FALLOUT 2

Reviewed By: Luke Smith
VOLUNTEER GUEST REVIEWER

GAME TECH INFO

Computer Platform: PC
Produced by: Black Isle
Price Range: $11-20
Learning curve time: 31-60 min.
Age level: Mature Teen to Adult
ESRB Rating: M (Mature)
System Requirements: Pentium III 400 128 MB RAM

Genre: Roleplaying Game (RPG)
Christian Rating: 2 of 5
   (very offensive)
Gameplay: 5 of 5
   (excellent)
Violence: 2 of 5
   (heavy)
Adult Content: 1 of 5
   (extreme)

After playing Fallout 2 for several hours, I was over the moon. Not since shining force on the Sega Mega Drive (Genesis) had there been an awesome Role Playing Game with turn based battles. As an extra bonus, it paid homage to one of the greatest action movies of all time, the all Australian “Mad Max 2” ( or “The Road Warrior” in the US). However, my enjoyment was short lived, as some of the themes in this game proceeded to reveal themselves to me as I progressed, but more on that later.

The games plot revolves around your character and his tribe, which needs to find a G.E.C.K. or Garden of Eden Creation Kit, which will theoretically contain everything needed to build a functional society again. You see, this game is set some time after the third world war, and the world is in disarray, following the nuclear wars. The survivors either lived below ground in vaults, or some scavenged above ground, most of which became mutated from the radiation (yet most mutants in the game seem to retain more moral values than the humans).

In your quest to find the G.E.C.K. you will have to traverse the wasteland, meeting various people, and doing missions for them. Doing missions will no doubt bring you into combat, which is implemented quite well. The playing area is divided up into invisible hexagons, which your characters will move about on. They get a certain number of action points each turn, with which they can move, shoot, or perform some other action. The battles can sometimes be quite gory, especially when using some of the more heavy weaponry. However, compared to some other games available on the market at the moment, the violence is quite tame, as they are only small 2D animated sprites, and not 3D models.

It wasn't until a few hours of wandering and doing a few missions that I made my way into a town called New Reno. New Reno is one of the main towns in the game, and is unavoidable, and you will return to it many times. It's basically portrayed as a slum, and everyone you talk to on the street is either a drug dealer who offers to sell to you (you have the choice of buying as well), or a prostitute (fortunately you don't have the choice to pay them for anything). All the buildings house either Casinos, Brothels and in one case, a porn film studio (which you need to enter for one particular mission). Your character has the choice of participating in a pornographic film in exchange for money. In the gym, you can arm wrestle someone for money, but if you lose, you get sodomised (this is not told to you beforehand though). New Reno is also the base for several crime bosses, and you have the choice to sleep with their wives and daughters.

The only commendable material present in the game is the fact that you have a choice to participate in the debauchery and filth that takes place in this fictional world. If you don't want to partake in making a pornographic film, you don't have to. If you don't want to use drugs (which are addictive, and if your character becomes addicted to drugs and can't find them, your stats drop) then you don't have to. A Mature christian teenager or adult could find a good game in here, if you can disregard the heavy sin apparent in the town of New Reno (it's only this city that this material is in). New Reno seems to be some kind of post apocalyptic Sodom or Gamorrah.

While there is a good game hidden within Fallout 2, I couldn't help but become disheartened by some of the content contained within.

Final Verdict : If you are after a good RPG with turn based battles, Try Fallout Tactics. It is much less of an RPG, but the battles are much more spectacular, and the objectionable material is gone.

Year of Release—2000

Neutral—I have been playing this game for about 3 years and it is still enthralling. Though the graphics are now quite dated it is still an awsome game. Taking place in a post nuclear America, this game allows you to create a character to your exact specifications, your character is sent out of his small dying village to find a holy artifact (actually a peice of technology) that will restore his village. This game is different everytime you play, it is incredibly open as to what path you follow and quite fun. Though offensive at times there is a parental control which disables all gore and foul language. Most of the games missions(there must be at least 100) allow you to solve them non violently, although death is still a strong theme in the game. If you are an adult this game is worth the $10 it now costs and is honestly the most enjoyable game I have ever played. My Ratings: [1 / 5]
—Daniel, age 17

Positive—While the elements of New reno are objectionable, the game does have redeeming features - namely there are notable consequences for your actions. Interacting with criminals, stealing, and doing drugs all have their downfalls, whereas doing good deeds often have greater rewards than completing a quest in an evil manner. Also, it is possible do do your part to bring about the downfall of the criminals and drug dealers depending on you quest and level. For that matter, the character is trying to save a dying people, and later rescuer them from the enclave. The assorted creatures are examples of what happens when man plays in God's domain and creates abominations My Ratings: [3 / 5]
—James Klynie, age 21

Positive—This game, like the review clearly states, does flow with objectionable material. But I enjoy games that represent players with such choices. I find your true self shows out of you when you play a multiple choice game. Try as I might, I can't play as a bad guy. Plus this game offers the option of turning off all profanity and gore. All that happens is the character will react to a blow, lie down dead, and after their body disappears (after you exit area) will be replaced by a puddle of blood. So if your easily drawn to iniquity, skip this game, but if you are a true hero of the wastes, and godly person, take your stand and treat everyone in the wastes kindly. (not required, but encouraged) My Ratings: [2 / 5]
—Josh Backus, age 15

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this Christian Spotlight review are those of the reviewer (both ratings and recommendations), and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Films for Christ or the Christian Answers Network.