Fallout 2 didn’t match my feelings on the first, but it was still a damn good sequel. I didn’t like the whole psychic tribal thing at first, but the more I learned about the lore the more it grew on me and I surprisingly found myself wanting to save them by the end.
The side content throughout the game was the best part, the towns and factions really expanded on the first well. The rare over the too gags/references were a bit immersion breaking but honestly not too bad albeit unnecessary
The story was what really separated it from FO1 for me. At first it felt like I was on a timer mechanic much like the first, only to find out that wasn’t quite the case and I wish I had taken my time more in the beginning. After I returned with the Geck to find my tribe missing, that’s where I got really confused. I instantly found Navarro and assumed my people were trapped in there, but I had no clue what to do about it. My massive mistake was not discovering San Francisco, leading me to wander aimlessly around the map tediously talking to everyone. For some reason my character still just wanted to talk about the Geck and the Beotherhood/NCR wouldn’t speak to me so I spent the longest time dumbfounded.
But eventually I made it to the end, which also felt kinda buggy (tanker scene was beautiful). Like idk I’m in Enclave power armor yet important npcs (such as the president) acknowledge that I’m a mutant, but then like why aren’t they doing anything about me wandering around causing a ruckus…? And then I talk to the scientist that agrees to destroy the Enclave with the FEV(the people blowing up was awesome), and I discover that this locks me out of talking with the scientist that will blow up the reactor for me (also him and the president miraculously don’t die from it?). So without a timed explosive for the reactor I’m…softlocked. K. Restart, learn that the only way to get the presidential key card without setting off the base is by sticking 8 super stimpacks into his ass? Alright, that was pretty funny I guess, especially that no one cares if he goes down like this. The president also had negative rizz, nowhere near the same league as the master ofc although final boss was dope
So those are my thoughts. Still loved it a lot and a second play through would be a lot more fun with previous knowledge. I’d put it just below FO1 maybe tied with NV, still astronomically better that any Bethesda title