Fallout Shelter (PC) Review

The basic premise is that you, as the overseer of one of Vault-Tec's underground lairs… err, shelters, must create a community of vault dwellers, and keep them safe and happy. Doing so requires building all sorts of rooms; rooms that range from ones that generate power or provide water and food, to more specialised structures that help your "citizens" upgrade their skills, craft weapons and armour, or simply some room to store items.

As the game goes on, it will be possible to have the settlers… coochie coo with each other and produce offspring, have them send messages to the wasteland to gather more "troops," or even go out there and do some scavenging, exploring, and questing, which, needless to say, is a bit more challenging than killing a bunch of big and gross radroaches inside the vault. Fallout Shelter, however, doesn't really feel like a video game with a set of specific "goals" - it's more like a toy.

Similar to The Sims, you'll probably love playing this, but you'll only play it to pass the time - and, to be honest, this a title that's best when experienced in small bursts, like during a brief break from something else. The reason is that, since this started as a mobile app, most of it is pretty automated. The people do all their working, exploring, and killing, on their own, with very little need for player interaction. Think of it as a much more intricate Tamagotchi…

Need more food? Just "drag-and-drop" someone with high agility to a restaurant. Want to defend your base from a raider… err, raid? Place those with the bigger guns in the entrance, and so on. Even the quests, where a bit more clicking will ensue, are heavily auto-piloted. Sure, you'll decide which room will be explored next, and you'll have to be aware of your party's health, being ready to use a Stimpack or two, but don't expect something way too complex.

So, in conclusion, Fallout Shelter is very entertaining, and, especially in the very beginning, very addicting, especially since it requires a certain level of "commitment" from the player, as it keeps on "running" even after you close it, meaning that you must frequently check if someone hasn't died, or if your citizens are alive and breathing. Note, however, that after a few weeks or so, the inevitable will come - the game won't have anything more to give you, and will thus become a bit repetitive.

…and yet, for its general lack of end-game content, it's worth its money - as it's free and all. The REAL problem with Fallout Shelter is actually the PC platform. This is clearly one of those mobile games that are perfect for wasting time with while on a bus to work/school/maternity hospital. In other words: this is entertaining and all, but why should anyone play this here when it's also available for smartphones?