Fallout 2 Review… Sorta

GroovGames has written up an article for Black Isle’s classic sequel, offering their updated impressions of the RPG. Their final paragraph to follow:

The Fallout games have always had a very adult theme (not in a pornographic sense, though there are a few risque scenes). Dealing with the brutish denizens of the harsh wastes, this is really no surprise. The post-apocalyptic world is one overrun by drugs, corruption, mercenaries, slavers, and various other sundry and unsavory characters. How you choose to interact with this world is entirely up to you. You too can fall into the trap of easy money through thug-like behavior, or you can attempt to exact change in your surroundings, saving entire towns from the brink of collapse into total anarchy. The people of the wastes react appropriately to you, sometimes recoiling in fear if you are branded as a slaver, for example, or welcoming you as their saviour, if that is your chosen role. While certain aspects of the game fall very flat compared to the offerings of today (the graphics primarily, but the clunky interface is also guilty of this), the gameplay is where Fallout still shines. Few games are as well-crafted or engrossing. The setting has a lot to do with this, as there are really very few RPGs that have such a gritty feel. If I can find where the instability lies and keep the game from crashing on me so frequently, I just may see it to conclusion this time around.