Before I get down to the "nitty gritty" and offer my views on Fallout 3's strengths and weaknesses, I want to make one thing clear. When I write a review, especially an RPG, know that unlike many mainstream publications I actually spend the time to beat it first. That means my reviews are based on long play sessions which sometimes even include reloading game saves to explore alternate choice paths. I find it hard to use reviews for reference these days, especially for games longer than 20 hours or more. I couldn't count how many games that started off slowly, got bad reviews for it and ended up being fantastic games if one has the patience to ignore the reviews and find out for themselves. So as you read this, you know that this review covers the entire game with 100% completion. Maxed characters, all quests etc etc.



Here are my thoughts on each aspect of the game, hopefully without giving too much away:

Gameplay: This game is huge. I got a good 65-70 hours out of it. There is so much to see and do, many different quests, places to explore and types of items for barter and trade. You have the choice of 1st or 3rd person perspective and you can also choose standard shooter in each or the V.A.T.S. system which slows down time and allows you to target specific areas based on factors like hit percentage, environmental barriers, weapon types and even status effects. Personally I used a combination of the two, using V.A.T.S. when I had difficult enemies or danced around "running and gunning" when I felt I could take enemies down in groups faster. Using one or the other or both whenever you feel like it is seamless and smooth and quite natural after a fashion.

The game is by no means linear. But if you need it, it can always point you in the right direction with the map / fast travel system and provides a journal with quest information and random notes. Quests vary from the standard "kill A reward B" to escort missions, fetch quests, some minor puzzle solving and in each case, multiple choices for completion and consequence. The Karma system comes into play here, where your choices good or bad reflects the worlds' reaction to you and how they treat and reward you.

The storyline is solid. By solid I mean while somewhat predictable, is enjoyable but not really all that important to the overall experience. That's not necessarily a bad thing, as games this big can sometimes be hard to keep track of, so keeping it simple makes sure you never "lose your place" in the story.

Sound: This game has great audio that goes a long way to immerse the player into the world of Fallout. Weapons sounds, animals, machinery, music and character voice-overs are top notch. Believe it or not, the NPCs sound more varied than usual games of this type though you may hear the same phrase multiple times if you stick around one area long enough. Music, be it from the game's various radio signals or the game soundtrack itself, add a level of ambiance that matches the vision of the game and the alternate history that in a way it represents. My only criticism lies in the fact that for a game where you may find yourself playing for extended periods of time, you hear repeated songs and radio chatter. Understandable but I wish they had included even more to keep it fresh.

One word of warning for some of you. Many of you may let your kids watch you play, or play these themselves, even though it's an M rated game. Believe me, the language used in this game would make even Rockstar Games employees blush. They certainly didn't hold back and I found it quite hilarious to hear the NPCs cursing like drunken sailors, even the children. Sorry, let me rephrase that, imaginative drunken sailors. Where some games use it as a cheap laugh, in this one you can certainly understand as society has crumbled and things are truly bleak.

Graphics: This portion is a mixed bag. They did a great job in making the landscape look bleak and wartorn, but the game engine tweaked as it is, definitely shows it's age here. We're talking about the same 2-3 year old engine that Oblivion used. One moment your in awe at the surrounding countryside, the next glazing your eyes over blurry or flat textures that seem very much "last-gen". Other than that I don't have much to say about them, Good at times, disappointing in others, but it services the game overall.

Other: Here's a few other things I felt should be noted. Character customization and leveling are both great. Somehow it manages to remain fairly simple and straighforward while giving you countless ways to play the game with a character you literally build from childhood to adulthood. You want to be a hulking big weapons brute? A sneaky thief? A melee weapon master? A pyromaniac? It's all here. On top of that you can be as corrupt and evil or as good and saintly as you wish or even something in between.

This game is hilarious! Besides the dialog and the local DJ, the things you find while exploring and the humor of the 40's era culture add a curiously lighthearted yet tragic feel to the game. You can see all the signs of how things got to be the way they are but you laugh at the absurdity of the ignorance and quirks of a broken world. In this the changing of hands of this franchise didn't skip a beat at all.

Of course where would a review of a Bethesda RPG be without mention of it's bugs & glitches? Kill something near or in water and it begins a convulsing contortion of limbs that really gets aggravating. Besides being such a spaztastic game, there are multiple times where framerate chop, missing textures, odd graphical glitches, or just full out game lockups can get on your nerves. Nothing worthy of avoiding the game mind you, but after 50-75 hours or more you'll see plenty.

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So that's my review. I didn't want to spoil anything for anyone and there are plenty of great things about the game I didn't mention because that's for you, the player, to find out for yourself. It wouldn't be a grand adventure if someone pointed out all of the attractions and fun things to do now would it?

9.0/10

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