As a huge fan of Fallout 3, I decided to go back to where it all began and what I found was one damn good game.
With that said I must say Fallout is quite a good game. For its time, Fallout had exceptional production values. Cutscenes look great, the soundtrack is solid, graphics are very well done, and the voice acting is outstanding. Despite its age, it still looks good after all these years.
However where Fallout really shines is its clever writing, deep role-playing system, and excellent atmosphere. The setting is a little cliche by today's standards and the story won't really keep you guessing, however the way it is delivered is solid and it will suck you in.
The combat is satisfying and the leveling is addictive. There is plenty of content which makes it more than worth the price of admission.
There are two noticeable flaws with Fallout however. One is that not all of the game is self explanatory. It took me quite a bit of playtime to figure out that I had to press shift and click to run. As well as finding out that right clicking my weapon reloads and activates VATS. This can be quite a nuisance. The second is that after you get to vault 15, you have no clue what to do next. You will find yourself running around talking to everyone and backtracking frequently. This wouldn't be a problem if you didn't have a time limit. Yes there is a time limit. You have 150 days to save your vault from depleting its water supply. So you don't have much time to mess around. This game basically requires a guide, because there are so many secrets and nothing is apparent.
Now these two flaws may sound like deal breakers, however rest assured that Fallout is worth the effort. It is rich, fulfilling, and fun to play. This is not the best game in the series, in my opinion. Call me biased, but I still think that Fallout 3 is the best. However this is a groundbreaking and well polished experience. It created what is possibly the greatest universe and mythos in gaming. For that it has respect and for its enjoyability it has my admiration. If you have six bucks and love RPG's or are huge fans of Fallout 3 log on to Steam and buy this game. With a little patience and an open mind you will see why Fallout was a franchise worth resurrecting.