Huge adventure is hidden in the details.
Firstly, Fallout 2 in relation to it's predecessor. Fallout was undeniably an amazing game, but I always felt it lacked something that Fallout 2 has. I think that , while Fallout has a more mature sense of humour, it lacks the details; the tiny things that set it apart and make it unique. The enormous array of tiny, seemingly inconsequential events - and my having control over every detail - made the character feel not only human, but like a reflection of myself, whereas the character in Fallout seemed like more of a puppet.
Fallout 2 is a huge game, one which, having played on and off for 4 years I felt that I knew perfectly, yet recently I found an area in
There are two major criticisms of the game. The first is superficial, the graphics are bad. At the time its graphics were out-of-date, now they sem positively archaic. However, the visuals have become charming with age and show how simplicity can work to a games benefit. The second is the style of the games humour. It has a fairly childish comedy at times and the occasional change from adult jokes and social commentary to toilet humour can be jarring.
Everything else in the game is just about perfect. It offers enough depth for at least 20 hours play but 40 is not out of the question, the speech is believable and the sound effects are sufficient enough to be engaging. To add to this, if you can find it it's dirt cheap. It is an essential buy for anyone who loves (or even vaguely likes) RPGs. My only fret is that I am preaching to the converted, as anyone who would want to buy almost certainly already has it by now, 10 years after it's release