Fallout 3 Quick Review

Fallout 3 (official site) is a role-playing game with first person shooter elements for Xbox 360, PC and PS3.  It is the latest entry in the classic line of Fallout games and the first developed by Bethesda, makers of the highly-regarded Elder Scrolls series.

Your character must find his/her father who has left the safety of Vault 101 and wandered into a  Washington D.C. ravaged by nuclear war.  The game world is immense and detailed and populated by interesting, disturbing and wacky characters.  Think of the rich dystopian film worlds seen in Mad Max, Escape from N.Y. and Blade Runner – and throw in some radiation-mutated enemies to contend with – and you get a good feeling for the setting of this game.

The deep character interactions with the denizens of this world, the exploration of a gigantic game environment, plenty of well-designed quests and excellent replayability will have you coming back for more even after you finish the main quest.

Quite simply: This is one of the best games of 2008.  Note that several editions of the game are available – see “Where To Get It” below.

Summary

The Good

• stunning graphics show a vast and detailed post-apocalyptic Washington D.C.
• total freedom in exploring the world
• decisions in the game affect your karma – and karma matters
• lots of character customization with unique and interesting abilities
• variety of skills and abilities allow clever solutions to dilemmas
• build weapons from parts and use post-nuclear rubble as ammo
• V.A.T.S. pause-the-action mode offers spectacular – and quite useful – results in combat
• an epic main story with an excellent pay-off at the end
• seemingly endless side quests and play styles extend replayability

The Bad

• quirks in V.A.T.S. when dealing with line-of-site
• some camera problems (particularly with V.A.T.S. in tight situations and around corners)
• character animations are disappointing
• cannot play a “pacifist” as with previous Fallout games
• writing is not quite as satirical and over-the-top as previous Fallout games
• mature and dark themes means this one isn’t for the kiddies

Where To Get It

Available at most retailers or order online at Amazon (Fallout 3 Center).

Fans of the series and completists will want to check out the Fallout 3 Collector’s Edition or the ultimate Fallout 3 Surival Edition (Amazon exclusive) that includes a Pip-boy replica digital alarm clock.

You can also download the Windows version directly from Direct2Drive.com.

Which Version Should I Get?

The 360, PS3 and PC deliver Fallout 3 with full gameplay. The noticeable differences are:

• PC is by far the best graphically, followed by 360 which has only a slight edge on the PS3
• PC offers mouse/keyboard control – a classic FPS control scheme – this is mainly personal preference
• 360 & PC will offer downloadable content in the future – PS3 will not
• 360 & PC offer trophy support – PS3 will not
• PC has load times significantly faster (about half) when compared to 360 & PS3

What Others Are Saying

Game Rankings (Fallout 3 XBOX 360, Fallout 3 PC, Fallout 3 PS3) confirms that Bethesda has delivered on the promise of this storied game franchise.  The game has garnered 9/10 averages from review sites on all three launch platforms.