User Score
8.5 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 338 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Negative: 36 out of 338

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  1. Nov 15, 2011
    10
    User Score, Y U are so low? Fallout is greatest CRPG ever. You can play it for 500 hours and still discover new things (like i did). Amazing storyline, amazing characters, amazing gameplay!
  2. Oct 10, 2010
    10
    The greatest Computer Role-Playing Game, in my opinion. It mixes a great atmosphere with awesome stat building, story, role-playing and character design. The creators of this went on to make Arcanum (Fallout 2 was by a different team) so if you liked Fallout (the first one) you will probably like Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura too. I highly recommend this game if you like Western RPGs.
  3. JeremyH.
    Mar 22, 2009
    8
    It's a pretty fun game but it's ruined by it's lack of replayability value. And not just after you beat it, if you die (which you will... a lot) and haven't saved in a bit (since there's no quicksave or autosave it's easy to forget) you just really, really don't want to do the crap you just did, especially if it involes fighting. I had more fun in this game just exploring instead of fighting, as it got long, tedious, and usually ended up with me dieing (maybe I just suck at this game). Either way, it's still a whole lot of fun and can really suck you in. 8/10 Also, Comp Nutjobm, this is Fallout 2, not Fallout 3. Expand
  4. Jul 4, 2011
    10
    This game is extremely fun. Who cares how old it is or the graphics. This is the game that started it all. This is Fallout, a game where you control your destiny through epic quests, allies, and weapons.
  5. TheOverseer
    Jan 20, 2005
    10
    Definitely the BEST RPG game ever!! Aside from the creative storyline and amazingly intelligent humor, it has a certain atmosphere and an overall game quality that is unmatched... it will always stay number one on my list!
  6. Adnanzx
    Nov 26, 2003
    10
    One of the best stories, and best gameplay, best voice acting, best facial expression, best mood, best sound, best rpg, and out of this world weapons variety. now who needs graphics if you have all that.
  7. DennisM.
    Dec 1, 2007
    10
    Great script, great gameplay, great replayability. Have replayed it countless times, absolutely excellent game. Most of all, its fun, which a lot of games seem to miss out on these days.
  8. LukeH.
    Feb 4, 2007
    10
    This is possibly the greatest game ever created, definitely the best RPG of all time. In my mind, this game is up there with the likes of Deus Ex and Grim Fandango.
  9. GoldLeader
    Feb 11, 2008
    10
    The Game. No, better yet, THE game. The only one you'll ever need if you're an RPG fan.
  10. RyanB
    Sep 19, 2009
    6
    I've been playing this game for nearly 10+ years, but I'd never get very far until recently. This time through I finally made it to the end, or at least until the game just broke down and I couldn't progress. I gave it a 6 not just because of the bugs, but because the game was lacking in a lot of ways. Since I played it many times I've been everywhere and now, done everything except for the cathedral, and I've got to say it's not even close to how great I thought it would be. I thought it would have powerful storylines actually shaped by the players events since at the beginning it gives that illusion. Sadly, as the game went on and neared the end things just went down hill. (SPOILERS) I did the whole side story of helping the Blades in the Boneyard defeat the Regulators after I was lucky enough to find the alien gun somewhere. When I finished, nothing changed. Some npcs died but no one reacted any different. In fact the only thing that really changed was the Gun Runners, after killing off the deathclaws they gave me better deals at there store. (/Spoilers) So the most interesting change the player could ever do in this game (besides progress to the "end" of the game, was to get better deals from some merchant? I expected much better from the supposed "Best RPG of all time". Now for all I know it was just bugs, since closely after that bugs just broke the game. I finished the quest with the brotherhood and gained access and then talked to the elders. (Spoilers) I scouted the military base out, then came back. And this is where the game hit rock bottom... They told me to go to the base and get inside. So I did, and to my surprise the soliders they sent with me didn't come in with me, so I had to fight an entire base of mutants by myself. So I did, and when I got to the end I killed the boss and left. But no one back at the brother hood says anything new to me, they don't say "Good job, here's your power armor" nothing. (/spoilers) So I'm left with nothing, no where to go, nothing to do. Besides some major bugs the game is still pretty mediocre. I had thought the story and player interaction in shaping the world was the best feature of the game, so I never minded the subpar combat, the linear dialogue or the failed attempt at what Deus Ex did so well, CHOICE. In Deus Ex you never have to fight, you can hack, lockpick and sneak your way to the end of levels, but Fallout forces you into every role. And if you can't fight then your screwed. If I never found the secret alien gun then I probably would not have gotten very far, since deathclaws were near impossible without it. Expand
  11. AlejandroD.
    Nov 11, 2005
    10
    This game is awesome!!!
  12. ShawnH.
    Nov 21, 2005
    10
    Simply one of the most entertaining RPG's every produced. Also, it had one of the greatest opening movies, featuring an old grainy newsreel style report being shown on a black and white TV set. Very creepy post nuclear holocaust RPG that stills holds its own.
