Fallout 3 sets a new bar of excellence

Graphics: Breathtaking 9/10
Sound: Great – 8.5/10
Gameplay: Spectacular – 9.5/10
Replay Value – High (for a single player only game) 9/10
Overall – Near Perfect 9.5/10

Please note: I have never played any prior Fallout Titles, and this is from a n00b prospective.

Graphics: Breathtaking 9/10
The graphics are make you look twice – When you first exit the vault and see the landscape, you think to yourself “what next”? The graphic interface, use of PiP Boy and the movements really show that Bethesda took the time and care to make this well worth your hard earned money.

Sound: Great – 8.5/10
The sounds, music, effects, and voices take you immediately into the game. The time specific music, the radio channels, and the voice acting are all A+. The reason for the slightly lower mark is the repetitiveness of the radio, some of the sound effects, but overall, a lot of time, and thought, went into putting in effective music, voice acting and emphasis, and surrounding wasteland. The best, yet simplistic feeling is when you first turn on this gam for the first time, and all you hear is the old 50’s radio sparking on with the tube. Well done.

Gameplay: Spectacular – 9.5/10
Smooth animations, huge world design, and interactive and smart A.I. This game can be streamlined to do the main quest, or you can help the citizens of wasteland in their personal affairs. The single player game takes a lot of chances, but succeeds, in making the player make hard choices and customizing the game to their own path. Some find out too late that it is important to make hard choices to choose which attributes to build up. This aspect alone warrants multiple play times.

Some critics and players are commenting on the ending (no spoiler), but I must say that for the amount of customization a person can have in this game, it goes right along with the story.

Replay Value – High (for a single player only game) 9/10
Even without multiplayer, this game has replay value with the limitless ways you can play as – via good, bad, neutral, thief, etc. This did not feel like an RPG to me, and was well done to the point that I am on my second playthrough.

Overall – Near Perfect 9.5/10
I am not a fan of RPG’s, nor long drawn out games over 30+ hours, but I was swept away in this post apocalyptic wasteland. This holiday season is rough with the shear amount of great games, and this is definitely in the Top 5 for contention of game of the year.

This would normally be a game I would run from, but I rented it, and then bought it. It is so engrossing that others will want to watch you play and help you make those hard choices.

The game is not perfect, but close to. The story flows, as with the action, and it makes you feel as if you were there with your character trying to survive.

It has elements taken from genres such as RPG, puzzlers, action-adventures, but is not pigeonholed into this experience and to say it is an RPG is gives too little credit. This is an experience that should be played by any hardcore gamer.

Fallout 3 (Playstation 3)

Fallout 3 is the latest post-apocalyptic game in the Fallout series (which was considered dead after Interplay dissolved Black Isle Studios). It was made by Bethesda Softworks, the same people that brought you 2006's The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, and plays similarly to Oblivion with great amounts of Fallout history mixed in. To say the least, many people loved it, many hated it, but here's my take on Fallout 3:

Story: 8/10

There aren't many games that you're born into, but Fallout 3 is one of them. After being born into the world, you get to name your character and pick your gender. Unfortunately, your life starts off tragic, as you make your Dad a single parent. You are born into Vault 101, years after the world has been devastated by atomic warfare. So you're pretty lucky that you were raised in such a relatively peaceful upbringing. You pick the story up at key points in your life, including a birthday where you are considered old enough to be assigned a job in the vault (and are given your pip-boy!), and the day where you take your job placement exams. One day you're awoken by a friend, telling you that you need to flee for your life. It turns out your Dad left the vault without telling you, and now the vault overseer is out for your blood.

