Fallout

This is my first time playing any Fallout game. Even as a veteran of old CRPGs who grew up loving Baldur's Gate, I found the controls and UI janky as hell. It's very unintuitive and a newbie without perseverance might give up. Don't! It's worth it. Great setting and atmosphere with a solid enough story. It's fun walking out of the vault with nothing but a meager pistol before transforming into a power-armor-wearing, body-disintegrating badass. I'm also a sucker for conclusions that wrap up various storylines and show how your actions affected the world. There are some bugs, and many people are complaining about this being the censored version. I probably should have used the patch, but it's still quite playable and easily beatable. Without prior knowledge or nostalgia, I didn't feel I was experiencing anything game-breaking. It would mostly benefit from QoL updates, which I read the sequel implemented. There also aren't a ton of true RP opportunities as most people don't care that you came from a vault, your character's ignorance of an outside world isn't written strongly into the story, and companions are forgettable. But also...it's a really old game and that can all be forgiven. Onto Fallout 2.

I might be biased, i played it as a teenager back in the late 90s, but IMO Fallout is the best game ever created. Closely behind it (or ex aequo) is Fallout 2 (bigger, technically better, but lost a bit of it's personality), DeusEx (the original one) and Vampire the Masquarade: Bloodlines. This version is the censored one, but don't hold it against it. It's still Fallout. And it will forever be the best game ever made.

I remember when this came out. Dark humor and bleak. Absolutely classic. The one that started it all. Yes, the interface is janky. Yes, the graphics are old as h@ll. Yes, its old school. The storyline is the BOMB. Life is tough enough in the wasteland, raiders, mutant animals, dehydration, starvation, ghouls, radiation, etc. Now ready for the bad news? The level of work that went into this game is astounding. Great characters, great enemies, great quests. The background music is great in its bleakness. The world building and lore in this game are exceptional, particularly for the time-period. Combat is unforgiving, but this is part of Fallout's (FO) charm. You can get the criticals on the bad guys and they can crit you as well. Make sure you save. The inventory/purchasing system is a pain. It was improved a bit in Fallout 2. That being said, most things weigh something, so when you prep for a quest, you have to think and decide what you want to bring. Mostly in the area of what weapons and ammo to bring. From melee weapons, and conventional firearms to the hi-tech small arms, the variety is pretty good. Armor is ok as well. The power armor (T-51b) is of course the bomb. The dark humor is awesome. Loved the Soylent Green reference. The effects of certain weapons killing their targets is hilarious as well, in a dark sort of way of course. Once you get past the first bit of this game things pick up and it draws you in. So be patient. The best is yet to come. As the game approaches the end it just gets better and better. The main antagonist is of course the Master, and his background story and end goals are well done. So, in conclusion, this game is old and may not be for everyone, but once you finish it, you (probably) cannot deny that it was a great story and a good ride. Thanks GOG for keeping this one in stock!

Fallout ist ein Spiel, das sehr viele großartige Ideen teilweise grottig umsetzt. Positiv hervorzuheben die schiere Zahl an Möglichkeiten, die das Spiel dem Spieler lässt. Solange man den Wasserchip rechtzeitig findet, kann man tun und lassen, was man will und viele Quests bieten eine Vielzahl an unterschiedlichen Lösungsmöglichkeiten. Das haut zwar heutzutage niemanden mehr vom Hocker, da es inzwischen viele Rollenspiele gibt, die Quests mit mehreren Lösungsmöglichkeiten haben. In wenigen Spielen ist das aber so gut gelungen, wie in Fallout, wo es je nach Charakterbuild deutlich verschiedene Lösungen gibt. Als dummer Charakter spielt sich das Spiel z.B. ziemlich anders, als mit einem durchschnittlich intelligenten Charakter. Eine weitere Stärke von Fallout ist der sehr atmosphärische Soundtrack, der eine sehr beklemmende Endzeitstimmung aufkommen lässt. Gerade die neuen Fallout-Teile wirken da doch deutlich alberner und leichtherziger (auch wenn die Albernheit schon mit Fallout 2 ihren Anfang nimmt). Leider ist das Spiel in vielen Punkten nicht ganz ausgereift. Die Begleiter-KI ist eine absolute Katastrophe. Oft muss man einen Spielstand laden, weil der Begleiter wieder etwas Dummes gemacht hat oder einen Durchgang versperrt. Mehr als einmal hat mir mein Begleiter auch rücksichtslos in den Rücken geschossen. Da ist man regelrecht erleichtert, wenn sich der Begleiter durch eine seiner hirnlosen Aktionen selbst umbringt. Von der deutschen Version (die anders als von anderen Reviewern behauptet, in der GoG-Version enthalten ist) ist dringend abzuraten. Nicht nur ist die Qualität der Übersetzung eher mäßig, auch wurden die detaillierten Todesanimationen aus dem Spiel entfernt, was dem Spiel viel von seinem Flair nimmt. Außerdem fehlenen die tieferen Ebenen eines gewissen Dungeons (die Schlüsselkarte dorthin befindet sich im Inventar einer Leiche, die aus dem Spiel geschnitten wurde), wodurch einem einige gute Gegenstände und interessante Dialoge verwehrt bleiben.

Not only the best Fallout game, but a milestone for the rpg genre and a timeless classic. From todays perspective the gameplay may feel a little basic and clunky, but that does little to hurt the story and atmosphere. It is the shortest game in the series, but I prefer quality over quantity.