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It revitalised the RPG Industry, but it still has problems

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 23 / 30
Date: February 06, 2000
Author: Amazon User

For me, the two true greatest RPGs of all time will always be Ultima VII (it came in two parts). The problem was that we didn't really seeany RPGs after this until Fallout. There were many failed ones that not many people played, they were all busy playing Wolfenstein and Commander Keen (both great games).
Fallout, I think, captured the public eye again because it was simple. The character creation is simple, but it is actually quite complex in the way it affects the game. The story was somewhat complex, though not overly, and the game itself was fun to play, from the dialogue to the fighting.
In 2077 World War III occured, fought over the few resources left to humanity. The world was almost entirely depopulated. A few managed to hide out in underground bunkers known as Vaults.
You play as a person from Vault 13, whose people haven't emerged for eighty years. The chip that purifies the water from the Vault is broken, and you must find a new one or your people will die. So you, an inexperienced person from a technology based peaceful community, are sent out onto the surface of a wasteland were the people from other Vaults that opened earlier than your own struggle to surface among mutants and radiation.
The game has a killer intro, and is a clever mixture of '40s polish over the futuristic harshness. Probably the best part of the game is the character progression, which is well managed and even fun.
The things that drag the game down are few, but significant. Firstly, the game is far too short. It can easily be played in a non-linear fashion, but there are just too few locations and quests to warrant this. Second, the fighting is well managed, except for 'sequencing'. For some reason, the designers wanted something to decide whose turn it was in combat, rather than just go around the circle in order. This means that sometimes your enemy can get to goes and taking you out before you even draw your weapon.
Thirdly and finally, the game is somewhat disorganised. Of course, I'm using Ultima VII as my benchmark, but the sidequests often don't feel right, and I wasn't sure whether I'd finished them or not. Basically, the quest interface was a little crude.
Fallout's shortcomings are the reasons why Fallout 2 is so much longer, so much more open ended, and so much more complex. I get the feeling that Fallout was really just a test for Fallout 2. But those of you who are thinking 'Great, I'll jump straight to number 2' don't, the story of Fallout 1 isn't something you want to miss out on.

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.

Out of the dungeons!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: June 03, 2000
Author: Amazon User

I'd seen Fallout on the shelves ages ago, but at that time I was still pretty entrenched in the sword-wielding, dragon-slaying, quasi-Medieval fantasies that abound in this genre and the post-apocalyptic concept didn't intrigue me. I only play RPGs and refuse to pay megabucks for brand new titles, so years later my search for something to fill the gap left by solving Baldur's Gate/TSC finally led me the bargain table at my local games store, where in desperation I picked up the nicely priced Fallout 2, boxed as a "Gamer's Collection". Knowing that sequels also usually stand alone, and fascinated by the blurb on the box, I handed over my bucks. On navigating through the double layer of shrink wrap, I found "Gamer's Collection" meant I had also purchased the original Fallout. So now Fallout 2 is waiting patiently for my character to find the water chip; I'm addicted.

When World War III broke out 80 years previously, your family sought refuge in the the nuclear fallout shelter known as Vault 13. Eventually the chip used to produce fresh water fails, leaving only 150 days' supply. Your character draws the short straw and, with extremely limited resources and experience, is sent out into the radiation-soaked, mutant infested world to find a replacement.

Although Fallout is far from perfect, most flaws are compensated for by the great gameplay. However, the game looses a star from me in that you have very little control over NPCs in your party. Why give us party members if we can't control them? Ian and Tycho are great for carrying things (they seem to have endless capacities - great for trading), and in the early part, Ian saves your butt since he's more skilled than your character, but in battle they seem to do nothing but get in your way. You spend far too many APs just getting out of their way or positioning yourself so that your submachine gun's burst doesn't take them (and Dogmeat) out, too. Save often so you can restore after you've accidently killed your party. You cannot get them to wear better armour, and their idea of their "best weapon" may not match yours. (I understand this has been changed in Fallout 2.)

Half a star is gained back for the excellent spiral bound "Vault Dweller's Survival Guide". I've broken the backs of other manuals, because the damned things won't stay open, but the spiral binding solves that problem. I haven't tried any of the survival recipes, though.

The other half star is gained back for the excellent 50's "Reds under the bed" style of the interface and the manual, the wonderful introduction movie and the voice cast. This is the first RPG where I have actually heard of some of the actors credited in the voice cast (Richard Dean Anderson, Tony Shalub, Ron Perlman, Richard Moll, Ken Mars). It's quite strange hearing McGyver's voice in Junktown!

Anyway, stop reading this right now, buy Fallout and start playing immediately.

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.

addictive!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 6
Date: December 31, 1999
Author: Amazon User

I've never really played many RPGs, but a friend gave me this after he had spent many hours playing. It sat around awhile, then one day I was exceedingly bored so I gave it a try. It was amazing! It was complex, but not obnoxiously. Very playable, interesting to go through and play several times, with different characters and different choices. I've been trying to find an RPG this cool and the only one is Fallout 2! Soooo cool.

A genre true post-apolalyptic story

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: December 05, 1999
Author: Amazon User

This is the best of the best. The story in this CRPG is so good that you'll be glued to the screen for months to come. You'll the role as the wanderer the sets out to save the Vault you have grown up in. The 3rd World War has just ended and nothing is like it was before. Looking for the Water Chip takes you to a lot of different places and you meet a lot a people.

This is a good as a Post Apolalyptic CPRG gets.

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.

Great, funny, single-character RPG

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: August 18, 2000
Author: Amazon User

This is about one guy wandering around a post-nuke war California. You can pick up an NPC or two, but it's not really a party-type adventure.

i don't really like post-apocalyptic stuff (i'm more into dragons and magic and stuff), but this game just plain rules. Plus, it's funny, and i love little bits of humor in an RPG (it's not silly/funny all the time, but it has enough cute little parts like a Red Ryder BB Gun to put eyes out and an X-Files reference to be enjoyable). It has quite a few references to various movies, which is cute

The odd thing about this game is that i've played it through to completion several times and intend to play it again. i tried first with an average guy, then i made new characters - a sharp shooter, a talker, a brute with a 2 intelligence, a bad guy, etc. The game's different each time (for humor, try talking to NPCs when your intelligence is 2). i just really like this game

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!

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