Having just recently played through both Fallout 1 and 2 again, it really struck me in how different they were to each other. But town/hub exploration is my favorite part of RPG's and Fallout 2 is maybe the best ever at that design philosophy.Īlso Fallout 2 has a gauss pistol. I fully admit the main story isn't great, the tone wavers all over the place. Every place felt unique and was littered with interesting quests and characters to the point that I actually prefer Fallout 2 over 1 despite it's numerous problems. From the gritty urban decay of The Den, to the preppy pre-war sensibilities of Vault-City, to the all-american farming town of Modoc. Fallout 1 has a better main story, but Fallout 2 absolutely demolishes Fallout 1 in the side quests and incidental towns department.Įvery town in Fallout 2 truly felt like an alien and unique place. Fallout 2 is messy, far from perfect, but is an unbelievably satisfying and superior game to the first in key areas. Fallout 1 is a tight, well written, and near-perfect role-playing game.

They are very different games despite what the press thought at the time.

Fallout 2 gauss pistol