Hello! I am very new to the Fallout franchise, since I only borrowed 3 from a friend a week ago. I instantly go hooked, and I have a couple questions.
1. Which is better, 1 or 2? (Explain, please)
2. Does Fallout 3 really pale in comparison to the originals?
Thanks! :3

Hi, I personally like Fallout 2 better overall because it's a much bigger game in scope with more quests, a car to drive around the wastes of California, and the interface is slightly better too, making NPC allies less of a drag since now you can "push" them out of your way and the bartering screen for buying/selling is more practical than it was in Fallout because in that game you could only move 999 gold max at a time but in Fallout 2 the cap is like 99999 or something ridiculous.

Now that being said, I started with Fallout and that was a wise decision. Not only does it give you a taste of the Fallout world, but for a first game in a series there's no better place to start. Fallout 1 is essentially Fallout 2 with more direction, more desperate scenarios, but far less weapons and scope. It's great though because the towns are just big enough to not be overwhelming (unlike in Fallout 2 in some cities like Reno and San Francisco which are massive in comparison), plus the game is alot shorter and can be beaten alot quicker. I finished it within a week and Fallout 2 takes alot longer, perhaps closer to a month if it's your first time without using any guides just to keep that in perspective. So if you enjoy Fallout 1 then chances are you will really enjoy Fallout 2 but if you started with #2 then you are really missing out on the collective Fallout experience since Fallout 2 spoils the entire plot of the original in the opening cinematic of the game. I personally thought the plot was better overall in Fallout 1 but it's still very interesting in Fallout 2.

And... I started with Fallout 3 when I got into this series, I personally thought it was quite mundane compared to these gems (but still a decent game overall)

There's a topic exactly like this one just few topics down... You didn't even took the time to check the first forum page but you're expecting us to waste time to answer a question that was answered like a thousand time already? I'm not even going to describe how many results you get just by a simple input of "fallout 1 vs fallout 2" in Google...

Jesus man, he was only looking for some personal insight. No need to be hostile.

1. I like 2 better cause it's a bit more of everything. It seems they made improvements all around. They're both cool, though.
2. I liked Fallout 3, but it was a bit underwhelming by comparison. I think people who had never tried an earlier Fallout, (ie. people who weren't playing games in 1999), weren't let down.
I mostly dislike the lack of good conversations, and how soft it is. The early ones are kinda hardcore. You can't kill kids in FO 3, but you definitely can in 2 (and even get a title, of sorts). I actually like it as a FPS. I don't regret buying it!

Fallout 3 should not be considered a sequel to Fallout 1 and 2. It's a completely different game by completely different people who just happened to buy the rights to the Fallout name.

If you're going to play 1 and 2 (and I highly suggest you do), start with 1. You'll appreciate 2 a lot more if you play 1 first, even if you end up liking 2 better.

Hostile? I didn't kill his cat or anything...

...yet.

As for F3, after properly modded (FWE, EVE, MMM...), it was the one of the best games I ever played... In my personal Fallout ranking, F3 is second best: F2-F3-F1-Tactics.