A Review by Matthew Sable CIS 487 9/24/07 Fallout 2: A Review by Matthew Sable CIS 487 9/24/07

What is Fallout 2? Created by Interplay & Black Isle Studios Turn-based RPG Post-Apocolyptic with retro theme. Emphasis not on “flashy” graphics

Minimum System Requirements Windows 95 Environment Pentium 90 16 MB of RAM SVGA Video Card capable of utilizing DirectX 5.0 4x CD-ROM drive 30 MB hard drive space. 650 MB full install

Story of Fallout 2 In the 21rst century, non-renewable resources still reign supreme. 2077: Nuclear World War 3 2161: Vault 13 & the water chip Founding of the village of Arroyo by ancestor 2241: Descendant of the “Vault Dweller” searches for the G.E.C.K.

Gameplay Turn-based combat with “Action Points.” Movement of a character through clicking on area, similar to “Diablo” Standard tabletop RPG-style character sheet with bonus traits. Drag & drop inventory & equipment changes. Multiple NPC’s with both vocal and nonvocal dialogue. Cursor used for “Skilldex” operation & area searching Map movement facilitated by classic car.

Combat Based on hit percentage and use of “Action Points.” Color coded target system “Aimed shots” cause critical damage

Character Creation Distribution of 7 base stats. 2 tag skills 2 optional “traits” which influence the later choice of “perks”

Look & Feel Derived from corny sci-fi & nuclear paranoia of the 1950’s. “Retro-tech:” giant computers, old-fashioned electronics. Rusty, worn-out menu system Pipboy 2000 Music is atmospheric noise Strong emphasis on pop-culture references & dry humor

Fallout 2 Imagery

What makes the game fun? Easy learning curve Involved, plausible, dynamic plot Interesting sub-quests & random encounters Relevant, witty humor & jabs at pop-culture Excellent use of ambient effects

Fallout 2 Pitfalls LOTS of unfixed bugs that cause random crashes, unfinished quests & manipulated characters Character movement in cramped spaces Inability to see some treasure clearly, pixel hunting The ability to make “Super characters” Poor NPC AI

Conclusion Comparible to prequel in many ways. Rated “M” for subject matter. $15.00 rerelease DVD-ROM with other 2 Fallout titles, bonus features & original manuals in pdf format. Fallout 3 due for release in Fall 2008