An easy contender for one of the best sequels of all time, Fallout 2 manages to improve on the groundwork of its already phenomenal predecessor and then some.

While the general game feel is mainly intact and unchanged, Fallout 2 still manages to expand on it with a general increase in damn near everything. Locales and Quests are much more fleshed out compared to 2, Companions are actual characters with a multitude of ways to control them (that and the push feature are an absolute godsend) and most importantly the general balance is a lot more natural with so many options it can be overwhelming when coming directly from 1 (like I did). From seedier locales like The Den and New Reno to the more conventional Vault City, every part of Fallout 2 is just so much more interesting compared to the relatively basic 1 (though ironically the main quest is somewhat of a remix and retread of 1s). I think the highlight for me would be all of 2s late game areas, with Navarro being a fun little sidestop with lots of unique Enclave Interactions and the multitude of quests in San Francisco (such as stopping the local cult from dominating the area and sinking a decades old submarine). Just such a fun time in each area that losing hours in one will happen multiple times throughout the relatively long journey (35 hours vs Fallouts 10).

Only big issue I have with Fallout 2 would be how it can at times feel too similar to the first, with many of the key issues I had (general slow movement in the overworld and clunky menu's) being much more exacerbated in 2. Also while I do like the overall world more I feel the Enclave make for a much weaker villain compared to the Master and Mutants from Fallout 1 (though the final conversations with Dick and Frank are a ton of fun and make me wish the talking heads were more featured).

Playing through these older Fallout games has made me appreciate the CRPG genre as a whole much more and I would easily call both top tier entries that anybody who likes should give a shot.

9.5/10

Reviewed on May 15, 2023


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