» Tue Aug 25, 2009 10:31 pm Fallout fans are generally divided in their opinions of Fallout 2. The most common complaints involve the voluminous amount of pop-culture references throughout the game, many of which are extraneous and forced; the exaggerated "advlt" content such as the porm studio in New Reno, or even New Reno as a whole; the lack of a true 'Fallout' atmosphere when compared to the original game; and especially the overall lack of advancement over the original in terms of graphics and gameplay. There have also been some complaints about the game's relatively arbitrary end boss, Frank Horrigan.
I am a relatively new user to the game series, but I shall take an opinion on the above.
First, the 'advlt content'. prosttutes and Cat's Paw not vital for survival in the Wasteland, but it would be obvious that in a post-Nuclear world, where old christian values have disappeared, some women could turn into making easy money by selling themselves. I think that New Reno is a prefect example of a city where a post-apocalyptic society has formed. As we have seen in Second World War, when a person is put into excessive pressure and then released of it s/he will turn out to be a completely differend person, driven by his/her animal-like desires. In Fallout universe this will show as use of Jet, murdering, excessive and sometimes even offensive sixual behavior. The Golden Globes porm studio, however, is indeed exagerrated. It's doubtful that organized pormographic industry would form in the wastelands. In this I agree with the Wiki article; this is crealy a forced cultural referral, based on the name pun about the "Golden Globe" award.
The "Fallout athmosphere" claim is another one I agree with. I don't see the Fallout 2 athmosphere as negative one (actually I like it), but it indeed is quite differend from the pessimistic and silent Fallout 1.
Then Frank Horrigan. I don't see why he is 'arbitrary'. I think he is fairly logical. A mutated person, a maniac one, who has been made into a elit? soldier by the Enclave. He fits well as the enemy of Fallout 2. Quite comparable with Fallout 1's Lieutenant, just with differend IQ. The president of United States of America would have been too weak to be a serious foe. Like in Fallout 1, the boss of 2 was a mutated/armored, thus stronger than normal, person.
I also see Horrigan comparable to some infamous SS "hangmen", like H. Himmler or Heydrich, both known to be massacring maniacs who liked to see blood.
I don't make personal opinions on the graphics and gameplay claim. I have seen many sequels which are copies of the original. I myself don't care for new features, all I care about is the playability and storyline of the new one, when it comes to RPGs.
As it goes with opinions, there is not correct answer. But share your thoughts if you have any.
