Underrail

With dozens or even hundreds hours of gameplay, tremendous replay value and low price, Underrail is a must-buy title for RPG fans that don't mind its slightly outdated visuals.

If you regard the 90s and first two Fallout games as ancient history, Underrail is not for you, because without the anesthetic power of nostalgia it might be completely indigestible. [03/2016, p.71]

UnderRail shows that classic ideas and mechanics can deliver impressive gameplay results even in an age when even the RPG space tends to lose its identity under the assault of improved graphics and the need to make combat the best way to solve every situation.

If what you miss most about games like Fallout is the act of rolling your character, exploring a space from that particular camera angle, allocating your AP in combat, or tweaking a build after several runs' worth of trial and error, you'll be in good hands with UnderRail. Otherwise, it may be more productive to simply play the older games again.

UnderRail manages to capture the spirit of the original Fallout even despite its abhorrent UI, heavy focus on combat, unforgiving character development system, and the final chapter which is basically a guide on how not to design a role-playing game.

It's like an alternative Fallout with simple turn-based fights and old school atmosphere. A good tip for Fallout veterans.

If not for the Underrail Wiki, it would be all but impossible to complete some quests. The in-game journal keeps track of active quests, but makes no mention of their stages or received hints. Still, the game is good, from nice 2D graphics to challenging tactical combat to sense of exploration when every new location has some surprises in store. [Issue#205, p.56]

Core fans of the first two Fallout games will enjoy Underrail as well as the players who hate the last 15 years of game development. It is a hardcore game that somewhere under the terrible interface and illogical absence of some key elements hides days of traditional post-apocalyptic entertainment.

With more intelligent and varied AI, and a combat system that didn’t effectively screw over anyone wanting something just a little more accessible (sadly a trait shared with many games attempting to be ‘hardcore’, especially the retro-styled ones), this could have been a genuine classic instead of a missed opportunity.