German Hops
GAF's Nicest Lunch Thief
Ok GAF duders. Let's collectively decide via the method of a ranked list of fallout games, from most enjoyed through to least enjoyed...
If you haven't played a game, don't include it in your ranking.
So, here's all the Fallout games in chronological order.
1. Fallout
It takes the top spot because the reason I got into the series was because of the isometric turn-based combat and choice and consequence cRPG mechanics and design though it was Fallout 2 that I first played. The reason that Fallout 1 comes at top for me is because it is much more neatly designed. Fallout 2 is stuffed with content but Fallout 1 had much better well-rounded condensed content.
2. Fallout 2
Well, I like it but I have to confess that I did not enjoy the opening or some of the 'filler' very much, I think it could have been a bit more streamlined (not cutting locations necessarily, just some re-design). Though the Enclave wasn't as developed as well as the Unity and the Master, I still like the Fallout 2 incarnation.
3. New Vegas
Here's the thing, I consider FNV to be 'the best out of a bad situation' and it is not the ideal Fallout game to me. It did have a lot of good design decisions in it and improved on some aspects of the previous Fallout games greatly but when it comes down to it I didn't get into Fallout so I could grind around in twitchy first person. If I could include Tactics and if Tactics 2 and Van Buren and perhaps even Fallout Extreme had been released then FNV would be ranked lower than all of them. Great writing, lots of choice and consequences, interesting setting, but I 'really' don't like the first person perspective, the action-paced combat system or the 'one big sandbox' world it has.
4. Fallout 3
I don't think Fallout 3 got much right at all. The setting doesn't make any sense, the history doesn't make any sense, the settlements don't make any sense, the factions don't make any sense and a lot of quests don't make any sense. The entire thing can basically be summed down to the developers going "Wouldn't it be cool if ____" to one another and tossing in as much iconic shit they could get away with.
5. Fallout 4
The first time I played through the first three hours, I thought it was pretty bad ass. You felt overpowered in that power armor, and jumping off that roof and landing with that thud was really satisfying. Then, I recreated my character cause he looked odd and hated the first few hours. This was Mass Effect: Fallout, but at least in Mass Effect, I'd get glowing scars and a sense that at least small changes were being made to the story because of my actions. The factions in Fallout 4 feel disjointed - there's no play between them and my character. It feels like the camera should pull away and I should go from Minuteman Mark to Paladin Sally. Instead, every character I make will be General Paladin Minuteman Mary, Guardian of the Railroad and Leader of the Institute PHD, MCSE, CCIE, Esquire. If Fallout 3 was an ocean with the depth of a wading pool, Fallout 4 is a water reserve in California.
If you haven't played a game, don't include it in your ranking.
So, here's all the Fallout games in chronological order.
- Fallout (1997)
- Fallout 2 (1998)
- Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel (2001)
- Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel (2004)
- Fallout 3 (2008)
- Fallout: New Vegas (2010)
- Fallout Shelter (2015)
- Fallout 4 (2015)
1. Fallout
It takes the top spot because the reason I got into the series was because of the isometric turn-based combat and choice and consequence cRPG mechanics and design though it was Fallout 2 that I first played. The reason that Fallout 1 comes at top for me is because it is much more neatly designed. Fallout 2 is stuffed with content but Fallout 1 had much better well-rounded condensed content.
2. Fallout 2
Well, I like it but I have to confess that I did not enjoy the opening or some of the 'filler' very much, I think it could have been a bit more streamlined (not cutting locations necessarily, just some re-design). Though the Enclave wasn't as developed as well as the Unity and the Master, I still like the Fallout 2 incarnation.
3. New Vegas
Here's the thing, I consider FNV to be 'the best out of a bad situation' and it is not the ideal Fallout game to me. It did have a lot of good design decisions in it and improved on some aspects of the previous Fallout games greatly but when it comes down to it I didn't get into Fallout so I could grind around in twitchy first person. If I could include Tactics and if Tactics 2 and Van Buren and perhaps even Fallout Extreme had been released then FNV would be ranked lower than all of them. Great writing, lots of choice and consequences, interesting setting, but I 'really' don't like the first person perspective, the action-paced combat system or the 'one big sandbox' world it has.
4. Fallout 3
I don't think Fallout 3 got much right at all. The setting doesn't make any sense, the history doesn't make any sense, the settlements don't make any sense, the factions don't make any sense and a lot of quests don't make any sense. The entire thing can basically be summed down to the developers going "Wouldn't it be cool if ____" to one another and tossing in as much iconic shit they could get away with.
5. Fallout 4
The first time I played through the first three hours, I thought it was pretty bad ass. You felt overpowered in that power armor, and jumping off that roof and landing with that thud was really satisfying. Then, I recreated my character cause he looked odd and hated the first few hours. This was Mass Effect: Fallout, but at least in Mass Effect, I'd get glowing scars and a sense that at least small changes were being made to the story because of my actions. The factions in Fallout 4 feel disjointed - there's no play between them and my character. It feels like the camera should pull away and I should go from Minuteman Mark to Paladin Sally. Instead, every character I make will be General Paladin Minuteman Mary, Guardian of the Railroad and Leader of the Institute PHD, MCSE, CCIE, Esquire. If Fallout 3 was an ocean with the depth of a wading pool, Fallout 4 is a water reserve in California.