Fallout

Computer Role Plating Games saw a drought throughout the mid 90s, but saw a spike with the release of Diablo, and many new of the release of Fallout, and were fairly stoked.
 
Fallout is a game set in a post apocalyptic future, with a grimy 50s futuristic setting. Fallout doesn`t use your usual setting of orcs or fantasy theme, but uses weapons and many things found or created on this Earth. There are also laser rifles which were created by the Brotherhood of Steel, which is a group very dedicated to science, and researches many things left with the planet, and have crazy well invented inventions, like their Power Armor and laser rifles. That is the very neat and engaging thing about Fallout, is the setting isn`t generic at all to most RPG`s, and as well puts a twist, and many qwerky things to add to the world. Fallout has a very engaging story, excellent graphics and very fun gameplay, making it one of the greatest RPGs ever.
 
Fallout is considered an unofficial sequel to Wasteland which was released in 1987, another game which wasn`t set in the pseudo-medieval setting. Fallout deals with nuclear weapons and is full of many small villages or communities built up arond the wasteland of western USA. You take control of the one known as the vault dweller, and are sent out in search for a water chip to restore the water for your vault. You won`t be entering dungeons in search for a special items, and well there isn`t really any dungeon crawling, but you`ll travel through struggling villages, and many small cities with their own governments and even law system. You will talk to any one you want, and completing many side quests along the way to get the meat of the story, and the side quests are very engaging as well, not just being tacked on. The dialogue system is tremendous in Fallout, and if you pursue to level up your speech skill, you thus have a ton more dialogue options available when speaking to NPCs. There are ma radiated animals and insects that scower the land and abandoned run down buildings, like other vaults that have been breached and cleared out from raiders or Mutants.
 
Fallout uses a turned based battle system, and your character will have action points that he or she can spend in a turn. The better you are with using weapons, the less AP you will need to use your weapon in a turn, and also increases damage. The battle system works extremely well, and is very fun, and you will not want to put down this game. The game is very much punishing, and I would recommend creating quite a bit of saves, because if you end up pissing off the wrong people or even shooting the wrong people, you could be stuck and die every time you load up, requiring you to pretty much restart the game over. It is highly recommended that you use the quick save feature quite often.
 
Fallout depicts that 50s Nuclear Warfare, weapons of mass destruction setting very well, using music and and tv ads, as well as the humor really well. The characters and dialogue is done very well to fit that era. You`ll really feel as if you are actually in this this futuristic 50s nuclear setting, actually diving in with the people and, locations and objects throughout Southern California. Fallout is an RPG as well, as you gain experience points, level up, and put your skill points on various skills depending on what type of character you wish to use. Every few levels or so, you`ll also gain a perk to add, which give you a bonus in what ever type of perk you picked, and some come with something good, but usually one downside to it as well, really making think what you want to pick.
 
Fallout also has a Karma level, if you do good or bad deeds, your character can have good, bad or neutral Karma. Many of the houses or building will have dressers or footlockers, etc. to grab items such as bullets or stimpaks, and many other items, some can be key items to which really requires you to not just throw anything away. With a picklock skill, you can attempt to break into some locked doors or safes giving you exp. for doing so. No matter what type of character you choose to go with, or what route, you the player will always feel satisfied and reap the benefits, and the game allowing a way through the game with a mastering of each skill. Each area you enter has different background music with a very atmospheric feel really adding to the wasteland you scower about in search for the water chip. Although the game may have quite a few bugs here and there, it is one of the greatest game you`ll ever play, but using lots of save states will keep you from needing to start a new game. I highly recommend anyone remotely interested in video, at a decent age with an understanding of life and the things that revolve around us, and a knowledge of history to play this game, a lot of reading is required as most dialogue is text only. This game would be hard for younger kids to really get into or even play, and with the humor in the game, you`ll have to have some age and life experience to really get some of the goofy things that happen in Fallout.
 
Fallout is must a must play though, A very good game and experience all together.