I enjoyed the story in Fallout 3, your character is very open-ended after the initial story arcs, much like Oblivion and the first Fallout games were, leaving you to choose whether to be good or evil. There are also numerous side-quests to do in Fallout 3, each being very open-ended as well. You'll get to interact with a variety of characters and temperaments as you progress through the game, making friends and enemies depending on how you treat them. You'll even gain allies to help you fight. The main story arc borrows heavily from Fallout as well as Fallout 2, as any fan will soon discover. Over the years, as graphics and voice work have improved, stories have become more involving, and Fallout 3 benefits greatly from this, as Bethesda knows how to immerse the player into the game's world.

Game play: 9/10

As I said before, Fallout 3 is very similar to Oblivion. They both feature a massive world to explore at your own pace in either a first-person or third-person view. Vault 101 is located directly outside of Washington DC, as you'll see historic landmarks in all of their post-apocalyptic beauty. It is also very similar to previous Fallout titles, so you'll get to customize a character to your playing style. You'll start by first assigning your characters main attribute points (such as Strength and Intelligence). These values can be improved on at certain points in the story, but are fairly standard and dictate some of your starting skills. You will also assign certain traits which bestow both positive and negative aspects to your character. After these difficult choices, you will than "tag" certain skills that you want to specialize in.

As you can see, there are a lot of customization choices to be made in designing a character. As you level up, you will also gain additional traits as well as be able to assign skill points to your skill pool, slowly making your character stronger over time. While I loved the leveling-up systems as well as the deep character customization, I was disappointed to see that they placed a level cap on your character!

Combat is fairly unique as well. Your character can wield a wide variety of weapons, but their skills with them (based on what you've made them go

Hope you have A LOT of time for Fallout 3...

Fallout 3 is a game that takes you to an alternate future in which the world has been permanently changed—for worse—after the fall of nuclear warheads on Earth. To prevent human extinction the U.S. government made “Vaults,” which are underground dwellings for residents to live in while the world suffers the aftermath of the war. While the Vaults are safe, the rest of the world is in chaos with the left over radiation. The animals that have survived have become mutated into violent beasts, and the humans that have miraculously survived in the world have been permanently changed into mindless ghouls or have become raiders that harass any good people (who probably came out of vaults). The Earth has lost its plants, and the little fresh water has become irradiated. The world seems to be a doomed place, thus earning the new name “The Wasteland.” Sadly, you are born into this world, but you have a choice as to how you will live in it…
The game begins with your birth 200 years after the nukes in one of the last surviving Vaults. This game is like none-other because of its focus on choice—the players choice. Everything you do in this game, from beginning to end, can—and usually does—alter some other aspect of the game. From the start, you are born and asked to customize your character by gender and appearance, there are choices for not only what you look like, but how your character will act in different situations. Keep in mind that this game is an RPG (Role Playing Game) and not a first person shooter like Halo. You can play through the game as a good character, and help the people of the wasteland. Or, you can be the worst person to ever come to the wasteland, and kill the people who test your patience. (Warning: you can literally kill everyone—except the few children—found in the wasteland, but then you will never have anyone to talk to or get missions from!)There is an outrageous inventory of items you can choose from, including drugs that provide a temporary boost, but can make you suffer from withdrawal if you get addicted. Everyone you meet will usually have something to say, and you will be able to respond in a way appropriate for your characters moral code.
Fallout 3 not only allows for alternate responses to every conversation you have, it has hundreds of locations on its enormous map. There is no set way to play this game because you are allowed to go anywhere from the moment you first step out of your home-vault. You could chose to go north, west, east, or south on the world map and find the nearest town. The replay value is nearly endless with Fallout 3 because of the seemingly infinite items and weapons you can acquire, responses you can give, and missions you can choose to do or ignore—not to mention that you can change the order in which you do everything (even missions).
The problem with Fallout 3 is actually one of the best parts of the game; its length. It is a VERY long game that can get intimidating at times. After spending hours getting to know one town or location, it can be a bit disappointing to have to learn a completely different place just when you felt you knew the wasteland. Eventually, you may find yourself putting the control down, and taking a long break from the exhausting world of Fallout 3. But once you’ve had your break, you’ll be ready to dive back into the action and amazing stories that you will play through in this game.
Score 9/10
I hope this helped in your decision. Good Luck and Happy Gaming!

