Fallout 2 was the second Fallout game published by Interplay Productions, back before the franchise was acquired by Bethesda. The game was highly-praised when it released in 1998, and went a long way to building renown for the Fallout franchise. Yesterday, the game celebrated the 20-year anniversary since its release.
The 20-Year Anniversary of Fallout 2
Fallout 2 was developed by Black Isle Studios; their first game. It adapted the setting and gameplay of the original Fallout, which had been developed by Interplay themselves, and greatly expanded them. The game is set in 2241, a full 80-years after the original game. The protagonist, known as The Chosen One, is the direct descendant of the first game’s hero. They are tasked with saving the settlement of Arroyo from drought by recovering a GECK (Garden of Eden Creation Kit). The game made significant additions to the canon of Fallout; it was the game which first introduced the Enclave, for example.
The 20-year anniversary of Fallout 2’s release was noted by Chris Avellone; one of the developers who worked on the title.
Happy 20th to #Fallout2, I can't tell you how grateful I had the chance to work on it. Many thanks to Tim, Leonard, Jason, and the whole Fallout 1 team who made the 1st game so special (no pun intended) and paved the way for many more Fallouts to come. <3 #Fallout pic.twitter.com/sPu7tBOxQC
— Chris Avellone (@ChrisAvellone) September 30, 2018
Fallout 2 laid a lot of groundwork for the Fallout franchise and its canon. Certainly, the series might never have enjoyed its long-term success if not for Fallout 2. The game was also the last core Fallout title to be published by Interplay. Two spin-off titles were made after its release in 1998; Fallout: Tactics in 2001 and Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel in 2004. Tactics was the work of Micro Forté and was published by 14 Degrees East (a division of Interplay). Brotherhood of Steel, on the other hand, was developed and published by Interplay Entertainment. The next core Fallout title wouldn’t release until ten years after Fallout 2.
Black Isle Studios, the developers of Fallout 2, were actually developing Fallout 3. However, Interplay Entertainment’s bankruptcy meant the project’s cancellation. The license for Fallout 3 was sold to Bethesda Softworks, who began development of a new version of Fallout 3 from scratch in 2004.