Review by: Brian Rowe

The year is 2156 and the future hasn’t brought flying cars or a glimmering utopia. The remnants of known humanity survived a devastating virus and nuclear attacks and now cling to the edges of the Grand Canyon in hopes of resurrecting civilization, or making sure it never rises again. Strolling across the sandy plateaus to the ponderous strumming of a lonely guitar, you can almost imagine Mad Max or the Six-String Samurai traveling in the distance and stopping to scavenge through a mound of decade-old garbage.

As effective as the visuals are at establishing the mood, they are equally effective at repelling it. Aesthetics are usually my last concern, but in the face of Warhammer Online and Aion, Fallen Earth’s wrinkles are impossible to mask. The quality is comparable to Everquest 2 – better and worse in some areas. Most players aren’t aware that Fallen Earth had a makeover before beta began, and another overhaul is on the way. Screenshots from the next upgrade look great, but adding hot-rod flames and a spoiler to a ’95 Grand Am doesn’t make it a sports car.

Antiquated animations are not easily hidden. Characters leap with the grace of obese bowlers. Swords have dutifully appropriate arcs, but swinging a lead pipe looks more like someone flailing with a foam pool-noodle. The scene is almost comical when paired against a group of NPCs, all yelling, “Hey!” like a pack of constipated Fonzies. Initial character creation has enough hairstyles, piercings, and tattoos to make a distinctive avatar, yet all men share the same ape-like demeanor. After a recent patch, half of the women look fresh from working the corners.

Are you still with me? Then you might have what it takes to survive. Fallen Earth is a place for hardcore MMO-players. There are no respecs for unwisely upgraded stats. There are no fast-travel options. Vehicles, including horses, dune buggies, ATVs, and motorcycles, require fuel and maintenance, and a jaunt from one town to the next is a long journey across barren landscapes. In fact, the desolation can be utterly stifling after you’ve been traveling for 45-minutes to meet a friend. It’s the price you pay for atmosphere. Fallen Earth is not another dungeon-crawling gear-grinder. It is a post-apocalyptic simulator.