FUN!!

When a title like Fallout 3 comes along, it reminds you of just how good videogames can be. Fallout 3 has undoubtedly delivered the best gaming experience so far this year, and the epic wait since Bethesda announced it took the reins four years ago has proven to be well worth it. The dystopia you find yourself dropped into immediately takes hold as you first explore your initial environs in Vault 101, only to thereafter be catapulted into the realities of post- nuclear existence in the Capital Wasteland. And it’s only then, when you experience the true size and scope of Fallout 3, that your appreciation for the game will go from cautiously measured to completely unfettered.
Fallout 3 is a top notch shooter-RPG that fails to disappoint in any substantial way. There are minor problems with the game -- issues such as clipping, the occasional framerate chug, and some questionable animation (especially in third-person view) -- but nothing that takes away from the overarching enjoyment you should derive from even a few hours of gameplay. The action is fluid, the S.P.E.C.I.A.L. system, when combined with skills and perks, makes developing your character a fun exercise in customization, and the combat system, especially with V.A.T.S., is masterfully executed.

But to me, Fallout 3 is all about story and interaction. If you’re into post-apocalyptic literature, film, or games, especially those taking place in the United States, then Fallout 3 was made for you. Combine the unusual amount of realism found in every corner of the game with the endless conversation permutations with just about everyone you meet and you have yourself one of the most truly interactive experiences of the generation. Fallout 3 comes highly recommended -- it’s an experience that shouldn’t be missed. Just remember, life in the Capital Wasteland is rough. The beauty of the game is in the choices you make in order to survive.

Fallout 3

Fallout 3 is the best video game I have ever played, and I started playing games in 1979 on an Atari 2600. Few games in this era feel like they are worth the money you pay, but I can tell you I felt like every penny I spent on Fallout 3 was worth it. Sure, it has a slow start to the game, but if you have played Oblivion then the basics of Fallout 3 easily come under control soon enough. The game world is beautiful and so detailed that it is very immersive, so much so that you will find yourself playing for extended periods of time. If you allow yourself to get into the spirit of the game, you become the character wandering the wasteland. Once you find a place to call your home you start to gather possessions and those items feel real to a degree. The beauty of Fallout is that it is almost limitless in what you can do or become. Your personality shines through in your character. You can be an upstanding citizen or you can be Satan on earth, your choice through the actions you take. There really is no right or wrong way to play the game. Many flaws I initially found with the game have been corrected with the expansion packs, so I suggest the upcoming game of the year edition, but trust me that there is more than enough content in the original version more most gamers. Some issues that were corrected are spoilers but one issue was the level cap of 20, which is now set to 30 in the expansions. The game is not without some glitches. For instance I picked the mysterious stranger perk and from that point on whenever the stranger showed up to help in combat my game froze and I had to restart, losing my game progress. This was frustrating, but it only happened every 3rd or 4th time the stranger appeared, and I became smart and saved more often. Saving often can not be stressed enough in this type of game. I have some smaller complaints like wishing for a larger variety of enemies, or more merchants to do business with, but overall I found Fallout 3 was worth the investment of time I put into it so far, about 125 hours. I have been to pretty much every location except for 7 or 8, and I have yet to get all the bobbleheads with 7 left to locate. I bought the game used on ebay in January of 2009 for around 26 dollars and sold it in May of 2009 for around $34, and it seems to still be selling now for between $28 and $34 dollars on a regular basis, a testimony to it's demand and popularity. It's possible you too can buy it, play it and sell it for more than you paid, although with the release of the Game Of The Year edition the price of the standard edition will no doubt be driven down by the thousands of people selling their original version and upgrading. October of 2009 will find a possible overstocked market on ebay and I suspect original Fallout 3 releases will be around $20 or less in some cases. Do not hesitate to buy this game.