Fallout 3 PC, 360, PS3 Review

Fallout 3 had big shoes to fill. Not only is it a sequel in one of the most revered PC RPG franchises of all time, it’s also Bethesda ’s follow-up to their award-winning game Oblivion. Ultimately, the game ends up feeling like Oblivion with the Fallout universe jammed forcefully into it. This is not at all a bad thing, but the technical side of the game doesn’t always live up to the actual content. The result is game that has a great story, but every time I would get lost in the world, a technical issue would crop up and pull me right out of it. In spite of these immersion issues, Fallout 3 is still one of the better RPGs to appear in a while.

Fallout 3 is a direct sequel to the older games in the Fallout series, though knowledge of those games is not required to enjoy this one. It takes place in a post-apocalyptic Washington D.C. The game starts with character creation, and for my main playthrough I created a male character, though female characters are also a possibility. The opening sequence takes place in Vault 101, a large underground bomb shelter designed to protect people from nuclear war. The game opens with a tutorial sequence that’s actually quite clever. The first sequence in the game is the birth of the main character, and as a baby I chose my special abilities and attributes. From there, the game steps through different levels of childhood, all the way to adulthood. It’s a clever sequence, and helps to set up the world and the plot, which revolves around the player’s father, portrayed by Liam Neeson.

One day the player’s father leaves the vault and the player chases after him, and this is where the real story begins. Fallout 3 is an action-RPG set in a large open world, much like Oblivion, although the focus is almost exclusively on firearms. A wide variety of guns is available in the game, and they all feel suitably punchy and realistic, though the shooting action is not quite up to the level of some of the more raucous first-person shooters. The game is a little more slow and tactical, requiring careful aim and strategy to fight opponents. One neat twist is the VATS system, which allows players to pause time and target individual opponents, then watch their selections play out in slow-motion. I enjoyed using the VATS system, but then I’m also a fan of gratuitous slow-motion. These sequences are rather violent, and not for the faint of heart, but their inclusion is satisfying and helps the combat to feel more interesting than the basic button-mashing of Oblivion.

Throughout the game, the main character comes across various quests and characters, and there’s always plenty to do. I completed the game in around 28 hours my first time through, though I didn’t come close to seeing all of the content. Even still, I found my experience to be enjoyable, and didn’t feel like I was cheated even though I didn’t see everything the game has to offer. The game can be played in either first or third person, and I found both views to be fun and playable. The story is the strongest part of the game. Throughout the different quests, I had a number of choices to make, all of which lead to different outcomes. This is also reflected in a custom narration at the end of the game which chronicles all the different paths I chose to take. The actual proper ending of the story is a little bit of a letdown, but that’s only because the journey to get there is largely spectacular.

Graphically, the game looks just like Oblivion, but with a few new touches here and there. This is not a bad thing, and the game manages to create a fully-realized open world with large draw distances. The game looks best on the PC, but the console versions are not far behind. The best part of the presentation is the sound, with special care having been paid to the voices. The game features excellent performances from Liam Neeson, Malcolm McDowell, and Ron Perlman. It also features a wide variety of actors for the characters, something that was a problem in Oblivion, where many of the characters shared the same voice. The believable voice-acting helps to sell the excellent storyline. The music is strong as well, with a number of licensed tracks and original compositions.

Sadly, the game is beset by a number of bugs, particularly in the AI, that keep it from feeling perfect. Characters will try to walk through solid objects, will try to talk the player through walls, and sometimes will even fall through the bottom of the world or fall off of a catwalk and die permanently. Similar AI bugs were present in Oblivion, and it’s frustrating, because they have a tendency to occur during some of the most interesting parts of the game. Fortunately, the scope and execution of the story manage to overcome these and other technical problems, but it’s still aggravating that the technology doesn’t quite live up to the rest of the experience.

I beat the game on the 360, and tested the game on the PS3 and PC. All three versions have achievements/trophies, and in a neat twist they are mostly tied to the major quest lines as opposed to random tasks in the game. With a vast open-world and a fascinating sci-fi story, Fallout 3 is a must-play for fans of role-playing games, or for shooter fans who are looking for a good entry into the RPG space. The technical issues are an unfortunate blemish, but they don’t stop the story from shining from beginning to end. Recommended for fans of Sci-Fi, RPGs, or good game stories, who have a dash of patience and a lot of time on their hands. This game is rated M for mature by the ESRB. For more information, check out fallout.bethsoft.com.


