I've had a very limited experience with Fallout 2 mainly because when I first played it I found it clunky and I found turn-based combat
unenjoyable (this is down due to my own impatience, I can't fault an old game for being outdated) and I quit soon after I started playing the game. I have heard from people that it matches or even surpasses Fallout New Vegas in some areas. (lore, story, decisions) I really have been enjoying New Vegas lately and I was wondering if I should and give FO2 another shot or is there not enough in Fallout 2 that I can't already experience in New Vegas. I would rather have opinions on the lore and story aspects of Fallout 2 rather than the gameplay as those are the aspects that I care most about.

Please note that this is not about Fallout: NV or Fallout 2 being better than each other, just about whether Fallout 2 is different enough from New Vegas to be worth playing.

Play Fallout 1 first, and if you like it, then you will like fallout 2. Fallout 1 is very short, by fallout standards, so you should be able to finish it in no time, a day, even. Fallout 2 is more of that. If dialogue makes your head hurt, you should try fallout: tactics, a game without any pesky speech skills or reading, and lots of shooty-shooty. If you like the combat mechanics of that game(the turn based mode, not real time mode), then the oldschool games use the exact same system, and maybe you can give it a go then

If that's not the case, and you're simply looking for lore, I suggest looking at a walkthru of those 2 games on youtube, at least. I should mention that fallout 2 is notoriously broken and buggy, you should install the unofficial patch, at least, and I heavily recommend the mod that adds in a lot of cut content as well. Both should be available on No Mutants Allowed. Your bad memories might simply come from an unpatched copy of fallout 2, which is as broken, if not more so, than an unpatched copy of fallout new vegas, which, at the end of the day, is still a great game, fallout 2 is a lot like that(Fallout 1 is very stable, by fallout standards, altho there is also a conversion for it, "fallout fixt", which I also very much suggest, if you will play that one)

Since you mentioned that lore and story are what you care about, then yes, I would say FO2 is definitely worth it. It has some great characters and really develops the setting. In addition to that it introduces and develops both the NCR and Enclave, two factions that have become very important in the Fallout lore.
Even if you struggle with the gameplay, I would at least recommend watching a walkthrough of the game if you still want to get the story and lore

If my memory is right, you can still play Fallout 2 after the ending while you can't on Fallout.
In my opinion, it's interesting to know, some people (like me) prefers to still be able to play after the end.

Also, not lot of people liked it but there is Fallout Tactics that is fun if you're looking for more Fallout and don't mislead it with Fallout Tactics Brotherhood of Steel.

Play Fallout 1 (with the mods).
Play fallout 1.5
Play Fallout 2 (with the restoration mods)

Enjoy a thrilling experience i wish i never had, so i could experiment it the first time again

I had honestly played Fallout 2 and then I went to Fallout 1. Both great games and the atmosphere is something Bethesda hasn't been able to nail down in their new games. I got hooked into using the map editor and had a lot of fun with that on Fallout 2. I imported the Mariposa from Fallout 1 into Fallout 2 and was working on restoring all the systems. Would have made an amazing home base.

Fallout Tactics was fun too and an adjustment from turn based, I started playing with mods on that game too.

Definite recommendation from me. It's the most wacky and fun fallout from a storytelling and rpg perspective. It also enhances FNV in that you'll notice the massive amount of references to places and events in Fallout 2 sprinkled throughout the game.

My only warning would be don't go into it expecting Fallout 3 style onwards, it's a very different game. I know you said no gameplay but it's pretty important, as Fallout 2's intro can be a little overwhelming, and slightly off putting. I'd recommend playing 1 first, it serves as a more natural introduction to the old school gameplay. 2 is more of a refined concept of that style.

I'm kinda late to the party but i have to say yes m yes it is worth it m especially with the restoration mod . it has very fun quests , a great main story , various quality of life improvements over fo1 and tons of ways to roleplay . it may look a bit dated and the difficulty can be unforgiving at times but it's still a blast to play through

In the old days there was less hand-holding. It's theoretically possible to get through the early fallouts with a sub-optimal character, but it's not necessarily easy.
The starting skills you take can end up being an accidental hard-mode. No combat skills can really mean no combat skills, unlike skyrim or fallout4 where you're basically going to tear through many of the enemies no matter what your starting character is.
Morrowind was like that too... if your starting skills were acrobatics, repair, and mercantile, you were in for a much rougher ride.
It doesn't warn you ahead of time, but energy weapons and heavy weapons are late game weapons. A simple laser is almost a legendary, near-mythological "light bringer."
That being said, I started with fallout 2 back in 1999 or so. I don't remember why. It just was the one on the shelf, I think. It set my entire idea of how falllout should be.
But anyway, if you don't like turn-based rpgs, don't bother, this probably won't change your mind. Te follower AI is also incredibly bad. Do not give them automatic weapons, they will spray them and kill you and each other.

While Fallout 2 is a great RPG i would recommend playing fallout 1 first, as it is fair easier and a great introduction to mechanics and thereof, also the tutorial in fallout 2 is horrible

Lord Darx wrote:

While Fallout 2 is a great RPG i would recommend playing fallout 1 first, as it is fair easier and a great introduction to mechanics and thereof, also the tutorial in fallout 2 is horrible

Honestly i'm one of those few people that prefer fallout 1 to fo2 , while it was a smaller game with some glitches and thechnical problems , i absolutely loved the story and bleak atmosphere of the game which no other fallout game had ( i still remember the dread i've felt going to the glow on my first time there)