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Fallout

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9.3 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 12 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 73 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Interplay

Developer: Interplay

Genre(s): Role-Playing Game

Players: 1

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

Release Date: November 15, 1997

Summary

Set in the aftermath of a world-wide nuclear war, Fallout will challenge you to survive in an unknown and dangerous world. You will take the role of a Vault-dweller, a person who has grown up in a secluded, underground survival Vault. Circumstances arise that force you to go Outside -- to a strange world 80 years after the end of the modern civilization. A world of mutants, radiation, gangs and violence. Your immediate task is to find a replacement for the broken water purification controller chip. Without that chip, your fellow Vault dwellers are doomed to dehydration or be forced to leave the safety of the Vault for the Outside. [Interplay]

Also On Metacritic

GAMES: Fallout 2 Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel

Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

Quandary

Perhaps the strongest aspect of Fallout is that it is ideal for RPG newbies yet at the same time provides a depth of role-playing that veterans can really get stuck into. It also has the best replay value of any game I've experienced to date.

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100

Just Adventure

This is one of those rare games that oozes quality from every pore.

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Game Revolution

The story is so well developed in this game you'll wonder why you've been playing mindless shooting games like "Quake." When you start the game you'll be treated to with one of the most chilling, well-written introductions a game has ever been blessed with.

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Adrenaline Vault

Above all, the NPC interaction and voice acting are the best in any game to date. This game is possibly the best investment an RPG fan can presently make, and will prove entertaining for countless gaming hours.

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PC Gamer

This sequel to an all-time classic is one of the standout RPGs for the 1990s. [Jan 1998, p.221]

All Game Guide

The game play is smooth, using action points for movement and combat and the inventory system is easily managed. Fallout has one of the best character development systems of any computerized role-playing game and the graphics and story make for an excellent gaming experience.

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Computer Games Magazine

For anyone with an interest in complex, combat-heavy, lovingly produced RPGs, though, Fallout is a must buy. In an age where many are predicting the death of traditional RPGs at the hands of multiplayer extravaganzas, Fallout is a glowing example of the genre, one which positively radiates quality. Fallout – it's da bomb.

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Electric Playground

This top-down RPG is without a doubt the best PC RPG we have played in years. That's not an exaggeration. Years. I can't think of another game that comes even close to Fallout's excellent character generation and skill system, great story, and classy delivery.

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GameSpot

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.

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Yahoo! Games

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.

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Four Fat Chicks

It is vastly enjoyable. It consistently seduces with its vitality, its muscular flex, its postapocalyptic élan, its vivid, hyperreal environment.

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Gamezilla!

A decent RPG where you can indeed actually advance your character and choose one of many paths through the story.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 9.3 (out of 10) based on 73 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Ryan B gave it a6:
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.

Jeremy H. gave it an8:
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.

Pecchioni G. gave it a10:
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.

Jesse D. gave it a10:
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!!!

Comp Nutjob gave it a2:
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.

Derek A. gave it a0:
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.

Wildsnail gave it a9:
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.

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