Falloutis a franchise that spans nearly three decades of gaming history. As such, it has inevitably undergone some drastic changes when it comes to the games' core designs, gameplay features, and RPG elements. Many players have been more than happy about the direction the franchise has taken up after Bethesda licensed the rights to the series in 2007, but some were left yearning for the old-school RPG feel of the first twoFallouttitles.
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For those gamers, the Nintendo Switch may be the perfect platform to scratch that “legacy RPG” itch. In recent years, many developers have chosen the Switch to deliver tactical,turn-based RPGs with engaging storylines. Some of these titles are even worthy of being named the spiritual successor to the classicFallouts.
10Beautiful Desolation
Set in a post-apocalyptic world and filled with snappy, believable dialogue, as well as an immersive storyline,Beautiful Desolationis a game that emulates that old-schoolFalloutatmosphere perfectly. Despite not having an expansive character progression system andcomplex combat mechanicsknown from Interplay’s first forays into post-nuclear war United States, it’s still a Switch game that evokes the legacyFalloutfeeling almost flawlessly.
The world-building and dialogue features ofBeautiful Desolationdon’t only feel likeFallout.They are directly inspired and influenced by the cult-classic franchise. It’s most evident in the dialogue choice windows, near-identical to those found in the first and secondFallouts,as well as the similar quest design and exploration mechanics. It’s clear that, at least to a certain extent,Beautiful Desolationis a homage to the post-nuclear role-playing game so many gamers fell in love with 25 years ago.
9Transistor
Despite being a very short title (the main quest can be beaten in as little as three hours),Transistorchecks all of the boxes that old-schoolFalloutfans would look for in a Switch RPG game. Isometric role-playing game set in the future? Check. Turn-based combat with plenty of intricacies? Check. Stats playing a key role in the gameplay? Check.
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Of course, that is not to say thatTransistoris a 1-to-1 copy ofFallout.The graphic design and environments are a breath of fresh air, with the game world having been built from the ground up by a group of talented writers and designers. Finally,Transistor’sturn-based combat feels action-packed and exciting, something that can’t be said about the fights in earlyFalloutsthat were largely a numbers game.
8Wasteland 2
What game can better resemble the originalFalloutsthan a sequel to the title that inspired the entire series in the first place? 1988’sWastelandwas a niche,old-school hardcore RPGthat inspired the imaginations ofFalloutcreators who took the unique (at the time) post-apocalyptic setting and improved upon every aspect of the game while adding some mainstream appeal to the mix.
The result? One of the most popular role-playing franchises of all time. It should come as no surprise, then, thatWasteland 2is very resemblant to the olderFallouts,however, it retains a lot of the hardcore elements that motivated the devs over at Interplay to simplify the core mechanics ofFallout 1a little.Wasteland 2is definitely not a title for impatient gamers!
7Divinity: Original Sin 2
Given how action-centric and simplistic RPGs have become in the 2010s, theDivinity: Original Sinseries should not have sold as well as it did. And yet, Larian Studios' ambitious project was successful enough to warrant a sequel that outperformed the original on every single front.
Divinity: Original Sin 2has impeccable dialogue, well-designed character progression, and aturn-based combat systemthat requires meticulous planning and a great understanding of the battlefield. All of these things are also what made the old-schoolFalloutsso popular among RPG fans. Players who like to dive deep into a game’s world and have aFallout-esque experience in a high fantasy setting will adoreDivinity: Original Sin 2on the Nintendo Switch.
6South Park: The Stick of Truth
With the exception ofThe Simpsons: Hit and Run,games inspired by cult-classic adult cartoons or movies don’t have a tendency to be too good at designing fun gameplay mechanics and translating the source material’s lore and setting into a playable piece of entertainment. Thankfully,South Park: The Stick of Truthis the exception to that unfortunate rule. The creators of the hit TV series have given Obsidian Entertainment control over the development process of The Stick of Truth, and unsurprisingly, it worked out very well for the game.
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The studio behindFallout: New VegasandPillars of Eternityhave poured all of their RPG expertise into this game while maintaining the atmosphere and humor ofSouth Park,resulting in a title that essentially feels like a playable episode of the hit comedy show with a detailed skill progression system that forces some difficult decisions upon the players.
5Undertale
When it first came out in 2015,Undertaletook the gaming community by surprise. This independently-developed 2D game that looks like a Gameboy Advance title tells a compelling story with a focus on tough decision-making, both in terms of the possible playstyles, as well as advancing the plot further.
WhileUndertale’srole-playing mechanics aren’t nearly as developed or far-reaching as those present in theFalloutgames, the importance of choice and the impact that the player has on how the game’s story plays out is definitely something that will appeal to die-hard fans of the hit post-apocalyptic RPG franchise.
4Pathway
Although it is more of a turn-based strategy game than a typical RPG,Pathwaymanages to incorporate many of the gameplay elements that made the 90sFalloutgames so interesting and immersive. Exploring the game’s world is incredibly satisfying, despite the minimalistic, retro-style graphics, and Robotality’s approach to questing definitely takes a page or two out of Interplay’s playbook, as well.
WherePathwaytruly shines, though, is the combat system. Fast-paced encounters that force players to utilize the powers of their entire squad are incredibly fun and challenging to play out. Combined with a stat-based, far-reaching skill progression system,Pathwaynails the feeling of growing more and more powerful as one levels up throughout the game.
3XCOM 2
TheXCOMseries needs no introduction.XCOM: UFO Defensewas released in 1994, and despite being largely forgotten by the majority of modern players, it still retains its cult-classic status within certain circles. 2012’sXCOM: Enemy Unknownwas a reimagined take on the game, aimed at getting younger players interested in the franchise. As it turned out, it filled a niche that was largely unoccupied at the time, and it warranted a 2016 sequel that was also released on the Switch in 2020.
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As most players are aware,XCOM 2is not an open-world role-playing game, and its core gameplay revolves around turn-based battles that require impeccable tactical acumen to get right. The tactical combat system bears a close resemblance to the one present in the oldFallouts,and fans who love that style of approach to battle in video games will be overjoyed to find thatXCOM 2improves upon the basic premise of tactical, turn-based combat in almost every single aspect.
2Overland
Much like old-schoolFallout, Overlandis also a post-apocalyptic, turn-based game, but this is where the similarities end. It flips the genre on its head. Instead of offering a title with an epic quest meant to rescue mankind from impending doom, the developers over at Finji studios have created a puzzle game with roguelike elements, focused almost entirely on ensuring the survival of the player’s party across the game’s levels.
The playable areas are very contained, and there are not many character progression mechanics to sink one’s teeth into. Despite all that,Overlandmanages to capture thefeeling of post-apocalyptic hopelessnessknown fromFallout,all the while retaining a gameplay structure associated with more light-hearted puzzle games, making it a very interesting Switch offering for players wanting to get a unique take on the genre.
1Phantom Doctrine
While there isn’t a shortage of isometric, turn-based strategy games for players to choose from on the Switch, not many of them manage to be quite so daring with their storytelling asPhantom Doctrine,developed by CreativeForge Games, a relatively unknown Polish studio. Plot-wise, it’s a Cold War espionage thriller whose combat mechanics and gameplay are heavily inspired byXCOM.
With a 40-hour-long campaign based around stealthily infiltrating enemy bases and engaging in combat aided by spy gadgets straight out of a James Bond movie,Phantom Doctrine’scombat takes some getting used to. The story and setting, however, feel very fresh and original, just like the firstFalloutmust have felt all the way back in 1997.
