. Actions bestow a positive or negative reputation, and people react accordingly. Become a champion of justice or an enemy of decency. Assist the sheriff or the crime lord. Secure an alliance between two factions or set them at each others' throats. Nearly anyone can be killed, but prepare for the consequences. Also, play at least once with minimum intelligence - this limits conversational choices to grunts and causes people to treat the character as an idiot.

Fallout's low-resolution graphics were obsolete when it was first released, and may disappoint gamers who have been spoiled by modern graphics. There are few character models; towns seem to be populated by clones. Fortunately, the technical shortcomings are overcome by the brilliant art design. The original environments are visually compelling and the visceral death animations enliven combat.

The moody music helps create an immersive environment. The superb voice actors include Richard Dean Anderson (MacGyver). The sound effects are also great.

The NPC allies in Fallout 1 are notoriously unreliable. They shoot the player in the back and block doorways at every opportunity. They cannot wear armor and do not gain levels. (Fallout 2 improved the NPC allies, allowing the player to change their combat behaviors, push them out of doorways, upgrade their armor, and watch them grow stronger.)

The game manual is wire-bound, thick, well-detailed, humorous, and illustrated. Game companies no longer produce manuals of this quality.

The game contains graphic violence, sex, and language. Some adult content can be removed through the control panel.

There exists a debate as to whether Fallout 1 or Fallout 2 is superior, and consensus will never be reached. Fallout 2 has much greater scope, with more towns, quests, NPCs, and guns. It has a much improved party control system. Fallout 1 is more cohesive thematically, while the sequel went overboard on non-thematic elements such as pop-culture references, Easter Eggs, mobsters, and yakuza. Fallout 2 suffers from a boring opening area, the Temple of Trials, which is especially dull when replaying the game for the fourth time.

While the settings for both games are fascinating, Fallout 1 proves more loyal to classic survival themes. Fallout 1 takes place soon after the nuclear war: resources are limited, shanty towns contain warring factions, little communication and trade passes between towns, and barter systems are rudimentary. Fallout 2 takes place much later: unified city states control advanced technology and uniformed armies, regular trade passes between strongly allied governments, and gold currency is widely accepted.

Both games are amazing and should be played in their proper order, as the sequel continues the plot to a great conclusion. Fallout 1 and 2 are perfect games for anyone who likes creative RPGs, post-apocalyptic themes, and imaginative stories.

Best computer RPG ever. Period.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: October 08, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I like this game so much I've played it from start to finish about 5 times (and didn't even play it for the first time until 2003!). Fallout is about 8 years old at this point and it still ranks as the best computer RPG of all time. The atmosphere, storyline, and music are all excellent, and the graphics still look good to me. It's a crying shame there aren't more games like this. Forget fantasy and sci-fi RPGs -- let's see some more post-apocalypse scenarios. Fallout is far superior to anything else I've ever played, new or old. I'm glad I found it.

War never changes....

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: April 05, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Eighty years after WW3 the landscape is still recovering from the nuclear blasts that rocked the world. Few people survived, among them those of your home, Vault 13, one of a series of underground sanctuaries that were built in preparation for the nuclear devastation. But there's a problem. Your Vault's water chip is dying, and with it's demise the people of the Vault cannot survive. Your task is to head to the post-apocalyptic surface and find another water chip.

That's Fallout in a nutshell. Your task is to essentially rescue your Vault's populace from dying. There's a particular kind of gratification that comes from exploring California in such a setting, like visiting someplace you know but don't know at the same time. There's vagrants, raiders, innocent farmers, and a slew of mutated baddies waiting for you to just stumble across them. From the word "Go" you can super-customize your character to reflect your own ideology, from being a super sharpshooting badboy to a sweet talker, able to work your way around and through problems just by conversing. You can have a super powerful character who has the IQ of a cinderblock, or an agile character that can deftly pickpocket potential opponents, while at the same time unable to take too many hits in combat. The flexibility is unlike anything I've ever seen in an RPG, including Baldur's Gate.

