Fallout

The Good
Years after it's release Fallout is a name that still commands respect among rpg gamers and gaming enthusiasts alike and with good reason. After Diablo broke everyone's pre-conceptions by providing a FUN rpg-like experience based around a tile-based isometric gameworld, Interplay took the hint and developed a game that capitalized on the new graphic trend but enhanced the roleplaying side of things instead of being a medieval-themed whack-a-mole.

Thinking back a little it was quite a gamble for Interplay, but to their credit they did stack the deck to their advantage: Fallout was the first title to come out of their newly-formed rpg division, and as such paid homage to one of the company's greatest hits: the classic Wasteland (in fact the game is pretty much an unofficial remake). Interplay was NOT going to let this one fail on them and from the moment it came out it became evident the care and quality in design poured on it.

As with most legendary games everything has already been said about them, so I can be brief and just summarize why it rocks so. For starters this was the first rpg in a while that really took to heart the "role" in roleplaying, and as such allowed you to pretty much do whatever you wanted. This philosophy first became evident when you started your game through the character generation page and you realized that there were no classes... that's right, no predefined molds to get stuck into. Instead S.P.E.C.I.A.L. (as the character system got named) allowed you to shuffle a predefined level of attributes that molded the basic high and lows of your character and then you distributed your assorted points in the real heart of the beast: the skill system.

Summing up every possible action under a specific skill (small arms for gunfire, science for hacking and stuff like that, etc.) the developers crafted a solid gameplay system under which mostly every possible action was available. Yes, skill systems are not new, but Fallout's system managed to hit the spot on just about everything, by leaving out ambiguous, yet always present rpg skills like "leadership" or "octopramancy" (??) and simply focusing on correctly modeling a small list of solid, down-to-earth ones, that became the foundation for the solid gameplay. Gameplay which develops like a good-ol'-fashioned adventure game which relied on these skills to provide different paths and solutions to the problems at hand as well as provide different ways for you to interact with the gameworld. It's easy to see where the whole thing takes you: want to charm your way to the bad guy's lair by seducing the guard? You'd better have the right dialogue skills, which allow you to select more options when talking, and be the right person for the job (yes, Fallout is amongst the first games that I knew of that made actual distinctions in gameplay for male and female characters). Want to hack the security system so as to toast him with no effort? That's what those science points are for. Your character has no brains and needs to resort to violence? Go for it! As your character develops you construct him/her into whatever character suits your playing style and the addition of starting traits and the chance to select unique perks when leveling up allows you to add different, rule-bending capabilities to your character that keep things interesting as you can always add a nice twist to your character by say... adding bonus moves to your action pool, or making you a night-creature that gains bonuses when the sun goes down but penalizes you during daytime...

The system is flexible enough to provide lots of different responses to most quests, but that wouldn't be much of an achievement if you didn't have a proper gameworld that allowed you to try those different paths. This is the other key to Fallout's success: a wonderfully crafted gameworld filled with scripted events, complex locations and diverse set-pieces that is just as flexible as the skill system itself. Flexibility that even extends to moral grounds and which allows you step away from being the standard "paladin of justice" character and be a bit more naughty.... you know doing everyday things like raping & pillaging, betraying friends for money, blackmailing, extorting and generally being the bad boy/girl of your dreams. All actions that have consequences in your immediate gameworld (party members that may desert you, underworld doors that might open to you, etc.) as well as the larger plotline that looms around you (in fact, a kickass addition to the endgame is that you get a rundown of how you affected each location with your actions. How cool is that?).

Yes the game does nudge you into the "good" direction, and ultimately the plot revolves around you being the saviour of the world, but there's ample room for you to do naughty things in the ambiguously moral, dog-eat-dog society of the wastes, where decent farmers might be ready to stab you in the back at any time, and criminal overlords might provide the only measure of trust you can find... provided you play their game... A feat made possible by the grim, yet darkly humorous tone that runs through the entire game and which coats the whole experience in a satirically enjoyable mood that includes references to practically every post-apocalyptic movie ever made, and that permeates every aspect of the game, even the damage description texts! ("Dog receives XX amount of critical damage and spectacularly flies into the air exploding into tiny chunks of meat as it goes. Dog would have loved to see that, but unfortunately it was already dead".... :)))

