Fallout 2

Other products by Interplay

Product Details

• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B00001QEQ8
• Media: CD-ROM
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (55 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #12,829 in Video Games (See Bestsellers in Video Games)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Platform: PC

Amazon.com Review
Fallout 2 takes you farther into the desolate wastes of post-World War III California than you'd ever have imagined. Based on the most popular game of 1997, the new system retains the kitschy-cool look and feel of the original while expanding the game world by an order of magnitude (and fixing some problems with combat and ally interaction).

The setup is similar: you have been chosen to save your community (this time a straggly bunch of tribal descendents of the original game's hero) by seeking the fabled Garden of Eden Creation Kit. The game is slower going than the first, which makes building your character up from tribal hick to Nietzschean Ubermensch all the more satisfying. While movement, combat, and inventory are still essentially the same, there are so many more quests to perform and facts to learn and keep track of that you'll find yourself playing again and again long after you've won the first time.

Be warned: There is extremely graphic violence and some graphic sex parading through this game from start to finish. Though you can set the tone down a bit through the main control panel, developments that happen on this adult setting are integral--so if you want a G-rating, try elsewhere.

For those who want great action, intriguing puzzles, and hysterical interactions, all created with a deviously twisted sense of humor, Fallout 2 is a dream come true. As a special bonus, the user's manual is even better than its predecessor; for once you actually want to read the darn thing! --Rob Lightner

Product Description
Fallout 2 is the sequel to 1997's critically acclaimed Role Playing Game of the Year. This post-nuclear adventure takes place 50 years after the first game and features more weapons and character skills, fierce mutant enemies, and an intricate plot that places you in a dangerous world devastated by nuclear war.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A worthy successor to a groundbreaking RPG, September 7, 2005

By	Zachary Zelmar (CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

Fallout 1 and Fallout 2 are available in a cheap bundle pack, but the bundle apparently does not include the amazing game manuals.

The Fallout games rank among the top few computer RPGs ever created. When the genre was in a slump, Fallout breathed fresh life into it. Fallout's originality, gritty post-apocalyptic environment, brilliant plot, and open-ended non-linear gameplay left an indelible mark upon the face of role playing. Anyone who appreciates Fallout 1 will enjoy the much larger Fallout 2.

Fallout has an isometric three-quarters view and features turn-based combat.

Fallout 1 began the great saga. When nuclear fired rained from the heavens, incinerating most of humanity, a lucky few reached the safety of underground bunkers. The player character, later known as the Vault Dweller, was born and raised in the womblike Vault 13. Fifty years after the war, the vault's water chip malfunctioned, and the Vault Dweller was sent outside to find a replacement. The hero fought terrible enemies in the chaotic wastelands of California and suffered greatly during [...].

Fallout 2 takes place 80 years after Fallout 1 and 130 years after the nuclear war that nearly exterminated the human race. The heroic Vault Dweller founded a primitive tribal village in Northern California, and taught the tribe to live in peaceful seclusion, before wandering into the wasteland once more. You are the Vault Dweller's descendant, the Chosen One. You must quest for a Garden of Eden Creation Kit that may save your dying village. You depart alone into the hostile wasteland, where corrupt societies tempered by constant warfare will challenge your naive upbringing. Many dangers await you: mutant beasts feed off of unwary travelers; the few decent farmers who plow the barren soil are murdered by barbaric raiders; criminals overpower lawmen; and an ancient power pursues a sinister agenda.

In a CRPG market dominated by fantasy archetypes of elves and wizards, the Fallout setting is radically distinct. It revitalizes tired fantasy conventions: the fallen, legendary kingdom is America; dark undead-infested dungeons are replaced by crumbling mutant-infested sewer systems; there is an unconventional stronghold of armored Paladins and Knights; and ancient buried scrolls are supplanted by scientific holo-disks.

The Fallout world is highly stylized, blending many influences into a unique package. It melds futuristic and retro styles, reflecting a futuristic post-apocalyptic world as imagined by 50's-era Americans, complete with vacuum tubes, blasters, giant mutants, and war propaganda. Fallout also drew inspiration from westerns, Mad Max, cheesy sci-fi movies, Monty Python and Douglas Adams.

The unique character creation system does not involve classes or races, and focuses instead on attributes, traits, skills, and perks. It is simple to use and allows endless customization: a perceptive sniper can target a Radscorpion's eye across the screen, a skillful thief can creep past guards and rob merchants blind, a martial artist can kick highwaymen in the groin, and a diplomat can end conflicts without violence. Any combination is possible. The game's non-linear plot rewards unique characters by allowing multiple solutions to each quest.

Players have unprecedented freedom to shape their destiny without being herded along by a forced plot. Actions bestow a positive or negative reputation, and people react accordingly. Become a champion of justice or an enemy of decency. Free the slaves or join the slavers. Secure an alliance between two towns or set them at each others' throats. Nearly anyone can be killed, but prepare for the consequences. Become a sheriff or a porn star, or both. Also, play at least once with minimum intelligence - this limits conversational choices to grunts and causes people to treat the character as an idiot.

Fallout 2's low-resolution graphics were obsolete when it was first released, and may disappoint gamers who have been spoiled by modern graphics. There are few character models; towns seem to be populated by clones. Fortunately, the technical shortcomings are overcome by the brilliant art design. The original environments are visually compelling and the visceral death animations enliven combat.

