Pariah’s Guild

Fallout 3

---

Genre: RPG Platform:PS3, X-Box 360, PC ESRB:M Players:1 Rating: 9.5 out of 10

---

It has been ten years since the last Fallout game. A lot of things have changed during that time period. Interplay went bankrupted a couple years ago, Bethesda picked up the Fallout rights, Interplay is back on track, rumors emerged of a Fallout MMO, and now, Fallout 3 has been released.

The game takes place thirty years after Fallout 2.The Fallout series always have its protagonist as a vault, bomb shelters in the game built to protect its citizens from post nuclear apocalyptic doom, dweller who recently entered the “new world”. Your character is no different. Your character was a dweller of Vault 101 and lived with his/her dad, played by the infamous Liam Neeson. After living a mediocre life in Vault 101 for 18 years, the player’s father leaves the Vault. Without any reason or explanation and the rest of the Vault dwellers wanting to kill the player for no apparent reason, the player sets out to find his/her father. Only one single word can describe the story in the game: wow. I have never played a game which has many shocking twists and turns. I won’t spill a single drop of the story, but know this. When Bethesda said that there will be more than one ending for the game, they really mean it. Another thing I enjoyed about the story is that it easy for anyone to understand. For example, I never played any of the Fallout games before, and I was worried that I would not understand anything from the story that revolves around the previous two games. Luckily for me, Fallout 3 made it easy for me to understand its deep universe. I also thought the subtle humor in the game was purely awesome (Pip-Boy has to be one of the funniest video gaming characters I’ve seen in any video game).

The audio was fantastic! First off, I thought Liam Neeson did an excellent job voicing the character’s father in the game. But, it doesn’t mean the rest of the VO cast did a mediocre job. In fact, I thought every voice actor in the game did their best to make the game very captivating. Also, I enjoyed the 1950’s soundtrack in the game. Such songs like “I Don’t Want To Set The World On Fire”, “Way Back Home”, “Butcher Pete (Part 1)” and many more gave the game a 1950’s vibe. Gameplay is very open and non-linear. You can do whatever you want in Fallout 3 (but you still face the same moral repercussions like in real life) and the game can unfold in a multitude of ways. Although I could talk about how open the game is, I’m going to talk about V.A.T.S (Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System). V.A.T.S is quite possibly the coolest feature in Fallout 3 since you’re able to target multiple body parts, in order to cripple your enemy. If you’re lucky, you’re able to see one of your enemy’s limbs explode like in a typical Martin Scorsese film. In fact, it seems like the only way to quickly kill your enemy is to use V.A.T.S. Another cool mechanic is the karma mechanic. Sure, the whole “good and evil” mechanic has been used in countless games like Fable 1 and 2, Black and White, Bioshock, Mass Effect, etc. , but it feels like Fallout 3 really takes it to heart. The player’s actions, including conversation and combat choices affect the player’s status in the game world; a player who makes good choices will be received more positively by NPCs, and a player that makes bad choices will have the opposite reaction. Extremes of karma also have other effects: a high karma leads to the player being attacked by bounty hunters, and for random NPCs to give the player gifts in thanks of their service. Another feature I rarely see a game utilize is a comprehensive inventory system. You see, a player’s inventory has a specified weight limit, preventing a player from carrying too many items. If you exceed the limit, then all of your base stats will be drastically reduced. Finally, the game allows you to choose a skill and perk to help them survive the cruel hardships of the Fallout 3 universe.

Fallout 3 would of received a ten hands down, if it wasn’t weighed down by a few minor gripes. My first concern is the graphics. I thought the graphics for Fallout 3 could have been a little tighter. Sure, the environments looked amazing, and the water effect was a spectacle to behold, but the characters looked too jagged. Also, the textures for the NPC’s could have been a little bit better. I mean the graphics for Fallout 3 should of looked just as amazing (if not better) as Elder Scrolls IV! Also, the hot keys system annoyed me to no end. By using the D-Pad to handle hot-swapping your items, it cost me invaluable time throughout the game. It even caused me to get killed in some occasions! I can’t stress enough how man times I died just because I was switching over from my puny pistol to my shotgun.

Before Fallout 3 came out, many people complained that the game was “Oblivion with guns”. I couldn’t disagree with them more. Fallout 3 is its unique entity that will considered one of the best RPG’s of this decade. In fact, the game is so unique, that I personally think it could revive the Fallout franchise. Although the game has minor graphics problems, and an annoying hot key swapping feature, the game is definitely game the year material. That’s why, I’m giving Fallout 3 a 9.5 out of 10.