Fallout 3 Editorials

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Written by BuckGB on November 6th, 2008

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Head-to-head: Eye Candy

Tricky one, this. Technically, Fallout 3 shows how far the Gamebryo engine has evolved since the poor draw distances and low-res textures that occasionally marred Oblivion, while set piece events like the destruction of Megaton are more singularly jaw-dropping than anything that occurred in Cyrodiil. That said, trudging through identikit wastelands simply doesn't match up to the hauntingly beautiful, varied vistas of Oblivion. Sunshine for the win!

Winner: Oblivion

Game World

It's been well documented just how teeny the Capital Wastelands seem in comparison to the sprawling world of Tamriel, and - in terms of square kilometres - it's true enough. We're also a bit narked that, unlike your trusty horsie in the last Elder Scrolls outing, there's no form of transport apart from your knackered tootsies in the radioactive world of Fallout 3. Saying that, the wasteland does win out in terms of sheer denseness...

Winner: Oblivion

Bethesda has created a game that is a faithful adaptation of the game, a spiritual successor if you will of the Black Isle series. It's been called an RPG FPS. I would argue that it is the former and not the latter. Here's why.

First, an FPS considers several elements when creating a universe for believable combat whether you are combating mutants or pesky North Korean soldiers. While post-nuclear Washington D.C. certainly delivers with a bleak, survivalist tone; but among the destroyed buildings use of cover is almost non-existent unless you duck into a doorway or behind a partially demolished wall. Most FPS games utilize cover and using the (Q) and (E) buttons on the PC you are able to lean from cover and shoot.

In Fallout 3, not so much.

E is for Ethics

While you may be familiar with another morality mechanic (in Fable or any of Bioware's stable of games) questioning the morality of your actions in Fallout is a bit different. Unlike these other ethical meta-games, there is no visible quantitative scoring. You simply gain or lose "karma", no amount is shared with the player. On the status screen, a single word summarizes your moral slant. All of this helps to reinforce the fogginess of morality in a world where your very existence is a statistical fluke. On top of the multi-path quests affecting your "karma" the Capital Wasteland has plenty of room for sins and good deeds. In a particularly dark day for my "good" character, I mistook a group of raiders for good natured explorers, and seeing them under attack by a radiated, giant bear, I helped them out. Sadly, it turned out that the bear was owned by a saintly scavenger who had fled when the raiders attacked him. He was unhappy when he learned I'd felled his bear, and in the pursuing conflict I took my first innocent life. So goes another day in the wastes.

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