Fallout 2 is one of my favourite games of all time, but it is OLD. By that I don't mean its graphics are ugly but rather the design philosophy is old school (some might say outdated). The stats and skills and perks are not balanced (some really suck and it's very possible to gimp yourself). There are some unintuitive puzzles and interactions you might need a guide for. Most of all though it's HARD and unforgiving. Save constantly and be ready to reload. The start sucks. Be prepared to hate the first hour(s), when you have to walk through the desert with just a stick and fight off brutal random encounters.

It eventually opens up, especially when you get access to a certain Highwayman, and becomes fantastic. As for Fallout 1 or 2, it's mostly a matter of preference. 1 is much shorter, smaller in scope, but also has a slightly more serious tone. It leans a little more into the whole harshness of the wasteland thing. 2 is much bigger, with so much more you can do in it, but it's also goofier. It leans more into the Fallout humour, pop culture references and sometimes just absurdity.

Also, look for some mods. I always recommend Restoration Project, Updated at a minimum, it's a combination unofficial patch and cut content restoration that is very unintrusive. I have a couple other suggestions if you're not against a sprinkle of mods. Most are on Fallout 2 Nexus I think. Mainly convenience stuff. There is a FANTASTIC Talking Heads mod that perfectly captures the original artstyle, but it's obviously not vanilla. Same for the fan made voice acting mod.

Lastly, you can't talk your way out of the final fight in Fallout 2. I just want to save you from frustration, since you can talk your way out of most other situations. Don't brick your save by investing nothing into combat stats.

Phew, sorry for the rant. I'm really passionate about this game.