Games That Need Sequels: Fallout

Wow it feels like way too long since I posted on here last. When was it? Back when I was in school? I know some people have been wanting their fix of Grizzly Gaming goodness and I'm sorry to have kept you all waiting. Today, I'm doing the first post in what could be a series of posts called "Games That Need Sequels." I tried to come up with a wittier title but I just got the results back from the lab and apparently I'm not that funny so just bear with me here.

A long time ago, "Fallout" was released on the PC and garnered a huge cult following - so much so that entire interactive communities on the internet were created and maintained purely by people who were huge fans of the game (namely, a forum/message board on the internet called "The Unwashed Villagers" which I was a part of). This community was so popular that some of the members even got a place in the second game in the series by way of a small random encounter (of which I was not a part of, unfortunately). The game itself was set after the nuclear apocalypse which wiped out the majority of life all around the world. The story of the game progressed as such - before the war, Americans built underground "Vaults" which were completely self sustained and built to safeguard Americans in the event of a nuclear war. One vault, Vault 13, was doing fine, completely sealed off from the outside world when disaster struck. The water chip in the Vault, used for cleaning and recycling the vault's water supply, mysteriously broke one day. Being that no one in the vault would survive very long without the use of the chip, the vault overseer sent one man outside of the vault to find a new water chip - that one man is you.

Both Fallout 1 & 2 are set in Southern California and are radically different than it's present day counter part. This part of California was hit hard by the war and most of the area is now a barren wasteland populated by all sorts of dangerous mutants - both humans and animals alike. Along the way you'll find post-apocalyptic cults as well as the desolate remains of towns which once were.

The Fallout games were typical turn based RPG games which let you pick from three different character models at the games outset and let you customize your character how you see fit. Though I always favored a larger character who could carry the most firepower possible, characters could be anything from bare knuckle brawlers, snipers, stealthy ninjas or a smooth talker who could talk his way out of a fight. Plus at certain levels, you could pick special character traits which would allow for almost infinite number of character customizations.

But what really made the Fallout series special was it's outlandish characters, storylines and humor. Fallout was also fairly popular for it's multitude of pop culture references to things such as Monty Python, Star Trek, Dr. Who and Mad Max so it isn't hard to see why so many people fell in love with the series.

Unfortunately, it has been quite a number of years since the last (good) Fallout game was released. There have been other games which strayed away from the original RPG formula which is held so near and dear to the hearts of Fallout fans, but these games didn't achieve near as much popularity or notoriety as Fallout 1 or 2.

Fortunately, I've just recently found out that a third Fallout game is indeed in the works, though it is being developed by a different company. The first two Fallout games were developed by Interplay but now the series has changed hands and the developers of the award winning Elder Scrolls series, Bethesda, is now at the helm of the project. Bethesda has had more than enough experience in the world of RPGs to lead a project like a new Fallout game but the real question, will Bethesda be able to capture the unique feel of Fallout 1 or 2 remains to be seen.

Aside from a new developer, the first major difference in Fallout 3 will be that it is going take place on the East Coast, instead of the traditional West Coast setting of the first two games. Though I'm not usually one who supports changing a formula that has worked so well in the past, I'm genuinely intrigued to see what new challenges, landmarks, and creatures will be awaiting gamers in an East Coast Fallout.

Unfortunately, not much else is known about this game since it is still a long ways away from being released. Bethesda has said that though they've had the rights to a new Fallout game for a while, they were waiting until their most recent game Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion was finished before they started work on Fallout 3.

Though I am a bit wary about how well Bethesda will handle a series I've loved for so long, I just can't help but be excited that a new Fallout game is indeed in the works.