Fallout 2 is the much anticipated sequel to Fallout, one of the best RPG's ever created. This game continues where Fallout left off, and once again you are faced with the trials and hazards that come with trying to survive in a post-nuclear world.
At the end of Fallout, you were banished from Vault 13, and that character wandered the wastelands until he started a village of his own. Over the last 80 years, this village, known as Arroyo, has been the home of the Vault Dweller's ancestors. The exploits of that brave character have become known to all who have lived there and they think of him as the savior of their people. Unfortunately, the village is dying now, crops are no longer producing food, children are sick, and the Brahmin are dying by the handful.
You play a character who is a direct descendant of the Vault Dweller, and has been summoned by the Village Elder who asks you to once again save your people from destruction. She says that there is a device known as a G.E.C.K. (Garden of Eden Creation Kit), and if you can venture outside of the village and obtain one of these devices, then it will save the village from withering away. That will be your main quest, but once you get the G.E.C.K., the game branches off into a rescue type of situation because the entire village is kidnapped by a force intent on using them as test subjects.
The mechanics and gameplay of this game are almost identical to the original Fallout, and I will be pointing out the few differences that did make this a very enjoyable sequel. The gaming screen was set-up the same, and you still have your trusty old friend the "PipBoy", to help you keep track of quests and access previous movies or dialogue. Graphics were very good, with all the environments and different towns detailed very nicely. You really got a feeling that you were in a post-nuclear world. Sound was excellent, with plenty of ambient noises, and authentic weapon sounds. Let's not forget the very distinctive and always amusing voice tracks for NPC's. The interface was very easy to use, with everything being a mouse click away, no keyboard action needed at all, and you gotta love that !
Replay value is extremely high, because I can guarantee you that every time you play this game, you will find out something about it that you missed previously, whether it be new items, weapons, or just a whole new area that passed you by. There is not really much of a learning curve associated with this game. If you have played the first one, then anything you learned from that game can be applied to this one. There is somewhat of a tutorial mission involved within the game itself, and let me explain that further. After the Village Elder tells you about the G.E.C.K., then you are asked to prove you are worthy by completing the Temple of Trials, which is basically a small temple in the Village that is filled with many dangerous creatures and obstacles to overcome. So this part of the game is more or less the tutorial part of it, and you will learn everything from inventory management to combat skills. There are also a few pages in the manual that walk you through this part of the game. That is the extent of any kind of tutorial in Fallout 2, so do not expect to find a stand-alone mission in the main menu options.
The system of skills, traits, and perks is still a big part of the Fallout world, and it continues into Fallout 2. This brings me to one of the biggest differences in this sequel, and that is the fact that there are considerably more perks available in this game. You still have some great classic perks, like Comprehension (one of my favorites, which actually gives you additional skill points for reading technical manuals). But now you can choose some great new ones, like Gain Strength (increases your strength by +1 permanently), and Kama Sutra Master (which gives you more stamina when doing the "dirty"...LOL).
The combat system is still turn-based, meaning that you will still have a certain amount of action points to complete moves, reloading, etc., and then your opponent will have a chance to do the same. The creatures and hostile people will still range anywhere from bandits to Rad Scorpions. You will still have plenty of weaponry to choose from, everything from shotguns to flamethrowers.
Character creation is done the same way as it was in the first game, and you have the same primary stats and skills to choose from. You are once again given three pre-made characters to choose from as well if you do not want to create your own character. The NPC's that you will encounter along your journey are still a very important part of the RPG experience, and once again, they can help turn the tide of battle for you. This time you can have a Super Mutant, a skilled brawler, a tech nerd, or a Deathclaw follow you into the wastelands.
The second major difference in this game concerns the NPC's. You can still control their inventory and give them armor and weapons, but now there is an additional drop down menu system that also allows you to control how they react in combat, and also when they will take their stimpacks (healing agent). In addition, certain NPC's will make particular items for you if you give them the right ingredients. There was also a very unique NPC situation, that I must admit, I have NEVER seen again in any other game. Whether you picked a male or female character during character creation, you are later in the game given a chance to marry a person of the opposite sex, and this is one of the funniest sequences in the game.
I saved the best change for last. In my review of the first Fallout, I mentioned that really the only shortcoming of that game was not having a way of traveling through the World Map quicker. Well, guess what? The makers of Fallout 2 have heard the gripe, and they included a vehicle in this game, and it is a classic muscle car.....LOL...I loved it !!!!!!!!!!!! If I remember correctly, it is a Chevy Chrysler, and one of the great things that it includes, is a trunk that you can store your extra goodies in. I don't know if this was a bug or not, but this trunk seemed to not have a bottom to it, and the amount of gear you could put into it was endless. Granted, you do not come across this vehicle until later in the game, and you have to find some parts for it, and also come up with a large amount of money to repair it, but regardless of that, it is still a great addition to the Fallout world.
Like any good sequel, this game was a lot bigger than the original. It provided a bigger world to explore, it provided more quests, and much more challenging foes. You should probably keep in mind that this game is rated Mature, and there were plenty of reasons for that. I personally did not mind, but I know that some people might. The mature content that is in both of the Fallout games is mainly language, violence (which can be adjusted in the game options), and reference to drug use. A couple of mature themes that were distinctive to this sequel are the following: you can pimp out your wife/husband for more money, and there are a few opportunities to actually engage in sex.
So, as you might guess, I really liked this game, and have played it several times. I know that Black Isle and Interplay were in the process of making Fallout 3 before they fell apart and I think went bankrupt, but I am hoping that some other company takes up the reigns and tries to finish making the game. If any of you have any further information about this, then PLEASE let me know and leave a post.
This is a "must" game to play, and I promise you it will be a very enjoyable RPG. Pick it up, and learn how to survive in a nuclear wasteland. And once again, I think of myself as an expert with this game, so please make a post if you need any help with it.
