If you’re a fan of Fallout, you’ll know that it’s one of the most enthralling, post-apocalyptic RPGs with an isometric style to ever hit the gaming scene.
It’s hard not to love Fallout. After all, it offers some incredible writing, rich atmosphere building, and unique skill systems that all combine to make a truly memorable experience. It’s a game that’s had a huge impact on the gaming world, which means there’s plenty of other games like it to try out.
In this article, I’ve handpicked 7 games like classic Fallout for you to try out. All of them are superb and offer a very similar experience to the original Fallout, but take place in a different setting and offer slightly different elements.
Arcanum
Fallout 1 is what it is thanks in part to Tim Cain, who is a phenomenal video game developer that contributed to numerous other titles. One of these titles is Arcanum.
Arcanum is refreshingly original. The universe actively puts magic at odds with technology. This is a post-industrial world that tries its best to leave behind all forms of magic, but you can play as a mage nonetheless.
In Arcanum, you can play as one of many available races, like orcs, half-elves, and gnomes.
Each race comes with different traits and you can further customize your character by choosing a unique background. For example, you can be a bookworm who starts with higher intelligence but is deficient in other areas, or a character that’s incredibly beautiful but lacks dexterity.
The range of options is impressive and you can play the game in a lot of different ways. Your choices in the character selection stage will impact your gameplay e.g. selecting a character that isn’t very persuasive will impact your dialogue options.
Arcanum’s story is simply beautiful and full of philosophical ideas. If you’re the kind of person who asks deep questions or struggles to find a balance between science and theology, this game will give you a lot of memorable moments. The music, dialogue, and atmosphere reflect the passion of the developers.
Tyranny
Tyranny is another exceptional game like Fallout with an original and engaging story.
In Tyranny, evil is almost in full control and has almost conquered the entire map. You’ll assist in finalizing the campaign. Because of this, you come across very tough ethical choices and are constantly required to take sides, making difficult sacrifices and decisions.
This game has one of the best stories you’ll ever come across in a game and the desire to discover what happens next will keep you glued to your screen. The dialogue is comparable to that of the most eloquent novels and you’ll likely read all of it.
Visually, Tyranny is not the most impressive game. However, in terms of how deep character customization goes, you will find that it’s very satisfying and highly replayable. Also, you get to play with a party.
Each member of your crew will be unique and you’ll be able to choose from many different specializations. Some of the skills are standard and reminiscent of other RPGs, but the game has flavors of its own, especially in the magic department.
Tyranny’s combat takes place in real-time, but you can pause as often as you want to give orders to your party. If you’re used to hack & slash RPGs or purely turn-based combat, at first you may find Tyranny a bit odd, but after the first few battles, I’m sure you’ll love it.
Divinity: Original Sin
Developed by Larian Studios and released in 2014, Divinity: Original Sin practically revived the isometric RPG subgenre and took it to a whole new level.
This game allows you to pick from a wide range of characters and customize everything about them. All of the abilities, attributes, and talents are intelligently designed, and this gives you the possibility to play through the story multiple times.
Divinity: Original Sin immerses you in its world and gives you the chance to be creative with how you use your abilities. For example, utilizing electricity on an enemy that’s standing in the rain will create the effect you’d expect.
The combat is turn-based, so you will be able to plan all of your moves carefully. Each battle is important and in most cases, challenging. This differentiates it from ARPGs and requires you to be an excellent tactician during each fight.
If you like to read about a game’s lore and fully experience every quest, Divinity: Original Sin’s dialogue will mesmerize you. It’s one of the best options for people hunting for games like Fallout that focus on great stories and characters.
Disco Elysium
Disco Elysium is one of the most intriguing story-rich games that you can play on the Switch and other consoles, and it’s a worthwhile pick for gamers looking for games like Fallout. It’s much more focused on the story than combat, but the style and theming works well to conjure the same feelings as Fallout.
You are a detective but you can play the role in many different ways. You can choose to be highly intelligent, brutal, or highly sensitive. There’s also the option to fully customize your own character and choose the attributes that suit your playstyle.
Unlike some more simplistic RPGs on the market, Disco Elysium seeks to challenge you and therefore, it never gives you everything you want. You need to solve problems while having both qualities and severe deficiencies, and this creates an engaging experience.
The skills in Disco Elysium exist to make your playthrough unique. You can choose to develop your empathy and logic, or you can be a pure bruiser with excellent reaction speed and coordination. The game gives you many tools to solve its quests and your choices matter.
This is a game that encourages interaction. You don’t get to fight non-stop like in other RPGs. Instead, you get to listen and think carefully about everything you want to say. In that sense, Disco Elysium is an excellent choice for those who enjoy socializing with others and getting to know interesting characters.
Baldur’s Gate 3
Baldur’s Gate 3 was developed by Larian Studios, the same company that created Divinity: Original Sin. It carries across the same combat system from the Divinity series, and it’s a great pick for people searching for games similar to Fallout.
Fighting is never dull in this game and it only gets better as you level up your characters and access new spells. In Baldur’s Gate 3, the environment is part of the battle. It may prove to be your ally or your greatest foe, depending on how you position yourself.
The character creation process is rich and engaging. You start your adventure by designing yourself from start to finish and the range of characteristics you get to set is impressive. You could easily spend hours contemplating your race, class, subclass, Deity, background, proficiencies, abilities, and appearance.
The characters you end up with can vary immensely. You can end up playing a strong, aggressive character who excels in combat, or a sneaky character who knows how to master stealing and pickpocketing in Baldur’s Gate 3. Whatever you play as, you’re sure to have a lot of fun.
Planescape: Torment Enhanced Edition
This game is an absolute gem and represents another one of those deeply philosophical CRPGs that Fallout fans are sure to love. This particular version is an updated version of the original game, and it’s impeccable.
Planescape: Torment Enhanced Edition is a pure CRPG, in the sense that it focuses a lot on the story and cares much less about combat and other elements. The style and vision of Chris Avellone is evident throughout the entire game and is one of the main reasons why you should play it.
In Planescape: Torment, you play as The Nameless One. You wake up and begin your quest to discover who you are. Along the way, various companions join forces with you for reasons of their own. You’ll get to pick your own unique specialization, too.
Instead of powerful armor, you get tattoos, and when you die, you simply respawn in a different location. I don’t want to spoil the game for you, but if you’re looking for games like Fallout and find past lives and reincarnation fascinating, you’re sure to love this game.
Pillars of Eternity
Pillars of Eternity is an 80-hour masterpiece that is sure to delight fans of old-school CRPGs.
Like most of the games on this list, PoE is not for those who like to constantly fight and don’t have the patience to read a lot of dialogue. Quite the opposite, it is for those who want to roleplay and become immersed in a superb novel.
The cut scenes in this game take the form of page-like screens that give you ample time to read and imagine. And that’s exactly what the fans of the genre love to do.
In this game, you are the sole survivor of a disturbing incident and come into contact with cultists who perform a bizarre ritual. You become a Watcher (or someone who has the capacity to read souls) and along the way, you discover that in Dyrwood, children are cursed and are being born without a soul.
Pillars of Eternity features not just a great story but also a great combat system, among other things. Every battle is engaging and quite difficult, so the action is quite satisfying and will give you enough challenges to tackle.
If you love RPGs like Fallout that have great music and beautiful visuals, this game will not let you down. From start to finish, it makes you feel immersed in its world and you will often find yourself just sitting around to listen to its soundtrack.
