Fallout (PC) Review

As the spiritual successor to Wasteland, Fallout’s story unfolds in a post-nuclear world; the outcome of a battle that, in less than two hours, scorched the earth and led to the destruction of every major city. Its protagonist is the ‘Vault Dweller.’ Born and raised in one of the many underground shelters that were created to protect(…) American citizens, this fellow must exit this safe, hi-tech abode, and find a working chip for the Vault’s water purifier - and at any cost. Unlike, [url=/review/2437/1/fallout-4-pc.html]Fallout 4[url], where it’s easy to forget all about saving your kidnapped child, there’s a very strong feeling of urgency here due to the existence of a time limit. Such an obstacle might seem stupid in an RPG, but it’s handled very well, first by not being too strict and, second, by offering days to spare for those who’ll play their cards correctly. The important thing about that said limit, though, is that it sets the tone for the rest of the adventure. This wants to make you feel that you have just entered a dangerous place that doesn’t care about the protagonist, and in order to do so, it has thrown lots of weight on presentation.

Apart from the far more mature writing and visceral level of gore in fights, it oozes with an insane amount of atmosphere. Bethesda’s Fallout titles could feel depressing, creepy, and unwelcoming at times, but they generally leaned more towards the quirky, comedic side of the franchise. Sure, there’s a certain b-movie, schlocky vibe to it all. Flash Gordon and Mad Max-like costumes and places, hulking super mutants and zombie-like ghouls, as well as a heavy dose of ‘50s hyper-consumerism, and Atomic Age, plus Raygun Gothic-inspired design. This never acts as a comedy or a cheesy sci-fi adventure though. There’s a surprising level of sincerity in the writing and overall tone of it all, which stays consistent throughout the adventure. This isn’t a comedy. It’s a tragedy.

The Bethesda Fallout instalments are Grand Theft Auto-like satires of a post-apocalyptic America, with too many references to the past, including golden classics that bop along as you shoot at monstrous, mutated creatures. In here, the tiny bits of retro-futurism available are mainly used in the beginning, and only to create an extremely strong contrast with the current situation and show that those days are truly over. This still has a weird and very dark sense of humour, but its main theme is that of dead world that’s on the verge of dying once more. So, forget about swinging tunes or heroic orchestral music. The soundtrack is filled with eerie and bizarre ambient tracks that makes you feel exactly as you are supposed to: uncomfortable.

This is about humanity’s struggle with surviving. It’s not a fun world to live in, and that is reflected in the way characters speak. There’s none of Fallout 3’s wacky delivery here. People speak like people and not like cartoon characters, with the voice acting having a fantastic level of quality that few video games have. Occasionally aggressive, and almost always distrustful, the pain of living in the wasteland can be seen in the way NPCs talk, and that makes the world feel real and genuine. Fallout’s presentation is great even when you take its age into account. Visually it might seem below average due to its annoying recycling of character models and unimpressive graphic engine, but it makes up for it with how dirty, destroyed, and… dead, everything looks - not to mention that, despite the low resolution at hand, it’s all very detailed, especially when it comes to the pretty violent battles.

The world that the Vault Dweller will have to brave is a depressing, pessimistic place; a place that will challenge you, a place that will change you. However, it’s also a place that you will change too, as your actions will have some great ramifications on the outcome. After all, true to its pen-and-paper roots, this is not just about playing, but role-playing. Upon entering the irradiated wasteland, the Vault Dweller is given immense freedom. Want to solve problems like a gunslinger or a strong but stupid hunk of meat that can barely talk. Do you prefer hiding in the shadows like an agile thief, or smooth-talk your way out of trouble? Would you rather be a beacon of hope, a cynical opportunist, or a scourge of the land who slaughters whole towns?

The open-ended nature of Fallout is fantastic, and at the core of it all lies the character creation that revolves around SPECIAL, the acronym for the basic stats, which in turn affect the various available skills, which range from one’s ability with guns, using tech, or unlocking doors, to speaking with characters, repairing machinery, or being able to survive outdoors. Additionally, a variety of Perks can be activated at later levels, something that can a make a character even more specialised, and finally it’s possible to pick up two traits at the very beginning, which are perks that include one big disadvantage. Due to the sheer number of options, the replay value is sky high. Is the game any fun, though?

This has the capacity to grow on players, but it will do so veeeeeery slowly. To put it bluntly, this is a fantastic adventure, but, oh, dear mutated Master, such an old and flawed product! Initially the main problem will be the change in perspective, as this isn’t a first-person shooter, but a clickety-clicky isometric CRPG. Next, the wasteland can be quire hostile to new players that are accustomed to the modern era’s handholding. Of course, that last bit is part of the charm of it all. The real problems begin with the dice rolls, and how much they can make the combat suck. As an example, one can be an expert gunslinger, Luck statistic at its highest, with the best weapon on hand, and still manage to miss quite easily. Combine this with the insanely stupid companion AI which doesn’t care if you are in their line of fire, an atrociously archaic UI, and tons of quest-breaking bugs, and the end result is surely bound to anger… and yet, for all its major problems, the deeper you get into this, the more it feels like it’s the best the franchise has to offer.

Balance issues, bugs, and mechanics that are simply not explained at all, forcing you to search for a guide. In pure gameplay terms Fallout isn’t bad, but it isn’t that great either. This is one of those titles whose magic lies in its world building and narrative strength. The most important difference between this and the sequels, is that this isn’t a dark comedy. As a result, this is the only entry that truly captures the bleakness of a nuclear wasteland; an uncaring, moribund, hopeless world. This takes its microcosm seriously and so do its denizens. Fallout 3’s ending had you following a giant robot who shouted anti-communism propaganda. The final “boss” of Fallout is a memorable, tragic villain, who wants to save the world (in his own disturbing way), with whom you can talk, and even convince to stop his quest to cleanse the wasteland.

The few voiced-acted character interactions are simply magnificent, with lots of available choices (that actually matter) and some fantastic writing. It’s also great that there’s little to no filler in here. Unlike pretty much every single Fallout instalment it won’t take long to reach the finishing line, which besides making it harder to get bored, increases the replay value. Generally, while the plot of Fallout takes about a page or two to describe, it’s probably the absolute best in the series - something that also applies to the finale, which makes the endings every subsequent sequel pale in comparison. Fans of the newer games, as well as fans of role-playing games in general, are advised to try this out. It takes a while to get used to the super old-school feel of it all, but there’s a reason why this remains such a beloved title after so many years.