This takes me to another key feature and which involves the incredibly detailed production design that went into the game. From the exceptionally moody intro sequence that places you into the apocalyptic mood faster than you can say "Nuke" to the distinct art direction that based it's look around 50's cold-war nuclear scares (seen Terminator 3? Remember the nuke shelter John and co. go into at the end? That's what I'm talking about) Ie. Valve-radios, vintage cars, friendly yet somehow disturbing PSA's that were also used to describe the many features in the game (with the uber-cool Pip Boy!![or Vault-Boy or whatever you want to call him] which also appears in the excellent manual). The graphics, composed of pre-rendered sprites and tiles give the entire game a distinct look that is always strictly in tune with the dark-toned mood of the game, and the exceptional music composed by Mark Morgan constructs a soundscape like no other with eery cues and tribal sounds. As in every decent rpg the story is a primordial element, and while boiling down to the usual "go kill gonzo" still manages to remain interesting and thrilling through the entire game, with the constant threat of a mutant armada looming around you just as in the original Wasteland (although they were robots back then) and with the added responsibility of saving a secluded society of Vault-dwellers that appealed personally to me as it made the game even more like one of my favorite comic book series: "Danske" by Wood/Villagran, which also dealt with an unwilling character going out into the unknown wastes of a post-apocalyptic world in search of the key to save her vault-dwelling friends and relatives. Said comic however did NOT have what has to be the BEST. ENDING. EVER. Shocking, emotional, and completely coherent with the game and subject, Fallout's gritty ending is another reason why it's so fondly remembered.

Oh, and lest I forget, Fallout's grim post-apocalyptic world is no exception to that rule-of-thumb in rpgs that dictate that sometimes there are no peaceful resolutions to conflict: and so it has it's own comprehensive combat system that was so good (save for some odd quirks, see "the bad") that it got it's own game (Fallout: Tactics). Basically what you have here is a full-fledged turn-based tactical combat system which is ruled by the aforementioned skill system (to determine accuracy, damage, etc.) and incorporates into that a stellar combat interface that includes shitloads of weapons with different firing modes, ammunition types and even supports called shots that allow you to blind a target or cripple them with a well placed bullet (be careful though: the same goes for you and your friends... and there are no magic resurrection temples in this game). Range and lighting take a major part in your stats and weapon customization allows you to enhance your weapons for extra damage or added features taking the depth of the combat mode even further. It's hard to believe that at the same time this was happening on a PC near you console gamers were drooling for the ATB system in FF7.... sheeesh....

The Bad
Graphically the game can get a bit monotone after a while, as there is only so much desert junktowns you can stomach. Besides that, there are some.... uh..."interesting" design choices which would have worked out if it weren't for some ill fated AI problems and interface issues. What I'm talking about here basically is party management and interaction.

The decision was made to make party members independent NPCs that just followed your character around, and while you can instruct them to keep a certain amount of distance from you, you have no way of controlling what weapons or armor they use or what the hell they do in combat. Now, this could have worked, unfortunately the shitty AI causes your allies to drop shotguns and start throwing flares at your enemies, run face first into an enemy wielding a mini-gun, throw grenades at an enemy that's locked in hand-to-hand combat with you and other assorted fuckups that will make you wonder if they are worth the extra firepower and inventory space (specially once you figure that the only way to share items with them is to use the same bartering interface you use with the rest of the world (??)). Their path-finding is also horrendous and more often than not, your buddies can make you get stuck in a corner whenever you are indoors, as they follow you and clutter around you, leaving you no room to maneuver. Not to mention that they are decidedly shallow, cardboard cut-outs characters that have less appeal than most npcs you encounter in the game.

There are also some stupid fuckups with the skill system's dice rolls that make sense system-wise, but are completely out of touch with basic physics laws and could have been resolved with some common sense. For instance, can anyone explain me how is it that a critical failure with a burst weapon causes someone to hit characters that are BEHIND his line of sight?? Believe me, there are no safe areas whenever anyone pulls out a burst weapon...

Finally, I felt it was a huge mistake to add a time limit to what's essentially a game about exploring the rich gameworld that surrounds you. Yes, the limit is removed in the later versions in the sense that it no longer forces a "game over" on you. But it still affects the game in many sucky ways (ie. the location endings).

The Bottom Line
To summarize Fallout in a few lines is a pretty bogus idea, but I guess I can try and say that it's a landmark achievement in the world of CRPGs and mature videogaming alike, not to mention the best post-apocalyptic game ever (except for it's sequel). If you are one of the poor fools that still hasn't played it do yourself a favor and pick up a copy ASAP, it's required gaming for anyone who considers himself a serious gamer and it's one of the coolest experiences you can have in front of a computer. Best enjoyed with a side order of Iguanas-on-a-stick and plenty of Nuka-Cola.

The Good
In the early 90’s PCRPGS were not so hot. Sure there was the occasional Ultima, or Might and Magic, but the market was still lacking. Enter Fallout, from Black Isle, a different type of CRPG. And one than would usher in a new era of fantastic CRPGS.

In Fallout, your are a inhabitant of Vault 13. The world above is dead, and those lucky enough to be saved, have not seen the surface for a long time. You are sent above to find a water chip, little do you know that this simple quest will change your life, and that of all the surface dwellers forever.

Topside a few scattered groups of people have banded together and have built up a primitive new world. Akin to “Mad Max” and the Phillip K. Dick novel, “The Penultimate Truth”. On your quest to save your Vault, you will meet hundreds of shady characters, and many will offer to join your cause, it is up to you who if anyone to trust. You will also uncover a city of mutants, they were once human but no more thanks to the nuclear wastes, that they have made home.

