Posted January 25, 2009
Fallout is vast. Fallout is wondrous. Fallout is thoroughly entrancing, pretty, curious, immersive, varied, schizophrenic and, above all, fun as all kinds of fuck.
Here's a statement that you probably wouldn't expect to see in a four-star review of this game, though: Fallout is also extremely frustrating.
It's easy to see how a game like this could ensnare the cult that it has achieved and become one of the most revered RPG's of its time, but I hesitate to say that it should be revered as one of the "Greatest RPG's of All Time" simply due to the massive amount of glitches and bugs that I've experienced throughout my otherwise memorable adventure. In all fairness, a would be expected for a game this big to bring along a share of manageable baggage due to the many instances or events that certain programming holes or oversights may account for and, truth be told, these are nothing compared to the swiss-cheese code that was typical for adventure games of the day (right, Sierra Online?) But the fact that this game still hobbles along on a termite-ridden prosthetic stump after an official patch, a cornucopia of community patches and a retrofit for modern machines - and to GOG.com, I bequeath a hearty, sweaty thank you for that - it's inexcusable. For every fix that becomes available, there's a new glitch to face it down.
Furthermore, the game itself has yet to live up to the expectations others have built for the uninitaitated player leading into this game. The "Fallout" neophyte may walk into this game expecting to be able to build his own weapons from scrap, cause terrorist incidents, start a short-term family from a regrettable tavern-side rendezvous and be chased out of the Mayor's house in the middle of the night for trying to purloin his stash of boxed meals undetected while he was sleeping - if the fanboy hype is to be believed. Sadly, you cannot do most of these things and whatever misdeeds you can perform, you won't see any negative consequences from unless it's obvious: If you shoot a civilian, people will shoot back. Duh. But don't expect to get chided for ripping off an entire town during a pilfering spree. Count on only using your sneak skill once, and that may be during a situation where you're more or less forced to bypass possible hostile encounters.
Despite this, the uninitiated should also know that while this game does show its age, Fallout will give you a solid 20 hours' worth of fantastically immersive role-play where the characters are just as desperate, bizarre and intriguing as the reality that spawned them. You'll be faced with situations that will have a lasting impact on your character - and this is something that is actually closer to the truth than fanboy hype - making your interactions with the world's various inhabitants quite a matter of import. Ah, to insult or not to insult the Sheriff, that is the question - but I digress. The story that you create for yourself and the character that you develop can make every game a widely-branching experience, which is a boon considering that the game is so short to begin with.
Add a solid battle engine, a unique economical system and one devilishly eye-poking sense of humor to the overall package and you have my reasoning for still giving this game four stars. "Fallout", despite its many flaws, is so very much worth your time. Just don't expect the broad customization and modern play features (or the graphics, for that matter) from the third game or you may find yourself wondering why you'd be wasting your time on the many patches that come part and parcel with the experience. Something like Fallout only comes along once in a lifetime in this industry (maybe twice, I actually haven't played the second game) and it is one apocalyptic vacation that is absolutely worth embarking upon.
Of course, I'll be expecting the ululations from the fanatical as "punishment" for my honesty. Bring it, zealots. Couldn't be any worse than facing down a radscorpion for the first time.
Here's a statement that you probably wouldn't expect to see in a four-star review of this game, though: Fallout is also extremely frustrating.
It's easy to see how a game like this could ensnare the cult that it has achieved and become one of the most revered RPG's of its time, but I hesitate to say that it should be revered as one of the "Greatest RPG's of All Time" simply due to the massive amount of glitches and bugs that I've experienced throughout my otherwise memorable adventure. In all fairness, a would be expected for a game this big to bring along a share of manageable baggage due to the many instances or events that certain programming holes or oversights may account for and, truth be told, these are nothing compared to the swiss-cheese code that was typical for adventure games of the day (right, Sierra Online?) But the fact that this game still hobbles along on a termite-ridden prosthetic stump after an official patch, a cornucopia of community patches and a retrofit for modern machines - and to GOG.com, I bequeath a hearty, sweaty thank you for that - it's inexcusable. For every fix that becomes available, there's a new glitch to face it down.
Furthermore, the game itself has yet to live up to the expectations others have built for the uninitaitated player leading into this game. The "Fallout" neophyte may walk into this game expecting to be able to build his own weapons from scrap, cause terrorist incidents, start a short-term family from a regrettable tavern-side rendezvous and be chased out of the Mayor's house in the middle of the night for trying to purloin his stash of boxed meals undetected while he was sleeping - if the fanboy hype is to be believed. Sadly, you cannot do most of these things and whatever misdeeds you can perform, you won't see any negative consequences from unless it's obvious: If you shoot a civilian, people will shoot back. Duh. But don't expect to get chided for ripping off an entire town during a pilfering spree. Count on only using your sneak skill once, and that may be during a situation where you're more or less forced to bypass possible hostile encounters.
Despite this, the uninitiated should also know that while this game does show its age, Fallout will give you a solid 20 hours' worth of fantastically immersive role-play where the characters are just as desperate, bizarre and intriguing as the reality that spawned them. You'll be faced with situations that will have a lasting impact on your character - and this is something that is actually closer to the truth than fanboy hype - making your interactions with the world's various inhabitants quite a matter of import. Ah, to insult or not to insult the Sheriff, that is the question - but I digress. The story that you create for yourself and the character that you develop can make every game a widely-branching experience, which is a boon considering that the game is so short to begin with.
Add a solid battle engine, a unique economical system and one devilishly eye-poking sense of humor to the overall package and you have my reasoning for still giving this game four stars. "Fallout", despite its many flaws, is so very much worth your time. Just don't expect the broad customization and modern play features (or the graphics, for that matter) from the third game or you may find yourself wondering why you'd be wasting your time on the many patches that come part and parcel with the experience. Something like Fallout only comes along once in a lifetime in this industry (maybe twice, I actually haven't played the second game) and it is one apocalyptic vacation that is absolutely worth embarking upon.
Of course, I'll be expecting the ululations from the fanatical as "punishment" for my honesty. Bring it, zealots. Couldn't be any worse than facing down a radscorpion for the first time.