just to point out that I'm a hardcore RGP player so I know what I'm talkin about. the first fallout was rubish the gameplay just dident work at all for example you start the game in you undergound home then enter a cave a sort wile latter and o look rats (by this point you have both a gun and melee weapon) so of corse you shoot the rat with the gun and miss every time and in that time the rat is next to your corpes (yes it is realy that bad) didn't bother with the secend one but read the reviews and played the demo and all in all not much better then one apart from improved graphics

there is a gameplay trailer over at you tube, looks good and 100 hours of play in the game.

I had one of the Fallout games, I think it was the second and if I remember correctly kalignorgna the start of the the game bugged me too and I was going to quit playing it just like you did. But because at the time I had no other games to play I persevered with it and ended up finishing, and thoroughly enjoying it. I think it ended in a nucular bunker, it was a few years ago so I'm not too sure now.