Fallout 1 or Fallout 2?

[daveman247]

So. I have recently discovered GOG.com (I dont play many PC games, so go figure).

I have browsed through the gaming catalogue and found they sell fallout 1 and 2 for about £4.

So my question is: Which one should i play? Which is better? Or are both equally good? Or have they aged terribly and i should not bother with either?

I have played both fallout 3 and NV. 3 bored me but i much enjoyed New vegas because of its weirdness. So will i enjoy these games?


PLEASE try to post no spoilers! I know how important story/ characters are in RPG's so try and not spoil them for me

UPDATE: Based on peoples comments here, and some reviews of both games on GOG i have decided to try fallout 2 due to added humour and small inprovements to gameplay. If i enjoy it and finish it, ill be sure to try the first. Thanks all!

 

[Lucem712]

Well, from what I heard Fallout 1 you can continue on after you finish the game. (Don't quote me, though) and you can't do that with Fallout 2 (without mods), so, Fallout 1 might have more hours to sink into it. They are related, btw, so you could play them in order if you want the story in order.

 

[Axyun]

I would get them both, starting with 1 and then 2 if you enjoyed 1. The difference between FO1 and FO2 is about the same as Baldur's Gate 1 to 2. The sequel is a little more polished but, overall, the mechanics and general details are the same.

Keep in mind that they are very different games than the new ones. The old Fallouts are more turn-based strategy RPG than anything else. They can also be quite difficult (unless you know some of the "cheap" tactics/tricks) at times. Though I do find the humor and dialog in the original Fallouts to be much funnier and wittier than the new ones.

IMO, they've aged OK. I do think BG 1 and 2 aged slightly better if that means anything to you. If you like the setting and atmosphere then I think it'll provide enough incentive to overlook the not-so-great elements.

 

[Chimpzy_v1legacy]

I have played both fallout 3 and NV. 3 bored me but i much enjoyed New vegas because of its weirdness. So will i enjoy these games?

Then I'd go with Fallout 2. It has much more silliness, cultural references and humor in it than the first game, which is more the serious straight man out of the two.

 

[daveman247]

snip

Oh i know how different they are to the current ones Im also no stranger to getting past old gameplay mechanics. As long as the story is good i should be good to go.


I thought the two seemed similar, and wondered if the second put the first to shame with improvements etc. If not then the first may indeed be the better place to start

 

[The Madman]

You can play either one really, for most fans it's more a matter of personal tastes which is 'better' and both story are largely independent of one another so you're not really missing out by playing only one or the other.

Personally I prefer 2 myself since that's the one where I feel the developers really just went crazy with ideas. The dialogue in particular is just razor sharp with a sort of black humour you just don't find in games very often, if at all. I mean it's just downright hilarious, plus the game just lets you free to do whatever and play pretty much however you want. Wanna go hang out in a casino and get rich gambling? Go for it. Wanna become a boxing champ? Have fun. Take over a small village? Enjoy. Get married? Sure, why not. Become a prostitute before selling your spouse to slavers for some extra shiny armour and some fancy new drugs that you later get hooked on, making you too sickly to even wear that armour and forcing you to go into rehab for a few in-game days just to become a coherent person once again capable of doing things other than shaking and crying? OK!

It's pretty crazy.

A word of warning though: Fallout 1 and 2 do not hold your hand and can be exceptionally difficult to get into if you're impatient. I know people that haven't even made it past the tutorials before giving up. So if you're looking for something a bit more user friendly these might not be for you. If however you're patient and willing to take some time to learn the game once they do open up it's absolutely fantastic! One of the best rpg experience out there.

Enjoy!

 

[Hal10k]

Play them sequentially; a lot of Fallout 2's plot calls back to the events of the original, though only in the form of vague background references. FO1 isn't the longest game ever either; you can go through it in 3-4 days max if you go at a brisk pace. It's my preferred game out of the two; I just wasn't really engaged in FO2.

 

[Launcelot111]

Fallout 1 is smaller and more tightly focused in terms of story, Fallout 2 is a lot bigger with more allies, quests, weapons, etc. and some gameplay improvements, but the story isn't quite the same. All in all, I'd take 2 if I could only have one, just because they really are 98% the same, and Fallout 2 just has a lot more.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

Fallout 2 has Marcus and the Enclave. That works for me.

 

[Areani]

If you're going to play Fallout 2 don't forget to thoroughly patch the game, maybe even throw in the fan patch that includes a lot of cut content. This game was literally unplayable when it came out due to glitches. Also Fallout 2 makes quite a lot of references and call-backs to Fallout 1 which will be lost on you if you don't play it first. It isn't exactly required but I'd recommend it.

