Thanks to the Amazon Prime TV series, Fallout is enjoying a resurgence in mainstream popularity.
The iconic franchise began as an isometric RPG, known for its focus on characters and story. Eventually, once Bethesda got its hands on it, gameplay became a larger focus, with a more refined first-person shooter style of play that remained true to its roots as a narrative-driven experience.
It’s been nearly an entire decade since the release of a traditional Fallout game, which, if you ask us, is far too long, so let’s take a trip down memory lane with our official ranking of the best Fallout games.
Fallout: Brotherhood Of Steel
The only thing this game has in common with the Fallout franchise is the name.
Brotherhood of Steel is a dungeon crawler released on PlayStation 2 and Xbox that lacks all of the trademark characteristics of the Fallout franchise.
It’s a product of its time, released in the early 2000s; it’s also better left there.
Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood Of Steel
Fallout Tactics isn’t a bad game, but it’s also not what we expect from the Fallout franchise.
On the plus side, it at least respects the source material, unlike Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel.
For those looking for a tactical strategy game, you can do worse.
Fallout 76
Technically, this is the most recent entry in the Fallout franchise, but it’s more of a spin-off. Instead of the traditional single-player experience, Fallout 76 is more of an online RPG game.
At first, it lacked any NPCs, meaning the only people you’d interact with were other players. Fallout fans were, to put it lightly, pretty upset about that.
Over time, Fallout 76 has enjoyed a wonderful comeback, complete with a more traditional Fallout experience, but it still lacks the magic of its predecessors.
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Fallout Shelter
Fallout Shelter was never meant to be more than a free-to-play mobile experience we played at work when we couldn’t be at home playing Fallout 4.
Having said that, the game is…actually fun. Yes, it falls victim to the free-to-play model with excessive microtransactions and no real conclusion. Still, it’s an enjoyable construction/management sim that’s a surprisingly great way to kill time.
Fallout
The one that started it all
Fallout is a landmark RPG that established the franchise’s hallmark features from day one: the S.P.E.C.I.A.L. skill system, the morality choices, the character-driven narrative, and the dangerous secrets that await in the post-apocalyptic wasteland.
It shows signs of rust, but it’s still worth visiting to see where it all began.
Fallout 2
The one thing Fallout 2 has going against it is its age.
Fallout 2 perfects the formula of its predecessor, delivering a definitive old-school RPG experience that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Honestly, if they decided to make a spiritual successor to Fallout 2 today, it’d perform exceptionally well.
The one strike against it is that its references and humor were relevant upon release but may go over the heads of newcomers today.
Fallout: New Vegas
Okay, hear me out.
Fallout: New Vegas isn’t a bad game by any means. It’s a perfect marriage between the modern Fallout experience and the classic games. It arguably has the best cast of characters and story of any Fallout game.
So then, why is it ranked so “low,” aka not first overall like many Fallout fans would have it? The bugs; it’s impossible to understate how much of a mess this game’s launch was, with most of the experience being completely unplayable for people.
Fallout 4
Whereas Fallout 3 helped bring the franchise into the modern era, Fallout 4 refines the formula.
It’s a little more simplistic and accessible in the same way Mass Effect 2 is compared to the original Mass Effect, but the game is arguably better for it. The heart and soul of the Fallout franchise is still intact. Not to mention that the soundtrack is just as incredible today as it was upon release. Fallout 4 set the gold standard for a modern Fallout experience, and I can only hope the wait for the next proper entry isn’t too far off.
Plus, the Far Harbor DLC is an absolute delight to play.
Fallout 3
The one that brought the franchise into the mainstream.
Fallout 3 may lack the charm and humor of its predecessor, but there’s no denying what the game did for the franchise.
Its post-apocalyptic open world in Washington D.C. is a playground waiting to be explored, from its more serious story beats to the more humorous and over-the-top moments the series is best known for.
I don’t care how evil you think I am; I’m always donating the bomb in Megaton as soon as humanly possible.
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