	Fallout 3 PC, 360, PS3 Review…4 out of 5 By Alex Rowe Fallout 3 had big shoes to fill. Not only is it a sequel in one of the most revered PC RPG franchises of all time, it’s also Bethesda ’s follow-up to their award-winning game Oblivion. Ultimately, the game ends up feeling like Oblivion with the Fallout universe jammed forcefully into it. This is not at all a bad thing, but the technical side of the game doesn’t always live up to the actual content. The result is game that has a great story, but every time I would get lost in the world, a technical issue would crop up and pull me right out of it. In spite of these immersion issues, Fallout 3 is still one of the better RPGs to appear in a while. Fallout 3 is a direct sequel to the older games in the Fallout series, though knowledge of those games is not required to enjoy this one. It takes place in a post-apocalyptic Washington D.C. The game starts with character creation, and for my main playthrough I created a male character, though female characters are also a possibility. The opening sequence takes place in Vault 101, a large underground bomb shelter designed to protect people from nuclear war. The game opens with a tutorial sequence that’s actually quite clever. The first sequence in the game is the birth of the main character, and as a baby I chose my special abilities and attributes. From there, the game steps through different levels of childhood, all the way to adulthood. It’s a clever sequence, and helps to set up the world and the plot, which revolves around the player’s father, portrayed by Liam Neeson. One day the player’s father leaves the vault and the player chases after him, and this is where the real story begins. Fallout 3 is an action-RPG set in a large open world, much like Oblivion, although the focus is almost exclusively on firearms. A wide variety of guns is available in the game, and they all feel suitably punchy and realistic, though the shooting action is not quite up to the level of some of the more raucous first-person shooters. The game is a little more slow and tactical, requiring careful aim and strategy to fight opponents. One neat twist is the VATS system, which allows players to pause time and target individual opponents, then watch their selections play out in slow-motion. I enjoyed using the VATS system, but then I’m also a fan of gratuitous slow-motion. These sequences are rather violent, and not for the faint of heart, but their inclusion is satisfying and helps the combat to feel more interesting than the basic button-mashing of Oblivion. Throughout the game, the main character comes across various quests and characters, and there’s always plenty to do. I completed the game in around 28 hours my first time through, though I didn’t come close to seeing all of the content. Even still, I found my experience to be enjoyable, and didn’t feel like I was cheated even though I didn’t see everything the game has to offer. The game can be played in either first or third person, and I found both views to be fun and playable. The story is the strongest part of the game. Throughout the different quests, I had a number of choices to make, all of which lead to different outcomes. This is also reflected in a custom narration at the end of the game which chronicles all the different paths I chose to take. The actual proper ending of the story is a little bit of a letdown, but that’s only because the journey to get there is largely spectacular. Graphically, the game looks just like Oblivion, but with a few new touches here and there. This is not a bad thing, and the game manages to create a fully-realized open world with large draw distances. The game looks best on the PC, but the console versions are not far behind. The best part of the presentation is the sound, with special care having been paid to the voices. The game features excellent performances from Liam Neeson, Malcolm McDowell, and Ron Perlman. It also features a wide variety of actors for the characters, something that was a problem in Oblivion, where many of the characters shared the same voice. The believable voice-acting helps to sell the excellent storyline. The music is strong as well, with a number of licensed tracks and original compositions. Sadly, the game is beset by a number of bugs, particularly in the AI, that keep it from feeling perfect. Characters will try to walk through solid objects, will try to talk the player through walls, and sometimes will even fall through the bottom of the world or fall off of a catwalk and die permanently. Similar AI bugs were present in Oblivion, and it’s frustrating, because they have a tendency to occur during some of the most interesting parts of the game. Fortunately, the scope and execution of the story manage to overcome these and other technical problems, but it’s still aggravating that the technology doesn’t quite live up to the rest of the experience. I beat the game on the 360, and tested the game on the PS3 and PC. All three versions have achievements/trophies, and in a neat twist they are mostly tied to the major quest lines as opposed to random tasks in the game. With a vast open-world and a fascinating sci-fi story, Fallout 3 is a must-play for fans of role-playing games, or for shooter fans who are looking for a good entry into the RPG space. The technical issues are an unfortunate blemish, but they don’t stop the story from shining from beginning to end. Recommended for fans of Sci-Fi, RPGs, or good game stories, who have a dash of patience and a lot of time on their hands. This game is rated M for mature by the ESRB. For more information, check out fallout.bethsoft.com.