The plot is well written and full of mystery. From the awesome opening, till you achieve one of the multiple endings Fallout, will keep you glued to your monitor, as you explore a dystopian society that is more than it seems. Several factions have appeared in the new world and it is up to you to join or ignore them.

In Fallout you make your character. From basics like Male/Female, to stats, and cool perks. Perks include, being extra lucky, to the funny and bizarre spontaneous combustion. You can accumulate a party, or not, it is entirely up to you, as are the factions join one and gain the perks of being a member or be a loner. Or even betray your own Vault. This can all be overwhelming at first, but after an hour or so, you will wish all RPGS were this open-ended. This also lends to high replay value.

Skills include which weapons you are proficient with. You have many choices here, swords, guns, hand to hand, blunt, etc. Gun combat is probably the most satisfying. But once more it is up to you. There are skills you must “use” as well, from medic to increased defense. There are passive skills as well.

The combat can either be set to turn based, or real time. Turn based is somewhat easier, but the basics remain the same. You have action points or AP. Doing things in battle consume these points, from attacking, running, reloading, etc. In battle you will face mutants, humans, etc, all with a certain weakness.

You explore towns made of scrap, ruined Vaults, a Necropolis, and that is just scratching the surface. The setting makes Fallout one of the most unique RPGS out there, and give the game much personality. Rivaled perhaps only by Planescape: Torment, ShadowRun, and Arcanum.

The graphics are good for the time, and while a little dated today, they are still passable. The areas are well detailed and have a certain charm. The character graphics are nice and well detailed, such as when you equip a new type of armor or weapon. Lighting effects help convey dark areas, or the brightness of the wastelands.

The sound effects are nice. But the music and the voice acting steal the show in Fallout. The music is often just audible in the background, and never pretentious. The VO’S are all top notch.

The Bad
Getting Fallout to run on newer machines is a chore. Why can't there be an easier way?

Why couldn’t there have been full voice acting?

If you stray to far early on, you will be sorry.

The Bottom Line
Fallout helped get Black Isle off the ground, and remains as one of their best games. If you were not old enough to play the “Wastelands” CRPG, Fallout, is a good alternate. I cannot wait till Fallout 3!

The Good
Yes, that's right. Orcs are now ultra-technological mutants. It seems that Interplay got bored of the classic recipe for RPG's, the fantasy world, filled with all kinds of elves, orcs, ogres, goblins, giant snakes etc... Interplay created a SF world, similar to the one in Mad Max. I usually hate SF/Mecha stuff, but Fallout was the only SF game I liked. Why? I will tell you here: First: This is the most interesting world I've ever seen in any game. The first reason would be that the planet on which the action takes place is Earth. Yes, our beloved planet. But it's something wrong with it. WE have destroyed part of it's surface during the 3'rd World War with nuclear weapons. Sounds kinda weird, but believe me the atmosphere present in this game is simply AWESOME.

The graphics and sound/music makes you believe that you are really alive in that world and you're not a simple player.

During the game, you can interact with most of the objects on the map, most of them being used for one of the available quests.

Also, each NPC in the game has something to tell you, and that makes the game even more realistic. You won't run near an NPC without seeing a message on top of his head.

The game uses for the intro sequence a classic song "The Ink Spots-Maybe", which, in my opinion, makes the FO1 intro one of the best i've ever seen. The intro itself is divided into 2 parts. One presents the world, and the other one presents the reason for the destruction of the world.

In order to start the game you must first create your character. You can use one of the 3 pre-defined characters, or you can create your own, choosing the name, perks, skills etc.

The available skills for you are more than enough, and that applies to perks too. You will never get bored while level upping your character, and you can finish the game using other skills everytime. That way, you will never get bored. The character's attributes are the classical Strenght, Dexterity, Perception etc...

The world you play in is quite big, and for travelling you will use system similar to the one present in Baldur's Gate.

Each town in the game is different from all others, and in a town you can recieve missions/buy stuff/sleep etc... The missions available for you are quite numerous so fun is guaranteed.

I also liked the weapons, variating from pistols, to rocket launchers.

One of the good things in this game would be the "healing system". Apart from all other RPG's now, you have some more ways to die. If your health falls below 0, you die. If you get radiated more than normal, you die. If you get sick because of chem. using, you die. And more.

The game is divided in 2 parts. What I liked about this aspect was that in the first part, when you are "under time pressure" you quickly explore the world, and after you finish the first part, you are under no pressure, so you can complete the quests you found during P1.

I liked the idea of saving your people from damnation but it's kinda used too much and ... well... it offers you a deja-vu sensation :)

There are some characters in the game that use voice, borrowed from famous actors. The voices sound perfectly! Simply put, the characters even seem to be real!

The Bad
It's hard to find something bad in this game. Maybe the tons of bugs... but most of them are now fixed with the new patches.

The Bottom Line
Humans destroyed the world and now mutants think they can make the new world a better place by transforming humans into other stinky mutants?! What the hell! Take 'em out now!