I can't believe how much I was missing out on...an unusually wise game.
First off I will explain the game's mechanics. If you have played the newer Fallouts' or any old RPG like baldur's Gate, the mechanics will be *vaguely* familliar. You start out at the character creation screen. Here you decide what your character looks like (unfortunately there are only 3 portraits) and what their skills and atributes are. It uses the S.P.E.C.A.I.L. system which should be familliar to anyone who has played a western RPG. There are also many skills that your character uses from speechcraft to weapon skills. Not only that, but every thing you do, from lockpicking a door to blowing someone's head off with the targetting system gives you experience, so explore all your options! Also, a word of advice, while the weapons skills are mainly personal preference, every other skill comes in VERY handy at some crucial point. However, your skills may eliminate the need for other skills you have not leveled up. More on that later.
Next is the plot. This is possibly the bleakest, grimmest game you will ever play...and it is worth it. It portrays the ugly side of war and just how far we will go...detestable or not, to survive. It all takes place more than 80 years after a nuclear armageddon decimated the planet. Shortly before the event, the US government builds underground shelters known as vaults for a select few of the citizens to live in. Flash forward to 2161. Your vault (Vault 13) just used up their water chip( the device that ensures all water is purified) If they dont find a replacement, the clean water supply will be used up in around 150 days. The vault is running out of options, so you are chosen to set out, into the wasteland, to find a replacement.
Those opening scenes start off the game and when you first leave the area, you realize just how much space there is around you...and you shall explore it all. Eventually you will run into several towns made up of filth, bombed out buildings, and the stench of the locals' desprate living. These areas are where the game truly shines. Each city has their own factions, problems, and plenty of options for you, the player. Will you be a merciful paladin, cleaning up each city and leaving it better than when you found it, or will you be a heartless cutthroat, only interested in advancing your own goals? It's all up to you.
Another thing worth mentioning is how the world sucks you in...it's amazing really. No game I have played before has made me ponder the philisophical questions it provokes. Each major character you meet also has a likable personality in some way, showcasing the game's rather odd sense of humor that fits perfectly in the world as you see it.
In conclusion, I highly recommend this unconventional essay on the subject of the future. You will not see another game that conveys its message so well with its parodies of retro-futurism, and grim outlooks of the military going too far.
FINAL BREAKDOWN
Graphics- 8/10 (adjusted to fit the average graphics of the time)
Gameplay- 10/10
Plot- 10/10
Characters- 8/10
Music- 9/10
Fun Factor- 9/10
Final score- 9.5