The moody music helps create an immersive environment. The voice actors and sound effects are superb.

The NPC allies in Fallout 1 were notoriously unreliable. They shot the player in the back and blocked doorways at every opportunity. They could not wear armor and did not gain levels. Fallout 2 improved them, allowing the player to change their combat behaviors, push them out of doorways, upgrade their armor, and watch them grow stronger. However, even Fallout 2 NPCs should not be trusted with miniguns.

The game manual (which may or may not be included) is wire-bound, thick, well-detailed, humorous, and illustrated. Game companies no longer produce manuals of this quality.

Fallout 2 has even more graphic violence, sex, and language than Fallout 1. Some adult content can be removed through the control panel.

There exists a debate as to whether Fallout 1 or Fallout 2 is superior, and consensus will never be reached. Fallout 2 has much greater scope, with more towns, quests, NPCs, and guns. It has a much improved party control system. Fallout 1 is more cohesive thematically, while the sequel went overboard on non-thematic elements such as pop-culture references, Easter Eggs, mobsters, and yakuza. Fallout 2 suffers from a boring opening area, the Temple of Trials, which is especially dull when replaying the game for the fourth time.

While the settings for both games are fascinating, Fallout 1 proves more loyal to classic survival themes. Fallout 1 takes place soon after the nuclear war: resources are limited, shanty towns contain warring factions, little communication and trade passes between towns, and barter systems are rudimentary. Fallout 2 takes place much later: unified city states control advanced technology and uniformed armies, regular trade passes between strongly allied governments, and gold currency is widely accepted.

Both games are amazing and should be played in their proper order, as the sequel continues the plot to a great conclusion. Fallout 1 and 2 are perfect games for anyone who likes creative RPGs, post-apocalyptic themes, and imaginative stories.

-Zach Zelmar

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ., April 1, 2000

By A Customer

Ahh -- this game came to me like a cool, refreshing breeze in the middle of a desert. I had just about given up hope. Console RPGs were too juvenile and restrictive-feeling, and computer RPGs were vanishing in favor of ugly-looking polygon-littered 3-D FX adventures. I figured that Ultima VII, several years back, had been the end of the kind of RPG I knew and loved, because I hadn't seen anything come remotely close to matching it since. (I should mention that I missed out on the original Fallout.) But I thought Fallout 2 looked interesting, took a chance on it, and felt that familiar old flood of video-game inspired joy wash through me.

This is a fantastic game. Not perfect, but 10x better than most of the games that've been available in the last few years. Refreshing element 1: it isn't for children, nor is it for people with the attention span of children. Refreshing element 2: it has an interesting and reasonably nicely laid-out storyline, but at the same time, refrains from *smothering* itself in story, leaving an entertaining degree of freedom in the hands of the player. Refreshing element 3: unlike most console RPGs, you don't have to "do the right, good, family-values oriented thing." You can shoot drugs, slaughter the innocent, bribe, steal, pimp, push, whore yourself around, contract STDs, and a host of other fun things. At the same time, you have innumerable chances to commit virtuous deeds, free slaves, engage in winning and complex subplots, etc., until you have made yourself something close to a living god in the eyes of the people. Both of these options, and the range they represent, are key, and contribute remarkably to the entertainment factor.

All of these things may seem fairly basic, but I think it is these fundamental aspects that are too often missing from RPGs. Another great thing about Fallout 2 is its aesthetic tact. It is a very attractive looking, admirably designed game, with lots of nice graphics, yet at the same time it doesn't go overboard in a desperate attempt to impress you merely with its technological cookies. Yes, it is a 2-D game -- and god bless it for that. No, there isn't a cinematic interlude every 4 minutes -- bless it for that as well. It is appealing visually, but it balances this with its other strengths to enhance the overall experience of actually involving yourself with the game.

Only complaint: some technical glitches here and there. I reached a point not long ago where I was mysteriously finding my "car" in every town I visited. Sometimes, only half of it was there. Very strange, and rather annoying, because glitches like that sometimes threaten to ruin an entire game. But this aside, this is sure to be a fine, fine purchase for anyone looking for a good, solid, mature, interesting, well-balanced, tactful, and epic RPG.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow. I need a sixth star here..., December 7, 1999

By	OfficerFriendly (USA) - See all my reviews

Some games rise above others, but there are a precious few that look down from above the clouds. Fallout 2 is one of those. The best thing about it is that everything matters. If you make a smart, fast character, you'll never carry a lot of gear or use a lot of the bigger weapons. If you make a strong, tough character, you'll be too dumb to notice special little things or to convince people to help you out. That's simplifying it, too; there are tons of available options and your character is fully customizable, and all of these details have tangible game effects.

Fallout 2 is also pretty hard, but not too hard. I don't enjoy cakewalk games, and this definitely isn't one. Your companions have an annoying habit of getting themselves killed, and it's up to you to keep it from happening. If you do stupid things, the enemies WILL kill you too, and quickly.

Last but not least, the humor--sometimes cornball and sometimes not--that permeates the game draws from everything from Monty Python (you can meet the bridgekeeper from Holy Grail! ) on down. I've laughed myself to tears a couple of times.

This game lacks only one thing: stunning visuals. And I promise, you'll be too engrossed in the game to worry about those. Fallout 2 = Must Buy.

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