 

[dyre]

If you can only play one, choose Fallout 2. It's a bigger game, with imo a more interesting world and a cooler main quest. I don't remember much about the characters or side quests, but I think they were quite good in both games. And if you liked the weirdness of Fallout NV, you'll love Fallout 2. IIRC, there's a ton of weird stuff that might or might not be references to pop culture.

Well, from what I heard Fallout 1 you can continue on after you finish the game. (Don't quote me, though) and you can't do that with Fallout 2 (without mods), so, Fallout 1 might have more hours to sink into it. They are related, btw, so you could play them in order if you want the story in order.

Fallout 2 is a much bigger game than Fallout 1 though, so unless you like going back to places you've already gone to (neither Fallout has the numerous random little building complexes and caves to explore like Fallout 3 does, so the value of post-game exploration is limited), Fallout 2 is the bigger time sink.

 

[Lucem712]

If you can only play one, choose Fallout 2. It's a bigger game, with imo a more interesting world and a cooler main quest. I don't remember much about the characters or side quests, but I think they were quite good in both games. And if you liked the weirdness of Fallout NV, you'll love Fallout 2. IIRC, there's a ton of weird stuff that might or might not be references to pop culture.

Well, from what I heard Fallout 1 you can continue on after you finish the game. (Don't quote me, though) and you can't do that with Fallout 2 (without mods), so, Fallout 1 might have more hours to sink into it. They are related, btw, so you could play them in order if you want the story in order.

Fallout 2 is a much bigger game than Fallout 1 though, so unless you like going back to places you've already gone to (neither Fallout has the numerous random little building complexes and caves to explore like Fallout 3 does, so the value of post-game exploration is limited), Fallout 2 is the bigger time sink.

Ooh, I was kind of thinking that after I posted, since Interplay probably had a bigger budget for Fallout 2

 

[dyre]

If you can only play one, choose Fallout 2. It's a bigger game, with imo a more interesting world and a cooler main quest. I don't remember much about the characters or side quests, but I think they were quite good in both games. And if you liked the weirdness of Fallout NV, you'll love Fallout 2. IIRC, there's a ton of weird stuff that might or might not be references to pop culture.

Well, from what I heard Fallout 1 you can continue on after you finish the game. (Don't quote me, though) and you can't do that with Fallout 2 (without mods), so, Fallout 1 might have more hours to sink into it. They are related, btw, so you could play them in order if you want the story in order.

Fallout 2 is a much bigger game than Fallout 1 though, so unless you like going back to places you've already gone to (neither Fallout has the numerous random little building complexes and caves to explore like Fallout 3 does, so the value of post-game exploration is limited), Fallout 2 is the bigger time sink.

Ooh, I was kind of thinking that after I posted, since Interplay probably had a bigger budget for Fallout 2

That could be the reason. I'm not sure why they went out of business after those two great games though (and Planescape Torment, though that didn't sell well)!

Btw, it sounds like you haven't played those games yet. Give them a shot!

 

[Lucem712]

If you can only play one, choose Fallout 2. It's a bigger game, with imo a more interesting world and a cooler main quest. I don't remember much about the characters or side quests, but I think they were quite good in both games. And if you liked the weirdness of Fallout NV, you'll love Fallout 2. IIRC, there's a ton of weird stuff that might or might not be references to pop culture.

Well, from what I heard Fallout 1 you can continue on after you finish the game. (Don't quote me, though) and you can't do that with Fallout 2 (without mods), so, Fallout 1 might have more hours to sink into it. They are related, btw, so you could play them in order if you want the story in order.

Fallout 2 is a much bigger game than Fallout 1 though, so unless you like going back to places you've already gone to (neither Fallout has the numerous random little building complexes and caves to explore like Fallout 3 does, so the value of post-game exploration is limited), Fallout 2 is the bigger time sink.

Ooh, I was kind of thinking that after I posted, since Interplay probably had a bigger budget for Fallout 2

That could be the reason. I'm not sure why they went out of business after those two great games though (and Planescape Torment, though that didn't sell well)!

Btw, it sounds like you haven't played those games yet. Give them a shot!

I have Fallout 1 and I've created a character and all, but I have just been trying to get over the isometric view and turn based combat. I want to experience the great stories, but I got ambushed by like 8 radscorpions and they slaughtered my ass!

 

[Hal10k]

That could be the reason. I'm not sure why they went out of business after those two great games though (and Planescape Torment, though that didn't sell well)!