  13. DanielD.
    Jan 25, 2005
    10
    Simply one of the best.. EVER!! ...;)
  14. Bob
    Jun 28, 2005
    10
    My God, this game is great.
  15. MetaPhysical
    Dec 5, 2006
    10
    Just the utterance of Black Isle's game Fallout leaves me breathless - this was one of the most monumental games in all of RPG history, with superior character development, limitless freedom, impressive graphics at its time, and such an enjoyable game that it has been observed that this game actually rises in value as times goes on.
  16. SiggiJ.
    Feb 28, 2006
    10
    Fallout set standards which unfortunately virtually noone followed, leaving it a largely singular event rather than the evolution of the genre it should have been. The game's highlights are the complex interaction with NPCs through dialogue trees, influenced by the player character's stats and his actions in the gameworld, and the complex quests with multiple solutions and different outcomes. Expand
  17. SHODAN
    Nov 10, 2007
    10
    What the developer attempted here has yet to even be glimpsed at since. And it certainly looks like Fallout 3 (different developer) will miss the point entirely. This game represents brilliance.
  18. EliasO.
    Apr 23, 2007
    10
    This is the greatest game ever. The story the cutscenes. I also love the characters they all have their own interesting personalites except dogmeat. The game characters also have some good quotes. This game you can play over and over again and never get bored. There is so much freedom in this game. You can start the game leave the vault and head straight to the military base. You can also kill whoever you want as long as you are strong enough. You can spend days or weeks playing it once or beat it in one day. All in all this is a game no game fan should miss. Expand
  19. Sam
    Sep 11, 2007
    10
    Simply a great game. All other games have difficulty reaching the story line of Fallout and Fallout 2. I only hope Fallout 3 will continue the legacy.
  20. GeraldS.
    Sep 13, 2007
    10
    News of Fallout 3 caused me to reload the original Fallout--it's 10 years old and still a blast to play! Sure the graphics are dated, but the replayability of this game still impresses after all this time.
  21. Wildsnail
    Feb 13, 2008
    9
    Been on a retro trip lately and Fallout is well worthy of playing. A lot of fun with some nicely dark humour and plenty of player freedom. I found the graphics acceptable but did find it a little buggy as I had a repeated crash on the same part quite near the end and some of the fights can be horrendously unfair as you can sometimes be killed unexpectedly by single critical hits. However, as long as you save regularly, this isn't much of a problem and doesn't spoil a classic RPG/adventure. It really gives me high hopes for Fallout 3 as I hope Bethesda will make a post-apocalyptic Oblivion. Expand
  22. SchuylerK.
    Nov 13, 2005
    10
    One of the finest examples of the genre, in any medium, Fallout approaches high-art.
  23. AndersDude
    Oct 19, 2005
    10
    Best rpg.
  24. LisacT.
    Jan 19, 2007
    10
    There's no review which could describe the ingeniosity of this game, especially in the time it was released (1997). You simply have to play it to see why it is so, no further comment.
  25. JesseD.
    Dec 17, 2008
    10
    What with Fallout 3 garnering all this attention and acclaim (unduly i might add). I can only take comfort in the fact that i can always go back to the glory days of isometric turn based bliss and throw down with the original dogmeat. If you haven't played this game you sir are missing out on the most thouroughly entertaining experience known to man, and i take pitty on any and all who would hold this game down or hold Bethesda's abomination (Fallout 3) up. Go buy this game. NOW!!! Expand
  26. AlexS
    Oct 29, 2009
    10
    If I could, I would give this game a 23984927230935. It's so amazing that It deserves 100/100. Yes, there are some bugs and flaws, like a very bad AI, but it is the most addictive game I have ever played. Me being an RPG game whore, this makes #1 on my list for RPG games. The free-roaming and the ability to take your character in any direction makes a perfect game for people who love RPG games as much as I do. Expand
  27. ColbyA.
    Dec 21, 2007
    10
    Only complaints: Dated graphics, and somewhat buggy (you can miss and screw up events in the game and the NPCs act as if you knew what you did). Great story, and great open-ended ROLEPLAYING game. Well developed game for sure. Can't wait for Fallout 3, I hope it lives up.
  28. MarekM
    Nov 18, 2009
    10
    This is TRUE RPG! Great game with realistic world , enemies doesn't seem to "grow on trees" (like in most other RPGs, where you can spot them almost every move), really open world (you can go wherever you want). What is more it has great story, great atmosphere (sometimes you can really feel human tragedies.. even mutant tragedies), great loactions (the Glow) and probably the best villain in hostory of computer games. Expand
  29. Mar 11, 2011
    9
    Played it right after finishing fallout 2. Simply awesome, but it was missing some stuff added in fallout 2 like npc customization, npc leveling and others ...
  30. Mar 18, 2011
    9
    My one real problem with Fallout is that I don't think the game has aged as well as other games like it. At the time of it's release by far the best game of the year. But the graphics aged badly and frankly the interface is cumbersome. However, I think the introduction video/cutscene remains the best ever created to this day in terms of creating an ambiance and setting the mood of the game. The story is great too. Voice acting, ditto.

