Games

Bethesda has filed a trademark for an 'ongoing television program set in a post-nuclear apocalyptic world', sparking speculation that they are planning to turn their Fallout franchise into a TV series. The Fallout series depicts a parallel history where the United States built a technologically-advanced future based on the designs and visions of the 1950s, only for this world to be destroyed in a nuclear war between the USA and China in 2077. The games are set between 100 and 205 years later and show the rise of new societies from the ruins of the old one. There are four main games ( Fallout , Fallout 2 , Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas ) and two spin-offs ( Fallout: Tactics and Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel ), as well as a tabletop wargame. The series was created by Interplay and Black Isle Studios, who created the first three games in the series. After Black Isle's dissolution in 2004 (whilst working on a third game in the series), other studios produced the spin-of...

It's been widely speculated for a while that Bethesda would be setting Fallout 4 in Boston, Massachusetts. That speculation has gained some credence with reports that Bethesda writers and researchers have been spotted in Boston undertaking research for an upcoming game. MIT, Boston. Expect to see a Fallout -ised version of this vista if the rumour is correct. Fallout 3 featured multiple references to the Commonwealth, a small nation established in the ruins of New England following the apocalyptic war. Several characters were featured who hailed from 'the Institute', widely taken to mean the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (or its Fallout equivalent). With Bethesda apparently planning to steer clear of the traditional Fallout stomping-ground of the California/Nevada/Arizona area (the setting for the first two Fallout games and the more recent New Vegas ), fans had been speculating that either the Commonwealth or New York would be the focus for Fallout 4 and thi...

The phenomenon of DLC - downloadable content - is a controversial one for many gamers. On the one hand, the notion of adding additional content to your game after release, extending its lifespan, is a welcome one. On the other, there is a temptation for developers to hold back features that could have been incorporated into the game at launch to make more money from fans later on, which is not acceptable for many. Happily, the approach to DLC for the Fallout franchise has been exemplary. Fallout 3 - itself a massive game - was followed by five expansions which added a fair bit of new content to the game. These expansions were varied in tone and structure, but packed a lot of content into modest prices. Fallout: New Vegas continues this fine tradition, with four extremely large expansions released after the main game which expand the playing experience. They are now packaged with the base game in the Fallout: New Vegas Ultimate Edition . For maximum enjoyability, it is recommended yo...

Two centuries after a nuclear war destroyed the United States and much of the world, civilisation is slowly reasserting itself in the American West. Two powerful blocs have formed. The New California Republic follows the ideals and goals of pre-war America, believing in a land of freedom and opportunity. Caesar's Legion is an army of fascist thugs who believe in rule by strength and superiority. Between these two forces lies the Mojave Wasteland and the city of New Vegas, a fiercely independent state ruled by the enigmatic Mr. House and his army of security robots. A courier, bearing an important parcel for delivery to New Vegas, is shot in the head by an unknown assailant and left for dead. Nursed back to health by a local doctor, the courier sets out to complete his mission, find the assailant and recover his commission. But as the courier delves deeper into the Mojave Wasteland, he (or she) discovers a land poised on the brink of a great change, and that she (or he) may ultimate...

GoG.com has a special offer on until Monday. You can get the original Fallout (legally!) for free . That's £0 or $0. You can get it now and download and play later on or whatever. Fallout was originally released in 1997. Set in 2161 in Southern California, the game follows a player-created protagonist as he or she makes their way through a post-apocalyptic landscape. There is a main storyline to follow, lots of side and subquests to investigate, NPCs to talk to and, of course, mutants and bandits to blow away with an impressive array of firepower. The GoG version has been upgraded to work fine (touch wood) on modern PCs and operating systems. Given its age and modest graphics, it should work fine on fairly low-spec machines as well. It's also good prep work for Wasteland 2 , as much the same team who developed Fallout are working on that game. The rights to the main Fallout series are currently held by Bethesda, who will likely start development of Fallout 4 in the near fu...