Fallout: A Post Nuclear Role Playing Game Review (Argoose)
Short and Sweet
After about a decade of on and off trying to get into this game I finally sat down and completed my first playthrough. I was surprised by just how short this is-- especially when compared to the titan of Fallout 2 which is 60~ hours, my playthrough was only 16~ hours. It definitely isn't the behemoth I always took it for as a kid.
Dated, but not unplayable
It surprises me how many people online think they can't get into FO1 without having read the 50 pg instruction booklet. Honestly if you just look up a quick guide you're well on your way. The controls will fight you- you may get stuck in a doorway screaming at your companions to move, but it's honestly not as bad as some other games of its time. You CAN dive into the GURPS depths with this, or you could just eyeball it and you'll probably do fine.
Unforgiving
Don't expect this game to hold punches. You need to be prepared to save scum, reload, even steal if you have to. There will be times where you lose an hour of progress if you're not careful, but IMO this adds a needed tension to the wasteland. Do not feel shame to cheat the game- it will often cheat you as well. Look up things if you get stuck, it's much more preferable to floundering and figuring out something small and stupid yourself.
High replayability!
Your choices matter. The times when you shouldn't save scum IMO are when you fuck up during dialogue. Speech checks exist, they're just not advertised. Tying into the last point: Look up builds online for your first playthrough. Seriously, it takes the stress of an unbalanced game out of your head. Most builds can be viable, but if you don't understand the engine you may unintentionally gimp youirself. Pick something boilerplate that interests you online, and make your own build for your second play through. It's when the game begins to shine.