So far as I know, there has never quite been anything like "Darklands" in RPG gaming before and hasn't been since. Yes, it's a typical blanket statement but it definitely applies here. Think about it: when was the last time when you ran into an RPG where having basic (or even advanced) education was a potential challenge for your characters in their interactions? The last time that an RPG used an actual historical setting (with a few tweaks) as the place where you adventured around? The last time where magic going right every time was not a guarantee and primitive firearms was part of the ranged weapons mix (okay, the answer is "Arcanum" on that last, but you get my point)? Indeed, I find myself a bit frustrated that more games don't follow the lead of "Darklands", as they showed a good model for any number of historical RPGs that could work in our new era. The enemies make sense in historical context, you need skills beyond the usual RPG standards to make it, and the main story is sufficiently warped to be interesting. Surely, someone can make this a little less complicated for the 21st Century.
Okay, so Ron Perlman wanted to do a Keyser Soze number on Chris Avellone for the ending narrative sequence and the humor wasn't necessarily as good as the first game's. Hell with that, friends...Fallout 2 is still a worthy successor that I actually prefer over the original game. Much like Bioshock 2, Fallout 2 actually has a bit more of a personal stake than the first game in terms of the main story. Your character is charged with nothing less than the survival of your tribe by finding the fabled GECK (Garden of Eden Creation Kit) before things reach the point of no return. The problem is that you're not the only one with a stake in your village. The mid-game turning point rates as one of the best plot curveballs in a game EVER. My favorite character, hands down, is your tribal shaman, a guy who speaks completely in metaphors. His final scene put the exclamation point on the urgency of that aforementioned turning point. But there are plenty of others, wild locations, and crazy stuff to make this game a keeper. To say more is to spoil the surprise...just play it already!
