Fallout 2

a classic

First things first, Fallout 2 is a massive improvement over Fallout 1's gameplay, UIs are more intuitive and less clunky, combat is slightly more streamlined, and moving across the map has been improved a whole lot. You will also never need to worry about a time-limit so you are free to explore the game as you please, you won't even need to follow the "expected" storyline (barring some essential items and quests which you cannot skip) depending on your playstyle, experience with the game, and luck stat (trust me, you'll want high luck for unique encounters and crits alongside good agility if you plan to play any form of guns or energy weapons build, AP struggle is still around); however, some of Fallout 1's flaws still persist, some skills are nearly useless (aside from a handful of quests), you need to really think about your stats since raising stats is a bit tedious, and some specializations such as energy weapons really only prove effective towards the end-game. Story-wise, this is where I find Fallout 2 falls ever so slightly short of Fallout 1. Fallout 2 is a little more campy and witty overall, it doesn't necessarily take its world too seriously, the main threat (a faction you'll need to encounter in the main story) doesn't really appear too much till the late mid-game to end-game, and the wasteland piece of the world feels significantly less emphasized (sure there's technically more radioactive areas in the game but the post-apocalyptic feelings aren't nearly as present as in Fallout 1) which makes it feel like a spaghetti western rather than a game set in a ruined world. I suppose the best way to describe it would be like comparing the first Mad Max to Tank Girl, sure both are set in a post-apocalyptic world but one takes its setting as a way to tell a 'serious' and sobering story whereas the other acts as a satire of pop culture mixed with its own flavor of comedy. Should you play Fallout 2? Totally, just don't expect a Fallout 1 + 1

WELCOME TO CAMP NAVARRO. SO, YOU'RE THE NEW REPLACEMENT....YOU ARE OUT OF UNIFORM, SOLDIER! WHERE IS YOUR POWER ARMOR? DON'T HAVE ANY? YOU EXPECT ME TO BELIEVE THAT, MAGGOT? THE TRUTH IS YOU LOST AN EXPENSIVE PIECE OF ARMY-ISSUE EQUIPMENT. THAT SUIT IS GOING TO COME OUT OF YOUR PAY, AND YOU WILL REMAIN IN THIS MANS ARMY UNTIL YOU ARE FIVE HUNDRED AND TEN YEARS OLD, WHICH IS THE NUMBER OF YEARS IT WILL TAKE FOR YOU TO PAY FOR A MARK II POWERED COMBAT ARMOR YOU HAVE LOST! REPORT TO THE ARMORY AND HAVE A NEW SUIT ISSUED TO YOU, THEN REPORT BACK TO ME, PRIVATE!

Whilst the mandatory tutorial is tedious I can find few things wrong with this game. One could argue it's nostalgia, certainly, but I reinstalled this game relatively recently. There's some interface things that could be polished to provide quality of life improvements but other than that I find it flawless. Dialogue can be deep, it can be funny, it can be harrowing. The world is described through both the visuals and the textual descriptions provided. Combat can be brutal but also satisfying. Wasteland 2 was a lot of fun and I had hoped that it'd be what I was looking for in the sequel to this game. Whilst it was a lot of fun it was mainly combat. This game on the other hand provides a ridiculous number of ways to play. One can be sneaky, one can be violent, one can be malevolent, and if in need of comic relief one can be eye-wateringly stupid. The game accommodates all these play styles.

Fallout 2 is an incredible follow up to an already stellar game. The core mechanics of the game such as the combat and leveling system are mostly intact from the 1st game, with some changes introduced to make Fallout flow better. The world and settlements are varied and very interesting, with colorful and memorable NPCs and companions for the PC to interact with. My main criticisms for Fallout 2 fall upon the incredibly tedious travel system, the lack of multiple endgame decisions, and general frustrations with its gameplay. When you add bugs into the mix, Fallout 2 can very easily become an incredibly frustrating and user-unfriendly experience. I believe this is partially because Fallout 2 is a dated title, and partially because of the actual directing of the game itself. But even with the frustrations I had with the gameplay, I've come back to play Fallout 2 again and find myself discovering new things I never had before. While I stand by this statement, I'll also add that after the conclusion of the game, the world tends to run out of life rather quickly as the quests are no longer rewarding or worth the effort of trekking around the map and harassing NPCs. I would recommend getting as much as you can out of it before you actually finish the main story arc. FALLOUT 2 can at times be frustrating, but the story arc and combat are interesting and rewarding enough to keep you powering through in any case, perhaps even for multiple playthroughs. I would highly recommend Fallout 2 to anybody who is into more traditional isometric RPGS. Just give yourself some time to work out the kinks as far as gameplay.