    If you can get around the control issue and the graphics, this is an awesome game.
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  31. Apr 10, 2011
    9
    This is not only a game
    This is the best adventure ever !!!
    Really the athmosphere is great the scenario just gets u really fast...
    The difficulty is pretty high if u dont save that often its mostly the same over and over again ^^ but if u like to save often this is the best...
    My favorite Game of all time!!!!!
    (beside the 2nd part) wich is equally or good or even better
    (3rd part sux) (too easy)
  32. Aug 5, 2011
    10
    This game is a bit older and a lot of things that are unforgivable now days were back then, yes it sucked when you died and you hadn't saved, and it is a pain to walk everywhere, I just found people or objects and clicked them for faster travel. (I think there was a run always option?) I had to sign up because some people think this is Fallout 3 and somehow think that the 3 after Fallout means nothing...

    This game is awesome, it does have re-playability that faulted a bit in the second game. Power armor has gone from overly powerful to almost regular type armor through the fallout series. I beat this game 3 times and played a different type character each time. I first played as the heavy on guns guy and ran through blazing. (It's been years since I've played) I did off the wall things in some towns which later towns referenced back to, it didn't make a huge impact on the story line but I thought it was really amusing they 'heard of my activity'

    Second I played a character who was high in social and outdoor skills and talked my way out of everything and if I couldn't talk I used my outdoor skills to evade fights. Towards the end when I had to fight I got some power armor and was instantly almost as strong and capable as someone who had been made for fighting. Some people will probably see this as bad balancing but I liked that I was able to make it through most the game without a single fight and when I had to fight I had a scapegoat.

