Summary
Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steelis often lumped in with the classicFalloutgames. However, at the time, fans of the first two Fallout entries largely rejected Tactics, since it was less focussed on story and NPC interactions than what had come before.
Now, Fallout Tactics devs are recalling the game’s launch in an interview withPC gamer. Here, lead designer Ed Orman touches on the reception from fans and critics, noting that the Fallout community was particularly toxic in its criticisms of Tactics.
“We had two windows into how it was being received,” says Orman. “There was one that we should have just never looked through, and the one that we always look through. Commercially and in terms of how [Fallout Tactics] was rated and how it was reviewed, it was received really well.
“[…] The other window was the existing Fallout fanbase and the incredibly fervent and passionate and often horribly toxic people in that fanbase,” he continues. “There was a minority I remember seeing on there who were like ‘Hey, it’s pretty good game. I like what they’ve done to improve these things about Fallout.’ But the vast majority were like, ‘This isn’t a Fallout game. This is not Fallout 3. You screwed up the lore here, here and here. You put hairy deathclaws in, you’re not using charisma properly and all of those things.’ And so there was a huge amount of negativity within the fanbase.”
Of course,Fallout 3did eventually happen, but that was even more different than classic fans could have expected. Fallout 3 was developed byBethesda, who bought the IP from Black Isle Studios in 2007. This scrapped the turn-based combat of the originals and reimagined the Fallout series as an action RPG, which for many, is the only way they’ve experienced Fallout.
Alas, no matter who is at the helm, toxic fans will always be there, it seems. At the very least, Fallout Tactics has its fans, and has cemented itself in Fallout history alongside the first two games.
Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel
WHERE TO PLAY
Fallout Tactics takes the post-apocalyptic setting of the hit video game series and adds tactical squad gameplay, as you become embroiled in a deadly war as a member of the Brotherhood of Steel.
