Fallout 1 is going to be a difficult game to tackle.  I think I’ll write up a more conventional post, covering the basics of gameplay and avoid spoilers, like I normally do, for gamers who may still want to retro game this title.  I’ll be writing a second post that dives more into the themes presented another time.

From a gameplay standpoint, Fallout 1 is one of the best open-ended RPGs.  The world is completely open and explorable.  Your main quest is to find a water chip for your Vault.  Unlike most games, there is no artificial progression through the story line.  One quest does not lead to the next.  There are hints scattererd around the world; completing quests sometimes reveals the next piece of the puzzle, other times it just helps or hurts the world a little.  Each quest can be solved multiple ways, often with different morale dilemmas.  In cities filled with the destruction and decay of a nuclear holocaust, do you uphold the morale values of yesterday, or adopt the attitude necessary to survive the wasteland?

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