    This is my all time favorite RPG
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  33. Feb 8, 2012
    10
    Its amazing isnt it .The start of the amazing fallout games . Keep in mind this isnt for everyone . SPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPASPASMAJSHAUIDdsgdsgsdgsdggsgsgsggsgsgsgsgsgsgsgsgsgsgsgsgsgsgsgs
  34. Oct 5, 2012
    9
    Timeless Classic. This game still has the best inventory system seen in gaming. In what subsequent game have players felt the need to keep a baseball bat to use once they ran out of bullets for their single, rusting gun? Great character development. GREAT writing, great plots great NPCs Great humour. I think that nostalgia blurs people's vision somehow. Great though this game was it never had the kind of glorious atmosphere you can get in Fallout 3 listening to the in-game radio station. Thus 9/10 rather than 10. It's ridiculous to pretend that more recent games haven't offered more and better highs than this game. Expand
  35. DerekA.
    Mar 11, 2008
    0
    I honestly can not see what people like in this game. Its turn-based combat is absolutely wretched and the RP choices in this game are pitiful to say the least. Go play Betrayal at Kondor if you want a good RPG. I could maybe see this being fun when I was 10 for the goofy violence, but any adult that plays this game will surely see how terrible this game really is.
  36. AnonymousMC
    Apr 9, 2009
    3
    The is a game that gets old very fast. The environment is incredible, until you realize it is comprised of about 10 different models, and it suddenly becomes dull and repetitive. A similar thing happens with combat. It is indeed Oblivion with guns, and no, that is in no way a good thing.
  37. CompNutjob
    Nov 20, 2008
    2
    it feels like oblivion, but without the different character types like mages, warriors etc. it lacks the re-playability, even if you want to replay this game....lifeless, boring dialogs, npcs make the player not give a damn about the situation. main story lacks the twists and turns to keep the players attention. the oblivion also had these problems...lacks depth like different bullet types, modification of weapons, armors, different damage types etc. it feels childish to represent in points since there is only one type of category beside the conditions of items like the damage points, instead of comparable barlike properties in these categories..wasteland feels too empty to really excite the curiosity of the player. Expand
  38. PecchioniG.
    Jan 18, 2009
    10
    It's DIVINE. If I only could,I will give 20 to this game. Even if it has turn-based combat,it's divine.Even it's old,it's divine. Play this and you will fall in love with Fallout saga or anyother RPG.
  39. Feb 20, 2012
    8
    A tough as nails RPG that will kill you at the drop of a hat, It never feels overly difficult, just difficult like a lot of old games, maybe it's just because I'm not very familiar with this kind of game, I bought it in the Fallout Trilogy pack because Fallout 3 maybe my favorite game of all time, and I wasn't disappointed with the world and atmosphere of the game, and the story is pretty good but I doubt I'll ever see the end of it due to the fact that I suck at this, still if your like me and liked Fallout 3 and want to see where it began this is a good purchase. Expand
  40. Oct 1, 2012
    10
    ЛУЧШАЯ ПЕКА РПГ ПАРНИ :3 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Expand
  41. Jan 12, 2012
    10
    I remember booting up the old pentium 200mhz rig and playing this for days on end as a kid. This game brought the RPG genre out of the dungeons and into the wastes. There was nothing like it back then. Dunno if kids these days would appreciate it just because the graphics are very dated. But if you can see past that a very enjoyable game awaits! 10/10.
  42. Jun 14, 2012
    8
    This game is very good. Story is cool, and the gameplay is fun. Yes its nothing like fallout 3. But what do you expect?
  43. Aug 12, 2012
    9
    This is one of the best, if not the best, roleplaying games out there. It came as close as possible to being a pen-and-paper experience - with the ability to craft your own character the way you *want*, without choices being forced on the player. There are a few quirks in the system, and it's certainly not as big as the sequel, but the non-linearity. interesting plot and backstory make up for it. Try this game as soon as possible - you won't be disappointed. Expand
  44. Apr 23, 2012
    9
    This is a really good game, a beginning to the best post-apocalyptic series out there. I can't complain about the graphics, this is indeed a good game. Combat is ok, and exploring the wasteland is pretty cool.
  45. Jul 26, 2012
    9
    Being a huge fan of Fallout 3 and Fallout New Vegas I thought I would play the first game. It was very different from the other two but is still an amazing game even when it was made. If you love Fallout try Fallout 1. Fallout 9.4/10
  46. Sep 17, 2012
    10
    This game was awesome when it came out in 1997, although only 2D it felt like playing a comic book. The combat system was great too, so good it's survived and made it into Fallout 3. The story was also great, and wandering the world was fun,
  47. Jun 13, 2012
    10
    This is a game my generation of gamers will talk about for decades. A work of art among video games, that even with it's dated graphs looks great, and delivers a satisfying experience.
  48. Apr 19, 2013
    9
    OH! How i indeed love nostalgia! I dont even need to talk about this games history or anything of that nature. Instead ill just say, I love Fallout! The whole series, and this game is what started it all! Love the role playing element within the game. The story, and everything! Buut..most of all...the ATMOSPHERE! The atmosphere this game deveivers is simply something you rarely find in video games of today! This game is revolutionary and nostalgic to me in all ways! Long live Fallout! Expand
  49. AnonymousMC
    Aug 22, 2009
    9
    Nine + .Though computer graphics have changed over the years this is probably one of the greatest rpgs ever made.

    D&D meets road warrior. The engine will not be outdone. Great video stategy board-like standard game.

    The series engine of the first two Fallout games stands on its own in the gaming industry.
  50. Jan 28, 2013
    7
    La primera vez que lo jugué no lo entendí muy bien, tal vez porque era muy chico aún, y es un título que posee muchos elementos. Ya de mas grande volví a jugarlo y ahí si pude disfrutarlo. Este título es una pequeña revolución dentro del género, y es un obligado para cualquier fan de los RPG.
  51. Jul 15, 2012
    10
    15 years on and this is still an amazing game, though the user score on here is shocking, some reviews on here are made by people who simply didn't give the game a chance.Yes there are bugs, there are also fixes, the only bug in the current version I found is the colour which is an incredibly easy fix.

