Fallout (1997)

[yozy]

#3356

Fallout is one of those franchises that has survived to this day. To me this game has defined what a “post apocalyptic” game environment looks like.

As a spiritual successor to Wasteland, the original fallout was amazing at the time. Its creation was somewhat turbulent as it started as a GURPS system game but lost the license in the middle of the development. It was made towards the end of the DOS era so the graphics and controls were polished and aged quite well.

As a very dialog heavy game it has managed a perfect blend between seriousness and humour. For me this game is where I actually learned English.

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[LunarLoony]

#3358

It would be nice to do this since we’ve covered Wasteland in the past. 1997 was also kind of the last bastion for DOS gaming, so it would be interesting to talk about that aspect as well.

The original release includes the DOS version, but unfortunately not the GOG version – as with so many releases of this period.

Can I also say, I *love* the aesthetic.

[Evil Taco]

#3552

Maybe I would finally get around to playing this one!

[mogglebox]

#4415

This was probably the first PC rpg I ever really got obsessed with, and certainly the first DOS rpg I ever lost sleep over. A big +1 from me!

[mister]

#6645

Just wanted to give this gem a +1. The first two fallout games are definitly in my all time favourites list. You could even make a combined episode of both of them.

[moggle]

#6989

This game was complex, sprawling, and totally immersive. I lost hours and hours to it. It was easily the first game I played with moral quandaries that I actually agonised over. I still play it to this day, the sheer variety of solutions based on different stat and skill combinations make it incredibly repayable.

[RamB]

#7050

+1

[reidrac]

#7976

+1

I started playing it not too long ago and I dropped the ball after 8 hours or so. Would love to go back, and the club is a good excuse!

[firefyte]

#9938

Patch for the DOS version:
https://github.com/Edw590/F1DP

[ainmosni]

#9960

Another +1, this is one of my all time favourite games, though the UI didn’t age as well as the sequel did.

[red.hexapus]

#10184

+1 from me too. I’ve played it so many times over the years, I think I know it by heart now, yet I would still love to play it again.

[jibsaramnim]

#10185

+1 from me too. I’ve been wanting to sit down and give Fallout a real play through, I’ve only ever played the first hour or so. It’s not easy for me to find the time/energy to commit to longer games these days, but even so I would love to have some extra encouragement to finally play Fallout. Great suggestion!

[fastwinstondoom]

#10188

How have I not posted here yet? Of course we must play Fallout! And talk about Tim Cain! …maybe even talk TO Tim Cain? He seems very active on youtube, no idea if he’d be open to the idea of being on our podcast.

[dr_st]

#10204

I had no idea the game was so ‘old’. I was mostly hearing about the franchise in the 2000s. To my embarrassment, I have never played a single one of them. Not much of an RPG player I am…

[JorgeYYZ]

#10226

+1

I would love an episode about Fallout! I remember playing it back in the day on my 166 MHz Pentium MMX. There was some issue with the monitor (or maybe the cable?) and the screen went nuts (only displayed shades of green and black). I still managed to finish the game like that and pretended it was all part of the retro future aesthetic, like I was playing through the Pip Boy.

I heard about the game from a local newspaper. It had a “computers and tech” supplement once a week. The last page of that supplement was always dedicated to PC games. When Fallout came out, it took up the entire page. There was a review mixed with some hints and explanations about what the game was since RPGs were such an alien idea in Brazil at that time.

I have replayed Fallout from time to time on various computers and I think it is impressive how some things in the game still hold up well. And yes, the manual is one of the best in all of gaming.

There are plenty of ways to play the game nowadays, including some very cool community patches, such as Fallout Et Tu.

[Pix]

#10253

This has to be the most requested game we’ve ever had on the forums. By popular demand we’ll make sure to fit it in next year.

We’re finishing off 2025 with an RPG so we’ll probably have a few months in-between rather than jumping straight into it in January.

[Evil Taco]

#10266

Looking forward to it already!

[red.hexapus]

#10285

Awesome news, looking forward to that 🙂

Also, on a related note, Tim Cain has a really interesting Youtube channel, where he talks about games he made and game design in general – highly recommended. Maybe he could be a guest on the show, he seems like a really nice guy.

https://www.youtube.com/@CainOnGames