Fallout 3 is a huge, thrilling, and mysterious game with some intense moments that will keep you playing for many hours.
Every now and then, a game comes along that is so expansive, so long, and has so much hidden content to discover, that any gamer could get hooked for more hours than he or she can count. Fallout 3 is one of those games. Bethesda is famous for its collection of massive RPGs from the Elder Scrolls franchise. Now they have released Fallout 3, an immersive, mysterious, thrilling, and satisfying adventure across the disturbing ruins of humanity through the eyes of a survivor of a nuclear holocaust.
The game is set in post-apocalyptic Washington D.C. after a nuclear war in 2077. Between which countries this war occurred is left for you to find out on your own. Before the war, humanity set up underground shelters called Vaults. You were born in Vault 101 in 2258, and the game starts right from when you're first born. You progress through your childhood years meeting people, and learning about the different aspects of the game. This first hour or so isn't very exciting, and won't grasp your enthusiasm that much. However, you'll later realize the significance of why the game starts out this way. Your dad leaves the vault without telling you when you're 19 even though the door to the vault hasn't opened since 2077. You're now a wanted fugitive, so you escape in the hopes of finding your dad, but it is clear from the moment you step outside that this will be a long and treacherous journey: welcome to the Capital Wasteland.
I must first say that Fallout 3 is NOT just Oblivion with guns. The game stands apart with its own epic world to discover, and has a separate storyline from the previous Fallout installments. The Capital Wasteland is a dark, hostile, but at the same time beautiful place. The stunning vistas, dark underground tunnels, scattered towns, and dangerous city ruins all combine to form one of the largest game worlds ever made. There are tons of locations to discover, and plenty of enemies to fight. The list of quests never seems to end; even after each is completed and you've been to every location, there is still enough new content to keep you playing for many more hours. There are unmarked quests and locations, as well as some shocking revelations, to uncover. Rooms are cluttered, quests have multiple outcomes and methods of completion, and every location has something to offer. One could easily crank out over 100 hours in this mysterious world.
Bethesda did a good job of making a large amount of character customization, and having the game adjust to the type of player you are. When you start the game, you are able to set your S.P.E.C.I.A.L. stats. S=strength, p=perception, e=endurance, c=charisma, i=intelligence, a=agility, l=luck. These determine how well you're able to use certain skills: such as small guns, explosives, lock picking, barter, etc. Each time you level up, you can assign a certain number of points to these skills. You also choose a new perk. There are many perks available for you to choose, and they all lead to different types of characters. Depending on the type of character you are and your skills, the way you play the game varies. In addition to these stats, you have a karma level. This determines whether you're an evil, neutral, or good. Again, depending on you're karma, the way you play through the game can vary tremendously. Thus, there is huge amount of replay value in this game, and it is very interesting to see how the different outcomes of your quests and relationships with people affect the game based on the type of person you are. You could play this game for 100 hours with one character, create the "opposite" type of character, play 100 hours with that character, and have a completely different experience with the game that's just as satisfying, if not more.
Fallout 3 can be a very intense game. This is something that isn't always common amongst RPGs. The Capital Wasteland is a very cruel place, and almost every minute is a fight for survival. You are constantly forced to make decisions that change the way the game plays. You can decide to wander the wastes in the hopes of finding treasures and new locations (the game does reward you a lot for exploration), but be prepared to encounter numerous enemies along the way. You can sneak into someone's house and take their stuff, but your karma will shift towards evil and that person isn't going to let you walk away if they discover you. You can sneak your way into combat and get a powerful first strike, but be wary of the amount of stuff you're carrying because the more weight you have, the more noise you make and the easier you are to detect. Even simply firing your weapon can be a costly decision since the condition of your weapons degrades over time: too much use and they'll break unless you repair them. You can decide to persuade people to give you what you want, or just shoot them and be on your way. Decisions such as these really suck you into the game.
So here's the lowdown on Fallout 3. The game is damn good. You will enjoy playing it, especially after the first 10 hours or so. The game can get a little easy after maxing out your character, but still remains very satisfying to play. The Capital Wasteland looks stunning at times. There is a lot of detail, and there's always something beautiful or cool to look at. Colors and textures are vibrant, and the varied environments keep you eyes glued to the screen. The only problem with the visuals is that the animations aren't that good. Some of the various creatures you'll encounter move rather nicely, but overall people, mutants, and robots (YES ROBOTS!) don't move very lifelike. The game also does have a noticeable amount of glitches, and the frame rate slows down at times. But this is understandable considering the shear size of this game, and you'll probably learn to get passed the hiccups. The combat, in general, works pretty well, but it can get a little clunky at times. Luckily there's the VATS system. This pauses the game and targets on an enemy. You then can select a part of the enemy's body, and press A for the number of times you want to shoot it. When you do this you spend a certain amount of action points, which replenish over time. This adds a little strategy to the game because you can simply shoot the enemy's head, but if you're fighting one stronger than you it's probably better to shoot its arm (causing it to drop its weapon), or its leg (causing it to move much slower). You can shoot any living thing you want, but be prepared for the consequences. You can pick locks and hack terminals to uncover hidden logs/messages and items. You can make your own weapons using certain items. You can make a unique character that's really good at a certain group of skills, or a generic one that's kind of good at all of them. The story can get pretty emotional, and has a few jaw-dropping moments. There are also many different possible endings to the game based on the decisions you make. Fallout 3 has so much to offer any person, and will entertain you again, and again, and again.