Fallout 3 | Review

Bethesda Softworks gives us another title that has limitless play. Unlike Oblivion, Fallout 3 takes place in the future after the world is filled with plenty of radiation and mutated civilians. This is 200 years after the nuclear holocaust that has literally turned the world into a gigantic wasteland. Just like Oblivion, you can expect many quests aside from the main story and plenty of exploration. Everyone here at 3xGamer had plenty of good things to say about Oblivion and we really had our hopes up for this title. A lot of speculation, since most of us were really on our toes on how gameplay would be with futuristic weapons meets older rifles and hand guns. Sadly, as many great qualities did make this game there were a couple of bugs and layouts that just made it hard to enjoy the game. Since the game is very nonlinear you really don’t have to worry about going to far off from your main quests. End up anywhere you feel you should and visit different towns with different people, break free!

If there is anything that the developers did so well in Fallout 3 it was the entire world they created and how fun it was to explore it. From broken and rundown super markets to abandoned thug filled elementary schools to infested subway stations every new area has a unique structure to it. Landscapes are made up from hills, mountains, and plenty of radiation filled lakes and marshes. Which get in the way of your hike since too much exposure to radiation builds up and must be cured at one point. Different threats approach depending at what time of day you are exploring such as after night fall or when the sun is out making it nice and warm. Go and explore where ever you feel you should, visit different towns with different people who have problems which need to be solved. Making each time you play the game feel different from the last and the feel of free exploration…there is nothing like it.

Now with great landscapes and terrain also brings encounters with several different enemies. You will notice almost every enemy you come into battle with is either an over grown mutant or some kind of an infected animal that wants to maul your head off. Since Fallout 3 had a first person shooter thing going for it they implemented a new way to kill(or decapitate depending on which weapon your using) your enemy which brings a fresh and unique feel to the Fallout franchise.  Using your Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System(VATS) allows you to target on certain parts of the body to inflict maximum damage as you can possibly do. The cool thing which I honestly could not get enough was every body part having its own unique way of either blowing off or getting wounded. Creeping up around corners with a shotgun and aiming for the head than blowing there brains to the next world is priceless and it all happens in slow motion so you can savor every second of it. Leaving your self without using this ability will lead to a lot of death.  Each percentage does change as well and it all depends on which way the enemy is facing. The closer you are also increases percentage of a hit and critical hits are only based on guns and stats of your character.  I found making my way around undetected and using the areas to my advantage for sneak attacks, it suited the health bar best in almost every situation.  Keeping your ammo and health up was a challenge since most of the foods that restored health also adds up in radiation…ahh, the life of a runaway from Vault 101.

Weapons were fairly easy to find, I can’t say this much for ammo.  Using the ammo and falling back on the baseball bat or sledgehammer worked out well in close combat or even luring people around.  This gave a good feel to the game as I hate being spoiled by ammo in every situation.  Made the feeling of being in a waste filled world even more fitting.  Sounds of shotguns and machine gun sprays had a nice deep sound up close and from afar.  Like all equipment you can wear such as armor or weaponry, everything has to be taken care of and repaired over time. Leaving them uncared for results in the weapon breaking and this unfortunately happened to me during a shoot out in a super market…the results were horrific.  Luckily for me bigger guns were to my disposal and I was able to use grenades and blow the enemy to bits.  Almost every body in Fallout 3 can be looted and you are able to either sell or save different items you find along the way to build or repair weapons. So having those points into hacking and repair will work wonders for you in this area.

If its one thing you relay and see much of is your VATS.  Here you operate everything from looking at your current area on the map to switching through armor and weapons.  Even setting your weapons for quick swapping through battle is done here, so expect to see plenty of this little green screen.  When leveling up you are able to distribute your skill points into different skills 0ffered to you to give you an edge through out battle.  The thing with Fallout 3 there is no room for a player that wants to be good in all different areas.  So picking two or three different skills and sticking to those will sharpen you much greater than trying to be over all skilled in each.  Well you could try but if you like to die much than be my guest. Personally I always like having the character be really dumb but strong.  Looking strong but not being able to ask for a drink at the local bar without your bartender trying to comprehend your words works, right?  Having good charisma can shorten certain quests for you as being able to persuade people comes at ease and being charming with the ladies gets you, well…you will have to play to figure that one out. Fallout 3 really shines and has proven its strength in making the game change for every person in exactly this way.

We can always expect something good from Bethesda Game Studios. They have proven themselves in the past and have not let us down. I spent many hours playing Oblivion and now after playing Fallout 3 I have to say it just gave me the feeling to pop in Oblivion.  Yes, there are plenty of things to love about this game but there were one too many times I wanted to yell because I kept having to turn to the annoying VATS system for everything.  Some people might be able to pick the layout quickly but it really isn’t easy on the eyes which will lead to some gamers losing interest fast.  If your looking at Fallout 3 and looking at the cool casing thinking your in for something like Halo 3 or Killzone expect something very much different. This is still very much an RPG and has if not all, plenty of these elements.  I am usually the one to take glitches lightly here at 3xGamer as I feel that glitches make the game still feel like a game but the very first hour I was playing it my character got stuck in between a couch and a table in Vault 101 and I had to end up resetting.  Honestly it was down right annoying and I was pretty mad.  Character movement also seems stiff and staying in first person mode will do you good, unless you like seeing your character walk around with a monkey up his you know what.  Bottom line is this game isn’t for everybody but if you like the sound of a first person shooter and hardcore RPG elements to it than no one does this better than the guys at Bethesda Game Studios, keep aiming for the head fellow gamers.

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