So add to that the modestly sized maps with loading zones, the outdated graphics (even back in the day), the simplistic story (though a very cool setting), and the overall result isn't as great as people will try to have you believe here. Don't get me wrong, it's still a fun game, and one of my all-time favorites, but let's not get carried away.
The graphics, animations, and art in general, are mesmerizing. The atmosphere is fantastic. Noone can touch the early Fallouts in these aspects, but then again taste in art be very subjective.
The story/setting is GENIUS. Simple, but extremely effective, inspiring, and memorable. And the themes are relevant to everyone with a seeking brain.
Sorry, man, but you are looking at it through pink goggles and possible conflating story with setting/lore. I love the setting and the lore, it is brilliant, but the story itself is borderline retarded. Think about it, your vault is on the verge of losing water, the most valuable thing in the world from the survival perspective. So what do they do? Send out one dude, and not a large team as would've been done in real life. To do what? Find an alternate water source or some resources to build/engineer a new system? This would be logical, but no, to send you looking for the exact part, which probability wise is probably the worst thing to do. The only places that would have them are other vaults, and since your vault can't know that they are all destroyed by now, the logical assumption would be that the other vaults would be in the same situation as them, either needed their own water chip, or it being broken down as well.
So then, while looking for it, you wander around, and finally come across some "evil" dude putting together an army of super duper evil mutants. Cliche 101.
I liked underrail but it had some very serious flaws
Care to name them?
Underrail is a nice indie game, but the name of its very serious flaw is Deep Caverns.