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Fallout Franchise Parallels

Extended discussion comparing GTA's generational divide to Fallout, where many fans never played the 2D isometric originals and consider Fallout 3 the series start

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The Fallout series experiences a significant generational divide where many modern fans view *Fallout 3* as the definitive starting point, often entirely overlooking the franchise’s 2D isometric origins. For veteran players, these early titles provided a grittier and more impactful atmosphere that feels fundamentally distinct from the 3D era, which some characterize as "Elder Scrolls" conversions rather than direct continuations of the original spirit. This disconnect is further emphasized by the total erasure of more obscure or unsuccessful entries, such as the console-exclusive *Brotherhood of Steel*, from the collective memory of the broader fanbase.

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Similar effect with the Fallout series. A whole lot of the fanbase has never played any of the three 2D games (Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout Tactics). The series started, for them, with Fallout 3. I’m kinda that way with Elder Scrolls. My first one was III (Morrowind) and I’ve still never played the first two.
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Yeah, for me, Fallout 1 and 2 are the definitive Fallout games (ignoring Tactics as I never played it). I felt like 3 and onward were like Elder Scrolls total conversions, and I always saw them as "spiritual successors" but not exactly cut from the same cloth, or something. Like, same universe, but very different style and feel, and far less memorable or influential to me. Of course I played the first two games at a far more impressionable age, but the actual atmosphere of the games was a lot more gritty and impactful, even comparing the "eras" today.
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Did you deliberately leave out Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel, or did you just forget it exists?
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Console only fallout game? Fake. Can’t be real. [edit] but really, I was like “man, I feel like there’s another one…” but figured I must have just been thinking of the never-made sequel that got as far as some planning (Van Buren).