Developer - Bethesda Softworks
Publisher - Bethesda Softworks
Available On - XBOX 360, Playstation 3, PC.
Reviewed On - XBOX 360.
Official Site

Of all my planned holiday locations for this Christmas, a post-apocalyptic Washington D.C. wasn’t on the list. I’ve never even been overseas. Claiming this is now difficult, having survived the wastelands of Bethesda’s Fallout 3. Continuing a stellar series of role playing games, Bethesda have managed to build even more on a popular franchise, delivering on every expectation and despite a few bugs along the way the overall experience is immeasurable in grandeur, a role playing adventure like no other that adapts and takes form as the player progresses and continually rewards those who explore and discover the exciting world.

Juxtaposing 1950’s culture and fashion within a futuristic sci-fi environment, Fallout 3 retains many key concepts of the series that both return a sense of familiarity in the series as well as standing out as a whole separate adventure. Set in a distant but impending 2277 the depiction of a world ravaged by the destruction of a nuclear war is a grim yet enticing scenario. After waking within the underground vault that has protected the lives of many for years, players assume the role of a freshly matured vault dweller who finds their father and only parent has escaped onto the surface with no word of a goodbye or forwarding address. Left abandoned and confused, the inevitable escape of the player opens to the glorious unveiling of the hazardous wastelands ahead where all previous ties now lay abandoned, a whole new world opened for immeasurable potential in exploration and discovery.

A substantial story is present well within the long and challenging adventure that is Fallout 3 but with so much extra content packed within a living, breathing environment the key quests and primary goals are often set aside for the continual rewards of exploring outside of the main story and quests. There’s a lot to find out in the wastelands and while some dead space and lengthy paths may take up some travel time the eventual discoveries more than make up for it. From alien crash landing sites that have nothing to do with the plot to entire villages and factions to discover there’s always something to gain in roaming the wastelands.

So much content within this living world creates a very authentic experience, and while it isn’t the most realistic one most of the more creative items and characters still exist within a stretch of realism in contrast to the universe. The Vault Dweller’s Pip-Boy 3000 is certainly a cool looking oversized wrist watch used as an in-game menu for accessing inventory but it can be a tad slow and cumbersome to repeatedly cycle through and compare items. The size of the wasteland is certainly impressive, but some more testing time would have proved valuable as there are numerous clipping errors and bugs to be found with scenery rocks jarring out of place or the rare character model getting stuck in the scenery. Simple and minor bugs such as this don’t disturb the game experience too much, but at a frequency just a little too often they can tarnish the experience at times.

A third person perspective is available for a wider field of vision but the character becomes difficult to control and looks ridiculous when played in this view. Despite relying on a first person camera Fallout 3 is still an RPG and therefore requires a number of mechanics that can break the level of realism but they all certainly enhance the overall experience of playing the game. Being able to teleport instantly to any previously discovered location is a necessity in navigating the wastelands but where the RPG side to Fallout 3 is most prominent and obvious is in combat and the unique V.A.T.S. system used for freezing the action and properly assessing your attack.

When played as a regular run and gun FPS Fallout 3 can be quite cumbersome and unsatisfying. The action is a little too fast and when facing multiple opponents the loose aiming reticule and need to quickly change weapons or apply aid can be overwhelming without the help of V.A.T.S. With a sufficient supply of Action Points, the Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System is always on hand for bringing combat to a freeze frame where players can target enemies and their body parts in a specific order. It’s an essential part of combat that can be enhanced when used at the right time and context and when coupled with the right mix of perks, player abilities and weapons, it acts as a lethal combination.

In V.A.T.S. it’s easy to predict your chances of hitting an enemy with a percentage indicator on each limb supported by an enemy health bar. The invisible aspects to a battle are what must be planned ahead of time, with every weapon or piece of clothing having an individual durability, damage or condition rating. It’s always wise to gear up before heading out on an adventure and making sure that no weapons are in need of a repair, and with some medications having serious addiction side effects some planning ahead is always wise. It’s this big reliance on item management and statistics handling that makes Fallout 3 primarily a role playing game and while there’s definitely some big action scenes between all the dialogue trees and exploration, basic RPG skills and patience are required to survive.

The slower moments in Fallout 3 are still interesting with almost every decision made by the player having an effect on their Karma rating and the opinion they receive from the judgmental minds of the remaining world. Most missions will have several paths to success each baring a different yet clearly discernable effect on a players Karma, eventually shaping into a Good, Evil or Neutral being. Some of these decisions can be quite significant on the overall story with an ending that alternates based on decisions throughout the game. Not only will the story and ending change shape based on a players good or evil decisions, but so will the opinions shared by the inhabitants of the wastelands, with heroic or evil factions reacting harshly upon an opposing player.

Avoiding any potential spoilers and brushing on a potentially sensitive topic for a review, the ending sequence of Fallout 3 cannot be ignored. Perhaps so horrible purely in comparison to the enormity and brilliance of the 15 hour minimum single player experience that is Fallout 3, the ending sequence is easily one of the worst endings in a video game ever. One of the worst endings to one of the best games ever, at least it fits in with the continual theme of alternating based on player decisions made in the game.

Initially the options to mold a player’s face and appearance are given at birth but this is just the start of the extensive array of character customization options that continually shape and affect the way the player interacts with the world. Experience is gained through completing quests, slaying beasts and exploring new areas in a traditional fashion, allowing a wide variety of skill and Perk trees to branch through with paths that open and close dependent on previous choices taken. A Perk is simply a player ability or skill, with a new one being chosen at each new experience level and some only being available with the right character setup. For example, to acquire the Chemist perk and increase the duration of any Chems used by twice as long, 60 skill points in Medicine are required as too are they for the Chem Resistant perk.

Apart from leveling up and picking abilities, a player can further personify their character by selecting their wardrobe and weaponry accordingly. Certain clothing items will impress or anger certain factions, with special items such as the ‘Ghoul Mask’ having contextual uses, in this case making the player friendly to all roaming Ghouls.

Continually shaping around a player’s decisions and offering a massive world packed with content to explore and uncover, Fallout 3 is a revolutionary title that continues the staple of excellence delivered by the series as it continues to refine the RPG genre. With a minimum 15 hours of single player story to quest through and countless hours of side missions the adventure in Fallout 3 never ends. A truly personal experience directed by the choices you make, Fallout 3 is an exemplary title that continues to impress with stark maturity and unique humor in a world like no other.

Fallout 3

97%

The Good –

• A huge world to explore with surprises at every corner.

• Countless hours to sink into several branching storylines.

• Unique and interesting combat against traditional RPG structuring.

The Bad –

• A few too many bugs and glitches.

• Terrible ending.

• May result in real-life addictions.