A good plot and rock solid design are good enough, but Interplay didn't stop there. The style of the game itself is a triumph of game design and ideas, using 1950's paraphenalia as a major source of inspiration; Case in point the in-game illustrations and graphics are heavily drawn from 1950's America at it's peak. The only thing missing is Eisenhower!

Depending on what "Traits" you pick up at the beginning (these are initial characteristics for your character that usually give something really good with a major tradeoff, like "Fast Shot" which will let you shoot weapons faster, at the loss of aiming ability. "Gifted" gives you a bunch of extra stats, at the loss of skill abilities, etc), every 3 levels you get a Perk, a permanent asset to your character. With choices ranging from "Sharpshooter", which makes it easier to hit stuff at a distance, to "Night Vision" making it much easier to kill things at night, to "Mutate!", which lets you transform (ala the Incredible Hulk) into a powerful beast in the thick of combat...well, the possibilities for customizing your character are almost endless.

The plot progresses over the course of the game from simply finding a water chip to saving mankind as you know it. Something wants to take over the Wastes, and ultimately it's up to you to stop it. You can pick up NPC's along the way using dialogue or techniques to lure them into your group which helps in the long run but sometimes feels like a hindrance. "Dangit Tycho, get out of the way!"

The first time you hold a Turbocharged Plasma Rifle in your hands is a memorable event, considering you started out at level 1 with a knife. Likewise the first time you don Brotherhood of Steel Power Armor, you think back to the humble origins of your simple Vault Suit. And after customizing your character to death with the Perks and Skill enhancements of your choice it really dawns on you what a true RPG this game is and how well it really does work on the average person.

The most unbelievable thing of all is that they followed this game up with an even better sequel! Interplay definately had thier act together with this game, the perfect representation of it's genre. And nary an Elf or Dragon awaits you! An amazing game with even more amazing replayability and unequalled depth and storytelling, and a healthy dose of addiction!

A perfect game!

Awesome fun!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: July 12, 2003
Author: Amazon User

One of the best RPG's out there it doesn't play like AD&D games but has it own original gameplay. Its incrediably fun with a wonderfully realized setting and world. Fallout 2 is more fun but this game is still great!

snake squeezins

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 5
Date: October 28, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Fallout is the official/unofficial sequel to the classic RPG Wasteland. I'm not finished with it yet, but I am having an absolute blast playing it. The action is non-linear, you can do just about anything you want.

Into the Wasteland............

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: July 15, 2002
Author: Amazon User

RPG's were never really my thing. Sure I had played a few of the medeival games, but I never had anything beyond a mild interest in them. Then...Fallout. Fallout is the first to give me the RPG fever! Even if you are a fan of shooters, give this one a try!

Post-nuclear Experience

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: November 09, 2000
Author: Amazon User

It is one of the few old games that I still play. Story line is incredibly good, the setting of the post nuclear war of drugs, radiation, adrenaline and max. pessimism of the post-nuclear world is incredible. You will be a vault dweller while playing the game, unifying with the character you created. I like fallout's graphic engine, still today, isometric and nice graphics. The only problem is the saving times but it wont cause that much trouble. If they release a Fallout 3, with the same sounds and graphics but with a better story line, i still buy it and rate it 5. One of the few RPGs of the past that we literally felt free to do anything. Play it, finish it and buy the Fallout 2 also.

A quiet classic

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: September 05, 2000
Author: Amazon User

When Fallout was released RPGs were in a slump. The Genre was dying. Then fallout was released, an unheralded first effort by three devoted designers. Fallout's post-apocalyptic setting was the first revolution. Before that almost all RPGs were in traditional fantasy settings with the notable exception of wasteland, the game that inspired fallout. Fallouts second great contribution to gaming in general (aside from its awesome gameplay, story, and atmosphere) was reviving the role-playing game along with the next year's might and magic 6 and baldur's gate. Fallout is an old school rpg yet is accessible to the newbies. Before playing it I had played no old school rpgs and now i have played several. Fallouts simple interface houses an addictive game and deep rpg system that will appeal to new comers and fans alike. At the great price amazon is offering there is no excuse to not own fallout.

Review Page: 1 2 3 Next 

Actions