History YMMV / Fallout2

** The game allows companions to perform tasks for you requiring Skills, if their stat in that Skill is higher than yours. However, the only characters who can actually do this are Vic (Repair) and Lenny (Doctor); there's no one who specializes in First Aid, Sneak, Lockpick, Steal, Traps, or Science. Thus this mechanic boils down to "Vic makes Repair a DumpStat and Lenny can heal crippled limbs for you." Additionally, while Myron does excel in this Science skill, it's largely rendered moot since most Science skill checks are given to the player in dialogue.

* UnderusedGameMechanic: The game allows companions to perform tasks for you requiring Skills, if their stat in that Skill is higher than yours. However, the only characters who can actually do this are Vic (Repair) and Lenny (Doctor); there's no one who specializes in First Aid, Sneak, Lockpick, Steal, Traps, or Science. Thus this mechanic boils down to "Vic makes Repair a DumpStat and Lenny can heal crippled limbs for you." Additionally, while Myron does excel in this Science skill, it's largely rendered moot since most Science skill checks are given to the player in dialogue.

** The Temple of Trials, a ForcedTutorial that ExecutiveMeddling forced be included in the game, and ''no one'' likes it. Because of your limited combat options, the ants and radscorpions being the only enemy types, and the linear nature of the temple, the level is plain boring.

* BrokenBase: While the game is generally agreed to be an EvenBetterSequel (especially in gameplay), there's a group who feels that ''2'' went too far into DenserAndWackier territory and went overboard with the [[ShoutOut pop-culture references]]. There's also a small group who doesn't like how the game messes with the lore established in the first game, such as featuring a larger amount of real-world firearms and introducing supernatural elements.[[note]]The first game's supernatural elements were very few and could be written off as EarlyInstallmentWeirdness or MaybeMagicMaybeMundane; this game explicitly has psychic visions, ghosts, aliens, and more - and that's not counting the dubiously canon random encounters you can get into, a couple of which involve time travel.[[/note]]

** If you play as a stupid character and answer the "Why don't you have a uniform" question of one of the Enclave officers in Navarro, he loosens up a little and remarks that it's not your fault that you're slow, and adds that he has a brother just like you. He then talks to you gently, if a little condescending.

** If you play as a stupid character and answer the "Why don't you have a uniform" question of one of the Enclave officers in Navarro, he loosens up a little and remarks that it's not your fault that you're slow, and adds that he has a brother just like you.

*** The greasy snake who actually employs the kids is considered a Goddamn Bat by his fellow townsfolk- they won't [[JustForPun bat]] an eye if you just kill him to get your stuff back. He is also so, so very stupid- You can be talking to him decked out in full power armor, 6 followers and high-end rifles and he [[TooDumbToLive still has the balls to try and sell your own stuff to you.]]

** '''Everyone''' remembers and loves [[DrillSergeantNasty SERGEANT]] [[LargeHam ARCH]] [[NoIndoorVoice DORNAN]]!!!

** If you save Smiley in the Toxic Caves, he can later teach the Chosen One about geckos, increasing his Outdoorsman skill by 3%. You can ask him to teach you about geckos for the infinite amount of times and increase the Outdoorsman skill up to 300% if you want.

--> '''The Chosen One:''' [[OhCrap WAIT!]]

* GeniusBonus: The crashed Vertibird in Klamath could be a reference to the RealLife [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_Boeing_V-22_ V-22 Osprey.]] Both the Vertibird and Osprey are tilt-rotor VTOL aircraft. Additionally, the fact that the Vertibird crashed may also be a reference to the V-22 Osprey's... [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accidents_and_incidents_involving_the_V-22_Osprey troubled]] history with engine failures.

** Marcus. He's a super mutant and thus unable to wear armor, which really hurts his viability in the late-game when you fight enemies that can liquidate him in one shot. He's also very limited in the types of weapons he can use and most of them are burst weapons, which makes him just as dangerous to you and your other companions as to the enemy. Not to mention that they guzzle ammo like water, so he'll be quick to run out. While the fandom loves Marcus as a character, not a lot of players take him as a companion, and if they do they tend to leave him behind once they reach Vault 13 or equip him with two-handed energy weapons instead of miniguns which he favors the most. And even then, the lack of armor and any defenses will lead to him dying 4 out of 5 times when someone bursts a Big Gun in his direction, so he's best left behind.

* UnderusedGameMechanic: The game allows companions to perform tasks for you requiring Skills, if their stat in that Skill is higher than yours. However, the only characters who can actually do this are Vic (Repair) and Lenny (Doctor); there's no one who specializes in First Aid, Sneak, Lockpick, Steal, Traps, or Science. Thus this mechanic boils down to "Vic makes Repair a DumpStat and Lenny can heal crippled limbs for you."

** A lot of time is spent into building up the mystery surrounding the Enclave, but the vast majority of players nowadays already know that they're [[TheRemnant what remains of the old American government]].