    One of the best games I've ever played, you will get used to the controls after a sho
    rt time and if you pay the slightest bit of attention to the storyline you won't care about the fact that the graphics are 15 years old, give it a chance.

    If you get stuck there's no shame in looking at a guide to set you back on the right track, if a section is too tough, there's no shame in turning down the difficulty, don't vote it low based on the fact that you couldn't work something out or that it took you too long to complete.
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  52. Jan 8, 2013
    10
    I'm still a bigger fan of Fallout 2, but this one is its predecessor so I understand that my favorite game won't be without the first part and so I love it too. The game is poorly balanced, buggy, but it has that unique atmosphere, multiple ways of quest solving, memorable characters and locations, great story, nice roleplay system (though most of the skills are useless). So all of this made this game CULT back in 1997. And now in 2013 you can still play it and enjoy it, it's truly a classic game and a musthave for any CRPG fan.
    P.S. Half of the negative reviews contain the comparison to Oblivion. So I make the conclusion that the people who wrote them didn't even knew that they were playing Fallout 3, not the original. And it's kinda sad.
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  53. Feb 13, 2013
    8
    I remember getting this when it was new. This game really did change things. The graphics, the combat, the theme, back then it was all mostly a new revolutionary idea. It pains me to see how recent gamers hold this up to Oblivion. That's almost criminal. Judging an old game by current standards is just idiotic and not really a testament to what the game was really like in its prime. Fallout was just a marvel and I loved it to bits. I was also utterly surprised that Kevin Bacon's voice was in it (check the credits, he's there.) Overall: This is the game that changed the face of western RPGs forever, while it is a little rough around the edges, even at the time, it still is a great game, worthy of respect! Expand
  54. Jan 11, 2013
    10
    This game is amazing even 16 years after release this game still rocks its a must play for everyone except those kids who cant see the beauty in an older game because it doesn't have the graphics like CoD(which are **** btw). anyway if you never played this game you just have to, go to gog.com and buy yourself a digital drm-free copy(it was even free for a few days). and if you want you can get the Fallout-FIXT mod which improves the game and fixes a lot of bugs. Expand
  55. Mar 13, 2013
    9
    the only negative aspect of this game is; it is too short for a rpg this good in every way possible (about 20 hours). thank god there is a fallout 2 which lasts more than 60 hours, and has an infinite amount of replayibility.
  56. Mar 10, 2013
    10
    Why is the user score so low? What's up with the 89 out of 100? This is greates RPG I have ever played. True non-linear gameplay makes this game so excellent. It's so rich in story, and there's lots of quests to do. There's so much content to explore and all of it is worthwhile. It's sad that a 1997 turn-based RPG game with Elder Scrolls 1 graphics tops so many games today. The soundtrack is great and really fits into the universe. Upon completion of the game it is so tempting to play it through again making different decisions. The game can get frustrating at times with no marker leading you towards your objective, but it adds to the experience. You use your mind and skills to figure out where your supposed to go. Addicting, fun, and underrated. Expand
  57. Mar 18, 2013
    10
    An amazing game that stands up to the test of time. I'm mostly writing this review to correct a few issues I saw one of the negative reviews had made: that there were no alternate ammo types, damage types, or upgrades for weapons and armour. All of those are in the game. The world is large and free to roam, and the decision to have soft preventative measures other than hard ones makes the game much more immersive. (With one exception, which is a guy with infinite HP.)

    The combat is amazing from a gamist point of view, though Fallout 2 improves it arguably at the cost of the perfect atmosphere and connected feeling environments that Fallout has.

    The alternate paths the player can take, from a pacifist run where you directly kill no NPCs, to a berserk run where you kill all the wasteland's inhabitants you meet. And both can finish the game. The freedom of action and character building go perfectly hand in hand.

    If you've not played this game yet, and had the time to read all of this, just go and play it!
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Metascore

Generally favorable reviews - based on 12 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 12
  3. Negative: 0 out of 12
  1. The mood is right, the graphics good, and the plot compelling. I found the tactical combat system refreshingly intelligent, and the multitude of ways you can approach the game from a stats point of make a wide variety of styles possible in the game.
  2. This sequel to an all-time classic is one of the standout RPGs for the 1990s. [Jan 1998, p.221]
  3. Fallout's detailed graphics, compelling plot, and intuitive gameplay should deservedly broaden its appeal beyond the hard-core role-playing game audience. Put simply, Fallout may be the best role-playing game to be released in years.