Fallout 2 and the original Fallout simply show you how magnificent role playing games could be.
- A superb sequel to a superb game. that's what Fallout 2 is. it keeps all of the things that made the original game so extraordinary and improves some of the problems and restrictions of it. although game-play and graphics of Fallout 2 is exactly same as Fallout, but that's not a really bad thing because of two reasons:
1. Game-play ( Combat, exploration,...) of Fallout had a lot of potential and it would be a waste if it was only used once. it still feels fresh in this game. and BTW, the fact that Black Isle recycled the graphics and most of the objects is not a issue at all. because paying attention to the graphics of a game like Fallout 2 is like paying attention to the story of a game like Super Mario 64.
2. although Game-play in Fallout was top-notch and still this game has one of the best Combat systems in any RPG, but it wasn't Game-play that made the Fallout breath taking, it was the atmosphere, story and dialogues, the simulation of living in a post-apocalyptic world. and Black Isle knew this pretty good. because Fallout 2 has the best of all those. just like the first one.
-A very Strong storyline and more importantly, faithful to the first game. you play as the descendant of your character in the first Fallout. (one of the things that I really like, it gives identity to your character) your quest is to retrieve a G.E.C.K ( a tool for revitalize areas of a post-nuclear wasteland.) for your dying village just like the way you were supposed the retrieve a water chip for your Vault to save them in Fallout. but just like that game,Fallout 2 won't simply get finished by finding the G.E.C.K...
- Awesome voice acting for ALL of the voiced characters.
- Great and meaningful dialogues that are all written Impartially and never advocate any certain mentality, but never reject it completely too.
- Great and Satisfying endings which reflect the outcome of the things you have done during the course of the game.
- Probably one of the deepest RPG's of all time with a freedom that not many games can match. ( maybe Gothic series)
- A Challenging not too easy not too hard difficulty that tests your gaming skill.
- New NPC system which lets you choose your own NPC's and even gives you more freedom.
- great armors and weapons.
I can write a book about the goodness of Fallout 2. but I think this is enough to prove that how great is Fallout 2. Now about the bad things in the game:
- Just like the original Fallout, the ultimate freedom that this game gives you has it's own penalties. you always wonder if you did the right thing and if you really care about doing everything in the game, you will fall into the save/load problem. ( although I can't really say this is a bad thing, because it's the nature of the game.)
- Although as I have said, the new NPC system gives more depth to the game, but managing your companions inventories and controlling their combat techniques can give you a headache. especially if they are more than two and sometimes your companions do weird things. ( like passing their turns in the heat of the battle or switching their powerful weapons into inferior ones.)
- Some bugs and technical problems which can be fixed with patches.
Fallout 2 is an ambitious game just like Fallout. but the high similarity between these two might make this opinion that Fallout 2 is a rehash.although this is not true, but even if it's really a rehash, then I say this is how rehashes must be done. I never felt that developers did a short work. they tried to even solve the few problems of the Fallout like bartering system, level up capacity, small control over your NPC's, etc. and adding some cool features like town reputation, the car, being able to continue the game after finishing it, etc. with a few new perks too.
To sum up the review, I must say that you owe yourself to play this game if you are an RPG fan.