The Fallout S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Anthology has one major flaw
Bethesda is releasing the Fallout S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Anthology, which gives you seven of the franchise's classic games for $60. However, there's a problem as it doesn't include physical releases.
21st Feb 2024 15:14
Images via Bethesda
The Fallout S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Anthology has one major flaw
Bethesda is releasing the Fallout S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Anthology, which gives you seven of the franchise's classic games for $60. However, there's a problem as it doesn't include physical releases.
21st Feb 2024 15:14
Images via Bethesda
Bethesda is opening the doors to its vaults once again, strolling out some classic Fallout games into the irradiated abyss of the Wasteland. The Fallout S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Anthology collection is bringing together seven golden oldies in a neat package.
With Bethesda now sitting under the Microsoft umbrella, the eventual release of Fallout 5 looks like it'll be a Xbox exclusive, although we're warned it'll be a long way off. Thankfully, the Fallout S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Anthology can keep us busy for a while with a wide array of Fallout titles we know and love.
Fallout S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Anthology collection has a major flaw
Releasing for just $60, the Fallout S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Anthology collection includes the PC versions of the games and comes packaged in a Mini-Nuke replica. Giving plenty of bang for your buck, you'll get:
- Fallout
- Fallout 2
- Fallout Tactics
- Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition
- Fallout: New Vegas – Ultimate Edition
- Fallout 4: Game of the Year Edition
- Fallout 76
While it's pretty much all you could ask for in terms of the Fallout universe, it includes the Steam codes of each game on adorable perk cards. This hasn't gone unnoticed by critics, and with the state of physical gaming being a bit of a mess right now, it's a disappointing letdown.
This isn't the only drawback, as others noticed the Mini-Nuke replica was previously part of an earlier collection. The S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Anthology has added Fallout 4 and Fallout 76 to the mix, but with the latter being a pretty polarising game, it's hardly worth buying a whole collection all over again.
Disgruntled gamers have taken their feelings to the Twitterverse, calling out Bethesda for this 'cheap' cash-in. One wrote, "A Fallout anthology in a mini nuke? Again? What did you have some leftover after the last one or something?"
Another complained that this is only for PC players, adding, "Kinda weird you wouldn't do some sort of console edition. Would love to grab an Xbox version of Fallout 1 & 2." Someone else added, "No discs, no dice. If I cant play them DURING the apocalypse, there's no point. We won't own these, they can be taken away at any point or altered."
A fourth concluded, "Too bad they aren’t on physical disks. Physical games are getting to be so rare these days, so I'm glad I got this years ago when they were on actual disks minus 4 and 76 of course. I think I may have a physical copy of 4 somewhere. I think."
When does the Fallout S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Anthology collection release?
The original Fallout Anthology released back in 2015, containing Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas, Fallout Tactics, and all of their add-ons. Versions of the OG anthology currently fetch a pretty penny online, but that's likely to do with it containing physical versions of the games.
At least there's something that Bethesda got right here, with the Fallout S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Anthology collection landing on April 11. This places it just one day before the release of Amazon's live-action Fallout series. There's no better to hype the upcoming release than by revisiting the world it spawned from.
About The Author
Tom Chapman
Tom is Trending News Editor at GGRecon, with an NCTJ qualification in Broadcast Journalism and over seven years of experience writing about film, gaming, and television. With bylines at IGN, Digital Spy, Den of Geek, and more, Tom’s love of horror means he's well-versed in all things Resident Evil, with aspirations to be the next Chris Redfield.
