Summary
The SPECIAL stat system is an iconic hallmark of theFalloutuniverse. Players love spreading their stats between the seven main attributes of Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility, and Luck, ensuring that their protagonist is molded in their image.
Some games do a great job of reflecting these stats by altering everything from the approach players can take for a given conversation to the many skill checks they can make the most of. NotallFalloutgamesplace equal importance on the SPECIAL stats, with more forgiving games feeling rather lacking from the role-playing side of things as a result.
An action RPG that isn’t remembered by many,Fallout: Brotherhood of Steelplaces itself as a hack-and-slash first and an RPG second. As a result, the SPECIAL system doesn’t hold a ton of importance.
This, coupled with a linear design and repetitive combat, means thatFallout: Brotherhood of Steelwasn’t all that great. The title stands in the eyes of many as the worst game in theFalloutseries with a surface-level implementation of the SPECIAL system.
Fallout 76has undergone a quietrenaissance of sorts, turning into a surprisingly engaging experience if players decide to give this title a second shot. However, the focus on a multiplayer experience means that the SPECIAL system was bound to take a hit.
Players can level up their SPECIAL stats with each level up instead of choosing an allocation from the get-go, which makes the system a bit too forgiving. This, coupled with the many perk cards players can use, means that a player’s SPECIAL stats don’t influence gameplay all that much in the grand scheme of things.
With theFalloutseries stagnating in the early 2000s, the IP was subject to certain experiments that prioritized other aspects of the franchise instead of focusing on pure role-playing. This meant thatFallout Tacticswas bound to disappoint fans seeking a great implementation of the SPECIAL system, even if it excelled in other aspects.
Players who loved the tense nature ofFallout’s gameplay loved howFallout Tacticsenhanced the options available to them in combat. However, role-playing itself wasn’t a huge focus, which meant that players didn’t have to worry too much about how the SPECIAL system influenced their character.
Fallout 4has its fair share of detractors, with the lack of emphasis placed on the SPECIAL system being a huge pain point for many. Players couldn’t fathom the idea of a mainlineFalloutgame where role-playing took a backseat to other facets of gameplay.
The SPECIAL system may seem relevant early on, but players can allocate points after leveling up, which makes the game more forgiving. Improving the Sole Survivor’s stats involves unlocking and investing in perks that help them enjoy a bevy of advantages both in and out of combat, which is more forgiving but less satisfying for RPG fans who fell in love withFallout’s earlier iterations.
There’s no denying thatFallout 3took huge steps to make the series relevant again. Players loved how the series became mainstream once more with the dawn of this title, even if the SPECIAL system itself became way more forgiving than ever before.
Players could invest little to nothing in one of the Lone Wanderer’s stats without worrying about their playthrough being affected in any way. Barring the inability to pass a few skills checks, players can make the Lone Wanderer as weak or stupid as they want and still have a great time.
Thefirst game in theFalloutseriesintroduced players to one of the deepest and most engaging RPGs ever made. The introduction of the SPECIAL system let players create a unique protagonist who could tackle challenges in whatever manner they chose fit.
That being said,Falloutdid benefit from players investing in combat-heavy stats as opposed to other ones, which could make things disappointing for players who wanted to focus less on battles and try to explore other avenues to make progress. This can still be forgiven given that this is the first game in the series, with the SPECIAL system being largely effective in making these stat allocations quite meaningful from the get-go.
It’s a shame thatNew Vegaslaunched in a poor technical state, but modernFalloutfans can agree that this game is possibly the best title in the series. The combination of the series' staples coupled with modern advancements ensured that controlling the Courier was a rewarding experience for players who wanted to immerse themselves in the game’s role-playing systems.
The SPECIAL system is fleshed out, with the Courier’s stat allocations playing a major role in how they react to the dynamic world ofNew Vegas. Low intelligence builds won’t be able to follow a complex conversation, while players with high numbers in a certain stat can use everything from their immense strength to a silver tongue, letting them make the most ofNew Vegas' complex role-playing systems.
Most people loveFallout 2for establishing a dark yet humorous tone that would become synonymous with the series. On top of this, the role-playing side of things was expanded upon to make every build viable in the long run.
This means thatFallout 2has the best implementation of the SPECIAL system, to the point where two playthroughs feel completely different if players alter their allocation in the many stats available to them. As long as players are willing to look past its dated nature, they’ll have a great time playing what just might be the most complete role-playing experience in aFalloutgame.
