The secret of the success of both titles was not in the graphics, game play or the fighting sequences, the secret to its success was mainly due to the rich storyline. This game played very much like a movie or a novel except you are in the driver seat. There is nothing linear about this game, it does not play like a normal RPG where doing certain missions propel you forward. This game engulfs the player in its quests and provides an endless spider web of opportunities to change the story. It was essentially the only game I have ever played that possessed a true "open ended" game engine. You can, literally, become a sharif, a drug dealer, a slaver, a ranger, a mob made-man fighting against other mob families, a prostitute, a porn star, a mercenary, a thief, a person with a bounty on their heads, a child murderer, a bandit, a cattle driver and even lead a small army... Every city you enter provides you with endless opportunities and jobs. It will take 40-50 hours each game and you will appreciate every minute of it.

The storyline of the first fallout is that you are chosen among the vault dwellers (humans cooped up in Vaults for long periods of time to escape the nuclear holocaust) to search for a new "water chip" essential for the survival of the vault. You spend some time searching for it in the begining but the story does not end there. The second game involves the descendants of the original vault dweller (hero of the first game) 80 years later and their quest to find the "Holy GECK" which is a device that turns the scorched wasteland into the Garden of Eden. The game designers have very cleverly linked both games together in away that it makes you feel you are playing one single game. Characters from Fallout 1 are old and crusting on Fallout 2 and will happily tell you the tale of the original vault dweller in which you are his/her descendant. A wonderful aspect about this game is that the designers are a crowd of dorks, who happen to be big fans of movies like "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" and "Star Trek", there is a bit of subtle humor hidden in the game in the form of "special encounters" which are randomized events occurring while you travel. Their purpose is to make you smile and even laugh at the imagination of the Fallout designers in their quest to pay homage to their favorite shows, something I miss dearly from new RPGs.

The system used for character development is the same as the system used for other RPG with 'perks' thrown in every few levels that give the character extra abilities. You can choose the direction of your character from the beginning but there is no limitation as you can change it later on in the game unlike most other RPG engines. You can choose to have companions (depending on your charisma rating) which is one of the interesting aspect about this game is that they are totally independent in their actions and sometimes even fight among each other, dialogue can be very funny. The combat sequences can be melee or gun power, energy weapons and rocket launchers are my favorite. It is turn-based which means that you have to use a bit of brain with your tactics, unlike hack and slash RPGs.

Bottom line, buy this game and you will find yourself to be one of many who have joined in a cult-like admiration for these titles. How many RPGs do you know of that have Fan-based fiction writing sites lasting for years? Many fans are even making their own storylines based on Fallout Tactics engine now like Fallout Awaken. You will feel sad after beating it once and you will play it again and again as I have. It is simply the best, the king of all RPG's and none who played it can contest that statement.