A few of the members of Black Isle left to form Troika Games in 1998 after disagreements with Interplay's plans for their games. The rest gradually left to eventually form Obsidian Entertainment until Interplay finally shut down Black Isle in 2004 in recognition of the fact that Interplay had a drunk chimp forming their business strategies and said drunk chimp was no longer capable of funding the studio.

 

[dyre]

If you can only play one, choose Fallout 2. It's a bigger game, with imo a more interesting world and a cooler main quest. I don't remember much about the characters or side quests, but I think they were quite good in both games. And if you liked the weirdness of Fallout NV, you'll love Fallout 2. IIRC, there's a ton of weird stuff that might or might not be references to pop culture.

Well, from what I heard Fallout 1 you can continue on after you finish the game. (Don't quote me, though) and you can't do that with Fallout 2 (without mods), so, Fallout 1 might have more hours to sink into it. They are related, btw, so you could play them in order if you want the story in order.

Fallout 2 is a much bigger game than Fallout 1 though, so unless you like going back to places you've already gone to (neither Fallout has the numerous random little building complexes and caves to explore like Fallout 3 does, so the value of post-game exploration is limited), Fallout 2 is the bigger time sink.

Ooh, I was kind of thinking that after I posted, since Interplay probably had a bigger budget for Fallout 2

That could be the reason. I'm not sure why they went out of business after those two great games though (and Planescape Torment, though that didn't sell well)!

Btw, it sounds like you haven't played those games yet. Give them a shot!

I have Fallout 1 and I've created a character and all, but I have just been trying to get over the isometric view and turn based combat. I want to experience the great stories, but I got ambushed by like 8 radscorpions and they slaughtered my ass!

Yeah, both games have a bit of a tough beginning. If you think Fallout 1 is bad, wait until you try Fallout 2

Just tough it out for a bit, and it'll be rewarding in the end, I swear!

That could be the reason. I'm not sure why they went out of business after those two great games though (and Planescape Torment, though that didn't sell well)!

A few of the members of Black Isle left to form Troika Games in 1998 after disagreements with Interplay's plans for their games. The rest gradually left to eventually form Obsidian Entertainment until Interplay finally shut down Black Isle in 2004 in recognition of the fact that Interplay had a drunk chimp forming their business strategies and said drunk chimp was no longer capable of funding the studio.

Oh, that's kinda disappointing. Though, at least they spawned two good developer teams.

 

[Waffle_Man]

While fallout 2 has far more content, it's a giant bundle of fan pandering.

Fallout 1 is a classic that is able to accomplish two things that really haven't been achieved to such an extent since: A focused story in an open world and compelling moral questions.

Also, people seem to getting it backwards when it comes to after the game: Fallout 1 ends when the story does. Fallout 2 technically has a seventeen year time limit because of a bug, but it's more than long enough to do everything in the game.

 

[Lucem712]

If you can only play one, choose Fallout 2. It's a bigger game, with imo a more interesting world and a cooler main quest. I don't remember much about the characters or side quests, but I think they were quite good in both games. And if you liked the weirdness of Fallout NV, you'll love Fallout 2. IIRC, there's a ton of weird stuff that might or might not be references to pop culture.

Well, from what I heard Fallout 1 you can continue on after you finish the game. (Don't quote me, though) and you can't do that with Fallout 2 (without mods), so, Fallout 1 might have more hours to sink into it. They are related, btw, so you could play them in order if you want the story in order.

Fallout 2 is a much bigger game than Fallout 1 though, so unless you like going back to places you've already gone to (neither Fallout has the numerous random little building complexes and caves to explore like Fallout 3 does, so the value of post-game exploration is limited), Fallout 2 is the bigger time sink.

Ooh, I was kind of thinking that after I posted, since Interplay probably had a bigger budget for Fallout 2

That could be the reason. I'm not sure why they went out of business after those two great games though (and Planescape Torment, though that didn't sell well)!

Btw, it sounds like you haven't played those games yet. Give them a shot!

I have Fallout 1 and I've created a character and all, but I have just been trying to get over the isometric view and turn based combat. I want to experience the great stories, but I got ambushed by like 8 radscorpions and they slaughtered my ass!

Yeah, both games have a bit of a tough beginning. If you think Fallout 1 is bad, wait until you try Fallout 2

Just tough it out for a bit, and it'll be rewarding in the end, I swear!

Haha, I think I'll stalk around The Vault like I usually do, turn based is torturous to me. I know the stories are definitely worth it, it's just so slow going.