---> '''Frank Horrigan:''' [[BadassBoast You've gotten a lot farther than you should have, but then you haven't met Frank Horrigan either. Your ride's over, mutie.]] [[PrepareToDie Time to die.]]
---> '''The Chosen One:''' [[GuileHero Can't we talk this over?]]
---> '''Frank Horrigan:''' [[ShutUpKirk We just did. Time for talking's over.]]
---> '''The Chosen One:''' [[OhCrap WAIT!]]

** [[MadScientist Dr. Schreber]] is one of the Enclave's most disturbed scientists. Schreber "customizes" his test subjects in [[PlayingWithSyringes horrible experiments]] involving biological and cybernetic augmentation, eventually resulting in Schreber's mortified superiors in Navarro forcing him to soundproof his lab against the constant screaming of his subjects. Schreber also paralyzed his cyberdog K9 so he'd be ForcedToWatch every horrific experiment that Schreber conducted. In his most abominable act, Schreber ordered the extermination of the sapient, peaceful Deathclaws in Vault 13, resulting in Frank Horrigan coming down upon them and wiping them out.

* CompleteMonster: [[SociopathicSoldier Frank Horrigan]] is a Secret Service agent and DragonInChief to President Dick Richardson. A psychopath even before his mutation, Horrigan delighted in killing whenever he could. His first onscreen appearance has him gunning down a family, [[WouldHurtAChild including their child]], for refusing his demands. Later, he gleefully kills a Brotherhood of Steel agent, Matt, and wipes out the entire community of peaceful, talking deathclaws that the player had earlier befriended. Horrigan has a special hatred for "[[BoomerangBigot mutants]]", humans and creatures that have been exposed to the FEV virus or even the slightest amount of radiation. This racism leads to him aiding in the Enclave's plan to unleash a biological weapon which will wipe out all mutated life in North America, in order to make America "[[ANaziByAnyOtherName genetically pure]]." Once defeated, Horrigan tries to activate the Enclave Oil Rig's self-destruct sequence, condemning all of his remaining allies to death, just so he can take the [[PlayerCharacter Chosen One]] with him when he dies.

* SequelDifficultySpike: Compared to the first game, stats give you less benefit, stuff is more expensive, and supplies are more scarce. ''Fallout 1'' started you off with a 10mm pistol and around Shady Sands and Vault 15 you can pick up a shotgun, an 10mm SMG, and a leather jacket; ''Fallout 2'' starts you off with a knife and spear, your first gun will either be found in the rat caves or have to be purchased, and if you want a leather jacket you'll either have to take Sulik's or pay for your own. This difference in difficulty will become apparent from the moment you begin the game: while the Vault Dweller could easily massacre rats and molerats in the early game with just a pocket knife, the Chosen One will struggle to kill the same kinds of enemies with the same weapon, even after leveling up once or twice. And if the game files are an indication, the game was meant to be ''even harder'', with a higher encounter rate and a RecurringBoss that starts attacking you as soon as you leave Arroyo.

* SequelDifficultySpike: Compared to the first game, stats give you less benefit, stuff is more expensive, and supplies are more scarce. ''Fallout 1'' started you off with a 10mm pistol and you could pick up a shotgun and leather armor before you got to Junktown (where Killian would give you some for his quest if you wanted it); ''Fallout 2'' starts you off with a knife and spear, your first gun will be one you find in a cave with an EliteMook WarmUpBoss nearby, and the only armor you're getting without paying for it is the leather jacket Sulik comes with. While the Vault Dweller could reliably massacre a cave full of rats with a pocket knife upon starting the game, the Chosen One can explore a similar dungeon in Klamath, and even after taking some time to level up once or twice and gather supplies, the going will be tough.
** And if the Restoration Project mod and it's file digging is any indication, the beginning was meant to be ''even harder'', with a higher encounter rate and a RecurringBoss that starts attacking you as soon as you leave Arroyo.

* ScrappyWeapon: The pipe rifle, the first gun you get, is a terrible weapon even by early game standards. It does poor damage, costs 5 AP to shoot and must be reloaded after every shot, meaning that most characters can only get one shot off per round.

** The Wanamingo Mine. It's several levels of DemonicSpiders with high power and lots of HP. 'nuff said. If you go there too early or underequipped, it's a ''guaranteed'' TotalPartyKill.

** The Temple of Trials, a ForcedTutorial that ExecutiveMeddling forced be included in the game, and ''no one'' likes it. It is full of giant ants and radscorpions, who ''can'' kill you very easily, and you're forced to rely on the handful of Healing Powders found in the temple, and your Doctor and First Aid skills, to heal. Fighting back is tricky because unless you spec your character for melee combat, you'll have around a 30%-40% chance of landing each hit and will take several hits to kill your target. Also, there are points where you are forced to pass skill checks in order to proceed, including picking a locked door, setting off explosives to blow up another door, and having to avoid a hall of traps. Finally, if you can't pickpocket the key from Cameron at the end and fail to talk him out of fighting, you have to face a FinalBoss. Between its difficulty and its linear nature, its just plain boring.

