February 17, 2024 – Sadly, Epic appears to have rescinded its proposed offer of free Fallout, replacing it with a new game. Original story continues below.
Starfield, Skyrim, New Vegas. These are some of the definitive RPGs of the past 15 years. But without some early frontrunners, some visionary pioneers, they might never have been so good. Thanks to the Epic Games Store, two of the greatest and most influential RPGs in history are about to become free games. Almost 25 years after they were first released, it’s time to go back to the isometric, pre-Fallout 3 world of Black Isle and Interplay, and experience the secrets of Vault 13 all over again.
For those who have never played the original Fallout or its superior sequel Fallout 2, frankly, I envy you getting to experience them for the first time. Released by Black Isle and Interplay back in 1997, the first Fallout is one of the defining RPG games, setting the standard for Bethesda’s 3D follow-ups years later, as well as forming the mould for other hits like Skyrim, Oblivion, and Starfield.
After a devastating nuclear war between the United States and China obliterates the retro-futurist world, your character, simply named Vault Dweller, must venture out from the safety of Vault 13 and search the barren wasteland for a computer chip to fix the base’s water system. But the nukes have turned the world as you know it into a lawless land, littered with mutated monsters, human enemies, and survivors who need your help.
Fast forward to the year 2241 and we arrive at Fallout 2. This time, you play as the direct descendant of Vault Dweller and are selected as the Chosen One to hunt down a special tool that will bring water back to your drought-ridden town of Arroyo – a mission that brings us full circle back to Vault 13.
A stark mix of story, comedy, and smartly designed turn-based combat, despite being a quarter of a century old, the pioneering Fallout games are still more than worth your time today. Fallout and Fallout 2 walked so the Vault Dwellers of Bethesda and Obsidian’s later games could run.
And now, they’re about to become two totally free PC games.
Between Monday February 22 and Monday February 29, if you go to the Epic Games Store, you can get Fallout, Fallout 2, and the spin-off Fallout Tactics for the low price of absolutely nothing. What more could you want? Apart from a new computer chip for your Vault, of course.
Update – February 17: Bad news, everyone. Well, not all bad. It appears that the Epic Game Store’s free Fallout deal is no longer on the cards. It’s now been replaced by the offer of Super Meat Boy Forever, the 2020 sequel to one of the best 2D platform games ever. Still, it’s not quite the same thing, so we’d understand if you’re a little sad. We are too.
Alternatively, you might want to try some of the other best games like Fallout, or maybe the best old games that you can still run on your PC today.
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