Fallout, created and developed by Interplay Entertainment in 1997, offered a unique spin on the top-down RPG with its post-apocalyptic setting and grotesque creatures. The players assume the role of the Vault Dweller, tasked to retrieve a replacement purifying chip for the water system in Vault 13, scouring the barren wasteland of what used to be California. Though this game has well-crafted characters and a tasteful plot, nothing can escape time and sadly, this game is a little too old. The graphics are grainy, the point and click movement is boring, and the combat is uninteresting. While popular in its time, the flaws inherent in an older game have become glaringly apparent. Fallout 2, the predecessor of Fallout, was made by Black Isle Studios and The Omni Group in 1998. In Fallout 2, players play as “The Chosen One,” an ancestor of the Vault Dweller from Fallout, tasked with retrieving a Garden of Eden Creation Kit (G.E.C.K.) for the town of Arroyo. While the story is a little more engaging and features a charismatic yet manic final boss, nothing stands out more than its special interactions with unique events and characters. DespiteFallout 2 garnering enough attention at the time for the IP to be acquired by Bethesda, Fallout 2 suffers from problems similar to Fallout 1 in that the game is too dated, formulaic and slow for the modern audience.
Fallout 3 is the first 3D Fallout game to be released, following Bethesda’s acquisition of the license. Players take on the role of The Lone Wanderer, exploring the wasteland in search of their father after their vault is overrun with radroaches. The factions clash with the New California Republic (NCR) and the Brotherhood of Steel vs. The Enclave, the former world government before the bombs fell. I highly Recommend you take your time with this game, considering how many side quests and locations you could discover by simply curiously exploring the game. Fallout 3 is a must play if you want a complete and entertaining Fallout game.
When compared to Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas, Fallout 4 is a little more tame and lacks the same excitement. Players assume the role of The Sole Survivor from Vault 111, trapped in a wasteland much different from your time 200 years ago, with the sole goal of finding your kidnapped son. While Fallout 4 boasts a great DLC in Far Harbor and humorous dialogue options, it falls short in complexity compared to its older counterparts.
The Fallout series adaptation on Amazon Prime has been a pleasant surprise for fans and non-fans alike. With the constant references to old games and the piling mysteries behind Vault-Tec and the vaults, the show keeps people hooked on the plot and well-developed characters. From Lucy, the vault dweller exploring the role of most protagonists from fallout games as the lone wanderer in search of family, to Maximus, a Brotherhood squire with a dream to be a knight of the Brotherhood and The Ghoul, a pre-war survivor turned merciless bounty hunter, each character each character brings depth to the hunt for a single man, promising fulfillment of their individual goals upon his capture.
