Now, this isn't to be confused with Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel, a sort of ARPG on Xbox and the PlayStation 2 despite the very similar name. Though it is another off-shoot that isn't generally considered canon in the lore, it is a game more in line with the original two Fallout titles.
Developed by Micro Forté and published by 14 Degrees East, Fallout Tactics was released on 14 March 2001 for Windows. It's a tactical RPG with a heavier focus on tactical combat and less on the RPG side of things outside of gearing and levelling your squad of Brotherhood recruits.
Overall it leans closer to something like Jagged Alliance rather than the previous titles, there is an overarching plot though interacting with characters is limited, this game is all about the combat. It was also the first Fallout game to feature real-time battles as an option alongside its more traditional action-points turn-based system.
As always I'll avoid giving away any spoilers, old game or not I am not going to assume everyone has played it. Also, spoilers suck.
Character Creation/Customisation
The character creation is pretty much identical to the first two Fallout games. The same SPECIAL system and a lot of the same perks, traits and skills just with more added. The standouts in that regard are the piloting perk for vehicles and lots more squad and promotion-focused perks. The caveat is that this is a combat-focused game, so making a smooth-talking character likely won't work as pretty much everything ends up in a fight anyway. So, keep that in mind when making your squad leader.
There is also the 'tough guy' mode which is sort of like an iron-man mode. However, it differs in that you can only save inside Brotherhood bunkers rather than having a single save file. Also, it gives you extra XP if you opt to go for it. It is not essential as there are still random encounters if you want to farm XP and level up a bit before attempting the meat of the game.
You only make your character, the rest of your squad is recruited in Brotherhood bunkers and drawn from a pool of characters that is updated after every mission so far as I could tell. Appearance-wise, you can change armour, hair and skin colour plus gender, I mean that was still more than Fallout 1 and 2 so, progress!
While you can command a squad of up to six, you'll typically only create your character who acts as squad leader. The rest are pre-made and recruited at a Brotherhood bunker with your rank and mission completions affecting which are available. And if any of them die well, they are gone unless you load a save!
Gameplay
The gameplay section is a bit long so, brace yourself!
I didn't enjoy the continuous turn-based option, it felt chaotic trying to wrangle three or more squad members at the same time while being shot at. I mean it works but it's just not for me, if you utterly hate the methodical plodding forward of turn-based, it can work though it may make some things a lot harder. You'll burn through a lot more ammo and healing items, making it feel like a bad idea to my ammo-hoarding ways. Individual Turn-based mode is closer to Fallout 1 & 2's system, using the sequence stat to determine the order in which everyone moves in a turn, it's derived from agility and perks. Despite looking high and low, I couldn't see in-game how it was calculated or even my sequence rating. Squad turn-based removes the 'sequence/initiative' style of play and shifts towards one side going and then the other. I much preferred that as it made everything feel a bit more consistent for me.
You can choose how you approach most missions with some degree of nuance. Running in guns blazing can work though you'll be burning through ammo and medical supplies much faster. You can also try to be sneaky, taking out isolated groups before they can raise the alarm. Though in turn-based modes, stealth can make missions a bit of a slog, so there is nothing wrong with going in loud. Completing the main objectives usually lets you exit the mission area though if you are like me, you won't. You'll hunt down every straggler, chest and piece of loot you can cram into your pockets. Though hunting the stragglers can get tedious I'll admit.
Enemy AI feels a bit weak which is partially made up for by the fact they will always have numbers on their side. Also, the vehicles, while a fun addition have limited use, likely for balance reasons as rocking up in a Sherman tank would likely make everything a bit too easy. Though I think more could have been done with them, they are more of a bonus than a massive impact. They also are a bit janky to control so, consider yourself warned as I found them a bit frustrating to make use of.
Levelling up your character and squad is much the same as the original Fallout's, every few levels you'll get to choose a perk from a pool determined by your attributes and level. These help you customise toward the style you want, whether it's making an insanely accurate sniper or a highly adept medic. FO: T includes the addition of ranks within the Brotherhood itself, and determining your access to recruits and gear at the quartermaster. Usually, it is based on mission performance though a high charisma and some perks can accelerate that too.
Aside from the usual levelling up, improving your skills and gear you also progress by moving from one bunker to the next as the Brotherhood advances into the wasteland. There's a nice enemy variety too, starting with basic raiders and escalating steadily from there. No spoilers, sorry!
