Fallout 3 Reviews

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Written by BuckGB on October 29th, 2008

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Fallout 3 is a tough nut to score because, on the one hand we think it's utterly enthralling and breathtaking, but on the other we can see that it hasn't been designed with the PC totally in mind and that really holds back the experience. Yes, mods will probably come out to rectify that - but should we be made to rely on modders to correct poor game design?

It's a shame. Fallout 3 is a game from a company with a strong heritage on the PC from The Elder Scrolls series and Fallout is a recognised and highly regarded PC franchise but this latest instalment is clearly made with the consoles as the primary platform. It's just the way the market seems to be heading unfortunately.

To say that Fallout 3 is one of the most anticipated titles of 2008 is something of a gross understatement. The latest installment in this impeccable franchise from Bethesda Softworks has been had fans clamoring for information ever since the developer announced it. Following the promising previews, trailers and gameplay clips viewed by millions online, Fallout 3 arrives creaking under the weight of its own hype.

Well, fans will be happy to know Fallout 3 will probably exceed their expectations while staking a claim to being arguably the best game released in 2008.

The main storyline is superb and clearly masses of time was pushed into the development and creation. Without ruining the final impact, the end scenes are so damn impressive I went to replay the entire game before writing this review, just so I could take a different path and see the world and the people within from a different angle. You can lie, kill, cheat, charm, hack and fight your way through a plethora of situations, so the alternative routes are varied.

Weapons are certainly not hard to come by in the Wasteland and with enough knowledge you can even make your own. While you don't have to make any weapons yourself (I myself never actually made one and instead opted to only use what I found) there are bonuses for making your own as you can use what miscellaneous and otherwise useless items in the wasteland into your own personal ammunition. Weapons do degrade overtime and must be repaired over time. I did find this particularly annoying due to the fact that weapons degraded at a much faster rate than they would in real life (then again this game takes place in 2277 and isn't trying to be realistic by any means) yet it did add a sense of realism that sets it apart from other FPS games.

That said, "Fallout 3" is much too grim and violent for the kids. Bethesda has created a vivid depiction of what America might look like two centuries after the end of civilization, and even hardened gamers are likely to find it quite disturbing. If you have the stomach for it, though, "Fallout 3" is one of the most absorbing and addictive video games in years.

THE BOTTOM LINE: The first two Fallout titles are classics in their own right but Fallout 3 might just be the best one yet. Heck, it might just be the best console RPG of all time. It's deep, complex and tremendously addictive. From the amazing character development system to the engaging and satisfying combat, Fallout 3 has everything you could want in an RPG experience. Play this game. Seriously. Do it.

My issues with the game lie within the fact that whilst playing it, I wished I were playing something else. I wanted to play Bioshock for its heavy atmosphere and compelling story, or Mass Effect because I finally appreciate the dialog trees and voice acting. In Fallout 3, most of my decisions could be argued for the inconsequential feeling I associated with them. That's never a good thing, so it either means Fallout 3 wasn't my particular cup of tea or that it is actually that boring at times. However, I can appreciate that eventually the game had gotten its hooks in me, although it was mostly due to the fact that since I was reviewing I ended up actually play up through the initial five hours it took before I began to invest myself into the virtual world around me. After that, I managed to find things that interested me, which is at least an honorable mention that the game had redeeming qualities for someone who at first didn't care much for it.

Other decisive factors include the obligatory mention that there are no trophies or custom soundtracks supported within the Playstation 3 version. But if you really care then it shouldn't be a big deal, ya wimps.

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