With no announcement at this year's E3, a new Fallout game now seems further away than ever. But instead of being miserable about what's not coming in the future, take comfort in the past, because the original games have returned to Steam.
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According to a recent update on the Bethesda Blog, Fallout, Fallout 2, and Fallout Tactics are now ready to download from the digital storefront, and what's more, they're part of the Steam Summer Sale and can be grabbed for the bargain price of $4.99 each, or as a bundle for $12.99.
As noted by Bethesda, all of the games have been Steam Cloud enabled. The first and second game can also be launched in classic or default versions, the latter of which allows for high resolutions. They are also able to run on Windows 8, while Tactics isn't Windows 8 compatible.
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The games had been removed from both Steam and GOG.com back in January, but exactly why is unclear. A statement from GOG.com at the time said that "Due to circumstances beyond our control, we needed to pull the three classic Fallout games, that is Fallout, Fallout 2, and Fallout Tactics, from sale and remove them from our DRM-free catalog. These classic titles have been with us since day one, that is for over 5 years now, and they were always one of the highlights of the selection of games that we offer. There are very few titles in the history of computer role-playing games, that have had so much impact on the gaming landscape, players' expectations, and even the popular culture. The iconic setting, the memorable quotes, and unparalleled amount of fun and challenge these games provide--it's all burned in the memory of a whole generation of gamers."
If you're interested in seeing the evolution of the franchise and what Fallout 3 and New Vegas were built on, you can grab the games at their respective links. Bethesda has also provided a bit of a refresher for what you can expect from each game.
Fallout - "You've just unearthed the classic post-apocalyptic role-playing game that revitalized the entire CRPG genre. The Fallout SPECIAL system allows drastically different types of characters, meaningful decisions and development that puts you in complete control. Explore the devastated ruins of a golden age civilization. Talk, sneak or fight your way past mutants, gangsters and robotic adversaries. Make the right decisions or you could end up as another fallen hero in the wastelands..."
Fallout 2 - "[T]he sequel to the critically acclaimed game that took RPG'ing out of the dungeons and into a dynamic, apocalyptic retro-future. It's been 80 long years since your ancestors trod across the wastelands. As you search for the Garden of Eden Creation Kit to save your primitive village, your path is strewn with crippling radiation, megalomaniac mutants, and a relentless stream of lies, deceit and treachery. You begin to wonder if anyone really stands to gain anything from this brave new world. Mastering your character's skills and traits for survival, Fallout 2 will challenge you to endure in a post-nuclear world whose future withers with every passing moment..."
Fallout Tactics - "Tactical Squad-Based Combat comes to the Fallout Universe! You are the wretched refuse. You may be born from dirt, but we will forge you into steel. You will learn to bend; if not you, will you break. In these dark times, the Brotherhood - your Brotherhood - is all that stands between the rekindled flame of civilization and the howling, radiated wasteland.Your weapons will become more than your tools, they will become your friends. You will use your skills to inspire the lowly and protect the weak... whether they like it or not. Your squadmates will be more dear to you than your kin and for those that survive there will be honor, respect and the spoils of war."
If you want all three, then go for the Fallout Classics pack, and check out the original opening from the first game in the video below.