It might seem there are many ways you can approach each mission though I found it mostly boiled down to two choices. You either find a side entrance you could get to objectives by or kick the front door in.
There are a lot of weapons and the like in Fallout Tactics with some classics returning as well as more recognisable options from the modern day (despite the divergent timeline the Fallout Universe exists in.) So, classics such as the hunting rifle are joined by the MP5 and Berreta pistol. It's a little odd for Fallout but more variety is always a good thing if you ask me.
Story
The story is not the game's strongest suit but it is there and compelling enough to keep things moving along. Enough at least to want to see what happens next and eager to hear General Barnaky giving you the next briefing, yelling included.
It starts with the Brotherhood sending you and two other recruits to rescue villagers from raiders as they try to restore order to the wasteland and steadily escalates from there in typical Fallout fashion. I won't spoil anything but it helps ensure there is at least a large variety of enemies to fight along your tactical adventures.
There aren't a huge amount of story choices or options, no branching paths I could find it's you against whatever enemies have popped up. This is fine given this is a tactics game and not a full-fledged RPG. The story works and it feels Fallout enough that as I understand it, the Tactics story isn't considered entirely canon. Though parts of it are, it's a little confusing but I honestly liked the story for what it was either way.
Graphics & Sound
The game has moved away from the pixelated look of the previous titles in favour of cleaner-looking environments and sprites while still keeping the overall feel of the previous two games. It looks good and is easier on the eyes compared to the first two games. However, on modern resolutions, it appears a bit small.
The sounds are more of a mixed bag; the music and ambience still hold a lot of the same character. I was far less impressed with the sounds of a lot of the weapons; most lacked a lot of punch in the sounds. At least compared to before. They aren't bad I just think they could have been better. Who likes a weak-sounding gun? I sure don't.
The voice acting is surprisingly good given the game focuses more on combat than story. The briefings are even voiced by Ronald Lee Ermey which genuinely fits the militaristic nature of the Brotherhood of Steel.
UI & Controls
Controls much like the older titles with some new features, such as stances, overwatch and the various modes of play.
It does have hotkeys or 'quick keys' as it calls them though they can't be rebound meaning you are still reliant mostly on clicking. I don't think the CTB mode hits the mark as well as it could have. I played around with it for a while and with the occasional stealthy scout sneaking ahead, grouping up your squad and powering forward always felt like the best tactic in real-time.
Otherwise, in the two turn-based modes you aren't really held back as much by the UI and controls. The trading and inventory UI's are slightly improved over the originals too though still not quite able to hold a candle to modern games. Organising squad inventory before, during and after a mission can be tedious. It makes for a lot of busy work, it would have been nice to have a squad inventory window open so you could drag and drop but as with the previous Fallout games, it is very much a product of its time in that regard.
The vehicles deserve a special mention here. They have some rather clumsy pathfinding ensuring it can be difficult to get them to go where you want. Several times I ran members of my squad over. It makes it a bit of a silver lining that vehicles are not as prominent as they could have been.
Overall
It's a good game if you like tactical RPGs though if you were after more roleplaying fun in the Fallout universe this one isn't as essential a play as Fallout's 1 and 2. Though it isn't the most in-depth tactical game you could play either. It is a game primarily focused on combat and so long as you don't go in expecting an in-depth RPG with a massive emphasis on story you'll likely enjoy it for what it is.
In general, it's a solid entry held back a little as it has its rough edges, like the CTB mode and later missions lacking the earlier title's variety of approaches. If you are after more Fallout story, you can probably skip this as while it serves to nudge the combat along, it's not an RPG in that sense. The tactical combat isn't as deep as something like Jagged Alliance but it can be a fun little adventure if you want to see more of the original Fallout style rather than the newer first-person entries.
In conclusion, it's an enjoyable game but more than a little janky, if you just want more story and lore you could safely skip this one. It's clunky but fun if you can wrangle the interface though you won't miss much story-wise if you skip it. Some parts of the story are canon and are alluded to in Fallout 3 and 4 but they are minor as far as I can tell.
You can grab it off GOG, Steam and Epic so far as my checking went and is often bundled with Fallout 1 & 2.
Apologies for the lack of good screenshots. The game didn't cooperate and despite being on Steam, the overlay didn't seem to want to take screenshots as some of them just show as blank. Plenty of screenshots out there already for this though!
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