Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel Reviews

Four more reviews for Interplay’s Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel hit the web this weekend. The first is at PSX2 with an overall score of 7/10:

If Brotherhood of Steel can snare a few more people and get them interested in the PC games, so much the better. With the closure of Black Isle and the general thinning of the talent that went into creating the first couple games, there’s little reason to think that magic of those mid/late nineties PC classic will ever really be fully renewed, and as it stands, Brotherhood of Steel will probably be the last Fallout game kicked out under the Interplay banner, making it at least rental worthy. As such, it’s a bit disappointing to know this is the series’ swan song, but for fans and those looking to get a basic introduction to the series, this isn’t a bad way to say goodbye. Just don’t expect people to get all misty-eyed when they think of the series like they used to.

The second is at eToyChest with an overall score of 3/5:

You see, I don’t mind so much that the developers traded in Fallout’s classic feel for more arcade action. If they would have done so with the care that was obviously taken with the original games, and delivered an action RPG that still felt similar and immersed me like its predecessors, I would have been more than content. This game just sullies the name of Fallout, and cheapens it. As I said earlier, Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel is fun, but it is Fallout only in name, rather than design.

The third is at Deeko.com with an overall score of 5.5/10:

I’m not oblivious to the fact that change is inevitable and I certainly wouldn’t fight it. We’ve seen many game franchises change formats over the years and most of them have seen some success. Fallout: BoS is not one that I feel has not successfully achieved this goal and I really didn’t find much within the game that I liked. It’s almost a crime to call the game Fallout, because it bears so little a resemblance to past titles. Sure, it was a big change. but it was a big change that simply went wrong. The lack of a coherent and interesting storyline is perhaps the biggest issue one could have with the game, which is sad considering the hack and slash element is pretty fun. I’m not happy with the identity theft, either. It’s as if someone took Dark Alliance and created their own Fallout mod, forgetting to insert the trademark humor and capable plotline. With Baldur’s Gate II on the horizon, I can’t honestly say I’d recommend this game. It has some fun moments, but in the end, Fallout is simply a bastardization of a series that maintains no sense of integrity to its original roots.

And the fourth is over at TeamXbox with an overall score of 3.6/5:

Overall, Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel is a solid RPG/action title worthy of accolades. The argument over this title will surely center on if this title is still advanced enough with a two plus year old game engine to hold up to other games within its genre. I feel that the answer is yes, but there are surely some improvements that could have been made. Since the game engine is directly taken from the Baldur’s Gate title it is hard for me to score this one high in the next-gen category or recommend it to those who have already been there and done that in Dark Alliance. Those encountering BoS without ever playing BG will definitely find some sweet RPG style gameplay and some nifty real-time action to boot. Whether Brotherhood of Steel seems dated or not is pretty much a moot point until something much better in the genre is released. Until then, pick your RPG/action flavor; medieval or post-apocalyptic.