Fallout (Mac)

Rating:
Summary: The Best Game in The World, Period.
Review: I'll be blunt: Fallout is the single best game I've ever played. I personally think that story, interactivity, creativity, and challenge are the most important aspects of a game, and the Fallout RPGs excell in all these areas and more.

Firstly, let's talk gameplay. A lot of people blew off this title when it came out because of the turn-based combat, and I admit to some it's pretty lame. But Fallout HAS TO be turnbased: if it wasn't, the player would get wasted in the first ten minutes of the game. Hundreds of weapons and armor combinations, unpredictable enimies varying in strenth and intelligence, and viciously realistic combat damage makes the turnbased system a necesity, if not an asset. Besides, think of it as a chess game rather than a mindless brawl: chances are you'll never have a REAL gunfight, so you can excersize your mind and employ new stratigies rather than just blow the crap out of everyone in sight. So if you want realistic gunfights, go for Max Payne or even Fallout's squad-level combat strategy cousin "Fallout Tactics."

Aside from combat, the games quests and characters are almost as realistic and in-depth as you'd expect in real life. Say the wrong thing, and a character will hate you. Do the right thing, and your reputation improves and people love you as their champion. The meticulous attention to detail makes for an extensive gameworld, giving the player for long hours of game play and a diverse world to explore, and even more deverse quests and experiances.

The story of Fallout is easily one of the best written for a game I've come across, rivaling those of the old-school Marathon series (a pre-Halo first person shooter classic from Bungie). Also, the dark, quirky, and distinctive sence of humor put into this game gives the game a memorable personality, and nearly makes it qualify as a a comedy.

Buy this game. Just do it. It's worth it. I could talk for hours about how amazing it is, but I'm getting tiered of typing. I bought this game about 6 years ago off the markdown shelf, and I still play it, even though I've beaten it over 12 times. Fallout, and Fallout 2 for that matter, are must-haves for anyone who loves a good story and a kickin' game to play.