Fallout Shelter has gradually gained a massive following since it was released last year. The app is based on the popular Fallout franchise that has thrived for decades now. Just in case you’re not familiar with the game, it’s important to start by saying Fallout Shelter is the latest offering by Bethesda – having been launched on 14th June 2015 for Android echo system, around the same time they released its iOS version too.
The idea
There is no real story for this game. Instead, you are tasked with the role of an Overseer whose job will be to oversee activities related to building and expanding an underground vault. In addition to this, you will be managing the needs of vault dwellers while negotiating disasters as soon as they arise.
Fallout Shelter Features
The resource room
Managing resources is brutal in the early stages of playing this game. But this is also where the makers of this game put the hard sell on their purchasable lunch boxes.
With a vault full of starved and unhappy dwellers whose productivity is impeded by the prevailing circumstances, it makes sense to invest a few dollars into their well-being. To build a thriving vault, you will need access to all types of facilities/resources. This is typical of what happens in an underground city anyway. Also, Fallout has managed to create more rooms which unlock as more dwellers join your community.
Every room has got its own purpose, plus the manner in which you assign dwellers (according to their capabilities) will influence the overall productivity of the city. You can also merge the rooms into 3, thus giving you the chance to accommodate more dwellers who shall work in a specific area. This feature is built by placing a room next to a similar room so they can merge.
You will be provided with a generator to create power, water treatment plant for purifying your water, and diner which is responsible for producing food. Keep in mind that these 3 rooms are the most important for your dwellers as they address the most basic needs inside the vault. If you fail to plan accordingly, things may go wrong and you may not have the chance to restore your sanity either.
By using specific resources provided in the app, you can prolong the life of your dwellers. What’s more, you can fend off infestations and attacks when you keep them healthy. Of course living inside a vault also presents the risk of infestations or fire accidents. You can minimize such incidents by not rushing production in a room. Also, outside threats are very real here. Raiders will attempt to gain access to your vault to loot resources. Finally, fallout introduced what they call Death Claw monsters. These are not pretty anyway. They are very scary.
In-app purchases
Bethesda has to make money from the app. So even though you can download and play it for free, you will occasionally need to spend some dough to get what you don’t have. The latest version has Mr. Handy, a robot you can purchase to fight your enemies, collect resources and even search the wastelands for caps.
Pros:
- Fan to play
- Addictive
- Complex graphics that fit every device
Cons:
- Replay value seems to suffer. You will not enjoy playing levels that you’ve passed
- You could improve the status of the game, your dwellers and so on. Outside those activities, nothing will keep you wanting to come back.
Conclusion
Playing Fallout Shelter is a nice way to kill time. It engages you and also helps you to think critically. So if you have an Android or iOS device, start downloading it now.
