Fallout 2

Fallout 2, in my opinion, was not quite as good as Fallout 1. Sure there were a lot of improvements. New weapons, larger map, better companion control... but the story of Fallout 1 was just soooooooooo good. That is why I think Fallout 2 is the "second" best RPG... Fallout 1 was, still is, and always will be, the best video game ever made lol. With that being said, Fallout 2 still deserves 5 stars. If you loved Fallout 1, you will love Fallout 2 just as much. The newer Bethesda Fallout games are complete crap compared to the originals. Brian Fargo was (and still is) a genius.

Along with Fallout 1, Fallout 2 is absolutely till this day (25 years later) in the top five RPGs of all time, hands down. Words cannot properly express the incredible game design, art, music, atmosphere and gameplay innovations that encompasses the original and the sequel. Fallout 2 takes a few small tumbles in RPG and design depth (end of game traditional boss with limited options, comedy, etc.), but these are minor and Fallout 2 makes up for it by having the other 99% of it being just as good as Fallout, but having twice the amount of content and in some instances even more depth than Fallout. It is definitely a worthy sequel, building and expanding on what made Fallout an absolute masterpiece. Having played these games when they were released, 25 years later they are still completely in a league of their own.

An iterative upgrade on the original that refines the few issues that game had making for a much bigger, if goofier, RPG. The time limit is gone and the map is much larger with almost no restrictions keeping you from exploring in any way you want. Some locations can feel more disjointed but every town is filled with great sub plots and side quests that can be done numerous ways. This game is such a joy to replay and try out new character builds, they really do reward all play styles.

I highly recommend downloading the offline version for 2 reasons. 1. The one I played with GOG Galaxy was very laggy for some reason and I have an Intel Core i5 with a GTX 1650, more than enough to play a game from 1998. 2. The GOG Galaxy version isn't compatible with the Fallout 2 Restoration Project, a must have mod even for a first time playthrough. Other than that I had an amazing experience with this game.

For me the best sci-fi rpg ever made. Have modded it a lot over the years, but came into a hard-coded wall when encountered the damage/armor penetration formula (which was broken). Anyways, no amount of flaws can dissuade me from ingesting the flavor this game radiates (pun intended). This was all way before bethesda influence (and before the bioware/black isle moral disintegration).