Possibly my favorite game of all time. Definitely in the top 5. Fallout 2 is messy, imperfect, and just a little bit frustrating, but is one of the biggest, most challenging and lovable games ever made. It expands what was already a masterpiece and makes some mistakes along the way, the tone wavers a little too far in the goofy territory, pop culture references get a little out of control, and the central story isn't as strong as the first. But what Fallout 2 does well, better than any other game I know is making every settlement in the game varied and interesting. Fallout 2 is an incredibly long journey as you hop from settlement to settlement on your journey to reclaim the G.E.C.K and save your village. But that quest is a bit of a wild goose chase and it takes around 50 hours before you even find out what's really been going on the whole time. It's a mystery that naturally allows the player tons of freedom and optional missions as they explore and question each town. From the rough urban ghetto of The Den, to the classically western Redding and even to the wild and crazy Gecko. Fallout 2 is in no shortage of interesting locations. Every settlement is brimming with interesting side quests and colorful characters to interact with. You'll go from becoming a champion boxer one moment to solving a dark and complex murder mystery the next. The side quests are where this game really shines. Every quest in the game has long-reaching and meaningful consequences and will shape the game's numerous endings. Each town in the game has it's own separate ending slide and it will get VERY specific down the choices you made. Some of them will break your heart, some of them will make you feel like you really helped a settlement stake it's claim in the wasteland. I love this game, like too much. I've played it more times than I can count and I am still learning new things about it every time I play it. It's one of the most varied and well written RPG's of all time.
