I'm primarily a FPS/RTS fan, but Fallout 1 and 2 hold a special place in my heart. Fallout 2 is a sci-fi/steampunk themed post-apocalyptic RPG with grit and personality to spare. Although the story is merely adequate and not as captivating as the first game, it sets up the gameplay well. The game has superb atmosphere and characters, and although the game's graphic are archaic by today's standards, they do a good job at conveying the bleakness and desperation of a post-nuclear wasteland. It is at least twice the size of the world in Fallout 1. A great aspect of this game is the variety of fighting styles and weapons. You can wield conventional firearms such as pistols, shotguns, machine guns and rifles. Like bigger guns? Try a laser gattling cannon or a rocket launcher. Or if you prefer combat mano-a-mano you can wield a variety of melee weapons ranging from lowly pig stickers to spears, hammers and a bionic fist. Finally, you can prefer to go the pacifist route, and talk your way out of most combat situations with human-type characters. Combat is turn-based. Similar to X-COM, each character in a battle (including your own) has a limited number of moves, known as action points. Moving, crouching, turning, firing your weapon, and reloading all use up these points. Once they are used up, you end your turn and each other NPC gets to attack. Along with fighting with your character, you can also recruit a small posse to fight alongside you in battle. These allies vary in effectiveness, but generally are a great way to help even the odds. Ally management has been improved over Fallout 1 as well, as you have the ability to freely trade loot/ammo, and equip your people with armour and weapons. There is also an added ability to move your friendly NPCs out of your way, which fixed an annoying bug in Fallout 1 where they could trap your character in confined areas. Generally, they perform pretty well, but care should be taken when equipping your allies with automatic weapons, as they tend to light you up if you are in the line of fire. Now for Fallout's real strength - the gameplay. The game is similar to most RPGs in that there is an overarching storyline, but it can be followed or ignored at your leisure. With a few exceptions, you are free to do and go as you please. This game also has true freedom, something missing in today's politically correct games. Some kid pickpocket your character? Shoot him in the head with a Desert Eagle and get your gear back. Big goon you can't hope to defeat one-on-one? Sneak up on him and reverse pickpocket some semtex in his inventory and laugh as he blows up. Or my personal favourite memory - there is a shady gun dealer in the Den who was ripping me off with prices, especially for a .357 I desperately needed early in the game. After trying to scrounge up the dough, I got irritated and blew his head off. Much to my pleasant surprise, shopkeepers are not invincible, and I got my shiny new .357 along with the rest of buddy's inventory. The game can also be played more diplomatically, and NPCs can be helped or hindered however you like. The game uses a effective stats system known as S.P.E.C.I.A.L. (Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility and Luck). These major stats have a effects on your character's health, action points and minor skills, and can only be modified when you build your character. There are also minor skills such as firearms, lockpicking, science etc. which are upgraded as you level up. Levels are gained by killing enemies, completing quests, or performing actions such as repairing machinery or healing yourself. Every three or four levels you character also gets a perk, which boosts certain abilities and helps you to specialize your character. Now for the bad, and why Fallout 2 ultimately gets only 4/5 stars. First, the story is not as captivating as the first game, in my opinion. Second, it can be a chore to level your character in the early game, and even involves that old RPG stereotype of killing rats. Third, this game is hard. Really, really hard. Once you start exploring the southern portions of the game world, you and your cronies had better be packing major heat, because there are swarms of high level enemies that will tear you apart. They come in packs, and often have 2-3 times the action points you do in random encounters. Running is recommended. This is a shame, because characters that are not focused on combat skills will have an exceptionally hard time surviving these battles, and it discourages exploration. Overall though, this game is one of the true great RPGs. Take it from me, as someone who normally wouldn't give RPGs the time of day because magical weapons, fairies, and castles make me want to puke. Great atmosphere, characters, and lots of black humour abound. If you like roleplaying games, and are looking for something different from the typical D&D setting, then Fallout 2 is a great choice. Highly recommended.
Aside from C&C Red Alert (my first PC game ever), this relatively unknown gem is probably my favourite RTS overall. It is somewhat similar to the recent Dawn of War II games, in that you only have a limited number of forces at your disposal. You can call in more troops via a dropship using requisition points that slowly regenerate over time. If your army is too large however, the points only regenerate as you kill enemy units, limiting the size of your army. Battles take place on a variety of locales, and are fought over strategically important control points. These locations provide a new location for your dropship to land new units. Lose all your control points and you lose the mission. There is no base building aside from creation of basic turrets to defend your dropzones, and even these are quite limited. Battles are fought and won with units, ranging from standard infantry to tanks, artillery, and gunships. There are three races in total, two human and one alien. In the campaign you get to play as two of the races, with the third being your primary adversary. Each side has similar types of units, but they differ pretty dramatically in strengths and abilities. Gameplay is quite fun, although it can be quite hard. All of the units have two firing modes/morph abilities, which increases their flexibility. Units also gain veterancy, which encourages you to keep your forces alive. Buildings and defensive weapons can be garrisoned by infantry, and if I remember correctly, certain types of terrain offer defensive bonuses if you place units there. The AI tends to send continuous hordes of units at your army until you capture their dropzones, which makes for often hectic and intense battles. A few missions have you working alongside AI allies, but they are largely useless. Graphically, the game is quite impressive for its time. You have much more control over zooming and panning than in most games, including 360 degrees of rotation. It is very cool to zoom in on your marching infantry, and then pan skyward to view the impressive skybox in each map. Units are rendered well, and have decent textures and animation. The game has all the usual explosions and weapons fire effects, and even is a bit gory when infantry succumb to weapons fire. Overall, I would rate this game a 9/10 (five stars rounding up). If you are seriously into RTS games, and don't mind trying something different you will enjoy this game. For me, moving away from the standard base building mechanic was a breath of fresh air. It is great fun to use snipers to kill enemy units, or send in gunships to devastate ground forces. Another highlight is upgrading your dropship, which turns it into a powerful superunit in its own right, capable of defending a hotly contested control point, or as fire support for your army. Ground Control 2 is an extremely underrated RTS, and for 5.99, it is a steal.
