One day, while browsing the shelves of the now-defunct CompUSA for a new PC game to sink my teeth into, my friend pointed out Interplay's just-released Fallout. I'd seen the box on the shelves before, but never gave it much thought until he opened the flap and showed me the screenshots. Deciding his advice was sound, I picked up the box and never looked back. Fallout, along with Baldur's Gate, is largely credited for helping revitalize the CRPG genre, and with good reason. A gritty story - punctuated by dark humor - excellent turn-based combat, and high production values have made the game stand the test of time. It has spawned numerous sequels and spin-offs, but the original game has kept me coming back for over a decade for numerous playthroughs. I still own that CD-ROM I purchased all those years ago, but I still purchased the GOG version just to show my appreciation, and to have a no-hassle experience without the need for CD checks. Fallout's most distinguishing feature is that it truly allows you to roleplay, and not just select an alignment as in early D&D-based games (such as SSI's fabled Goldbox series). Here, you simply act how you want to act. You can be as heroic, underhanded, or downright mean as you want - a savior or a menace of the Wastelands. These aspects are so tightly rolled into the gameplay that they feel like a natural extension of the player, not a menu where you're asked to make a good, neutral, or evil moral decision. Fallout also features an original and outstanding ruleset, similar to Dungeons & Dragons, but more flexible, with additional perks and bonuses granted at certain levels. If you want to make your character a sneaky, backstabbing thief, or a shoot-first-ask-later Wasteland warrior, you have only to pick the skills that most suit your style of play. If you truly adhere to a specific type of class (though the game doesn't use classes per se), you may discover vastly different solutions to certain obstacles on subsequent playthroughs. Fallout remains a benchmark for the genre even today. Few games have captured the immersion and freedom of choice offered in Interplay's masterpiece, and the game is nothing less than a pre-requisite for any serious RPG gamer.