** The Temple of Trials, a ForcedTutorial that ExecutiveMeddling forced be included in the game, and ''no one'' likes it. Because of your limited combat options, the ants and radscorpions being the only enemy types, and the linear nature of the temple, the level is plain boring.
** The Wanamingo Mine. If you get there too early or underequipped, that's a ''guaranteed'' TotalPartyKill. It's several levels of DemonicSpiders with high power and lots of HP. 'nuff said.
** The Sierra Army Depot, if you're at all annoyed by your allies [[ArtificialStupidity constantly bumbling into force fields]]. If you make the mistake of activating the robot sentries around the place, you then get the Wanamingo Mine all over again, but with robots.

* FranchiseOriginalSin: Many of the criticisms levied against ''Fallout 3'' by its detractors can also be directed at this game -- re-usage of story elements and ideas from the previous game, plot holes in the main story, inability to join the villain faction[[note]]You ''can'' side with the Enclave, but it's a non-canon bad ending. Also, wanting to join the Enclave in ''3'' is more understandable than here due to the shift in their motivations and goals -- in ''Fallout 2'' they raze Arroyo and want to unleash a genocidal virus on the mainland population, while in ''Fallout 3'' the Enclave (rather, its DragonInChief) wants to use Project Purity as leverage to rule the wasteland[[/note]], a really long unskippable early bit, and retcons to the lore. However, the ''Fallout'' franchise was comparatively obscure at this time and the franchise was still finding its identity with only two games to its name, so these problems aren't minded much since ''Fallout 2'' is still a great game, while ''Fallout 3'' dials up some of these problems and has several others that make it more contested.

** Online game stores have taken to using spoilerific screenshots for promotion. A screenshot on GOG.com shows how Vault 13 [[spoiler:has been taken over by intelligent Deathclaws]].

* FranchiseOriginalSin: Many of the criticisms levied against ''Fallout 3'' by its detractors can also be directed at this game -- re-usage of story elements and ideas from the previous game, plot holes in the main story, inability to join the villain faction[[note]]You ''can'' side with the Enclave, but it's a non-canon bad ending. Also, wanting to join the Enclave in ''3'' is more understandable than here due to the shift in their motivations and goals -- in ''Fallout 2'' they raze Arroyo and want to unleash a genocidal virus on the mainland population, while in ''Fallout 3'' the Enclave (rather, its DragonInChief) wants to use Project Purity as leverage to rule the wasteland[[/note]], and retcons to the lore. However, the ''Fallout'' franchise was comparatively obscure at this time and the franchise was still finding its identity with only two games to its name, so these problems aren't minded much since ''Fallout 2'' is still a great game, while ''Fallout 3'' dials up some of these problems and has several others that make it more contested.

* SequelDifficultySpike: Compared to the first game, stats give you less benefit, stuff is more expensive, and supplies are more scarce. ''Fallout 1'' started you off with a 10mm pistol and you could pick up a shotgun and leather armor before you got to Junktown (where Killian would give you some for his quest if you wanted it); ''Fallout 2'' starts you off with a knife and spear, your first gun will be one you find in a cave with an EliteMook WarpUpBoss nearby, and the only armor you're getting without paying for it is the leather jacket Sulik comes with. While the Vault Dweller could reliably massacre a cave full of rats with a pocket knife upon starting the game, the Chosen One can explore a similar dungeon in Klamath, and even after taking some time to level up once or twice and gather supplies, the going will be tough.

* SequelDifficultySpike: So, so much, at least when it comes to combat. Even the simplest guns and armor are much harder to get in this game than in ''Fallout 1'', and your shooting accuracy will be much lower than what you would have in the previous game with exactly the same stats.
** Example: In ''Fallout 1'', you were given a 10mm pistol right when you left the vault. In this game, you can't get one until the ''third'' town, unless you got really lucky with a random merchant inventory and a had a lot of money. (Although you can find one on a corpse during a side quest in the first town.) The [[ForcedTutorial Temple of Trials]] also skips over the easily killed rats from the beginning of the last game and instead throws giant ants and lesser scorpions at you instead, along with being forced into an unarmed duel at the end of the dungeon (woe be unto you if your character isn't good at unarmed combat right out of the gate, or hasn't invested in stealing or diplomacy skills.)
*** In another sidequest in the first real town, you will encounter a locked door, and a damaged generator. If you can fix the generator, and unlock the door... You will find a security robot with a semi auto missile launcher. If you survive, there is a [[GameBreaker Bozar,]] Plasma pistol, Laser pistol, and combat armor MK 2. Sending you through a sequence of hell fit for this trope, and thoroughly averting it for most of the game.[[note]]However, the unpatched game did not contain much of anything.[[/note]]
** Also, economically. Slain enemies almost never drop their armor anymore, which you could sell for thousands back in ''Fallout 1''. Acquiring armor was a helpful way to get out of EarlyGameHell, so not being able to loot armor makes it all the more difficult to get good protective gear.
** If the Restoration Project mod is any indication, the beginning was meant to be ''even harder'', with a higher encounter rate and a RecurringBoss that starts attacking you as soon as you leave Arroyo.