Posted on: February 26, 2021

jammonstrald
Games: 152 Reviews: 41
what makes the original so special?
I still remember the first time I found the water chip. I had explored so many leads, rummaged around almost every town, wandered aimlessly through the wastes... and time was running out. I had all but given up, and figured my vault was going to die of thirst in a few weeks. Then, it happened. As I was in the middle of helping out some other people I ran into, I FOUND A WORKING WATER CHIP. I legitimately felt like I had saved the fucking day. This game has a unique feeling to it that is hard to pin down, but I think it obviously resonates with people as it spawned so many follow-ups and attempts to recapture the original's spirit. Exploring a derelict vault in Fallout really feels like the world has ended, and you're sifting through the wreckage. The humor is what you might expect in that environment: dark and macabre; trying to sarcastically emotionally cope with the bleak reality by laughing at it. Constantly juxtaposed with the dead world is the happy-go-lucky style and tones of 50s Americana, and you can't help but internalize the sardonic, cynical irony of it all. That's what I think the original gets right that none of it's successors managed. It's hilarious, and immersive, and dark ... but it's also deeply, deeply sad. It has an emotional weight at its core that is at odds with the amount of humor and fun there is in the game, and to me that highlights just how precious those lighter moments are. I also believe this more than any other cRPG I've played lets you truly develop the character you want to be, and not just a version of the character the game wants you to be. It's not something that will be able to be appreciated by everyone. The graphics and some of the systems it uses are definitely not the most accessible, but I think if you are looking for what the game does provide, it is a unique experience that will resonate long after you walk off into the sunset to the tune of the Ink Spots.
Is this helpful to you?