"No one ever enters, and no one ever leaves". Well i entered... But i never left!
This game, my fellow gamers. Is nothing short of a masterpiece. Seeing people give this game an abysmal score of 1.0, sincerely and utterly horrifies me. I'll be keeping this review short and sweet, but playing over 70 hours of this game and leaving me wanting more, and also the fact i need to explore more, is astonishing. I haven't played a game like this in years. Starting with the graphics i have to say they are fantastic, sucks you in completely. Reviewing the PC version i can say there are small graphical glitches and bugs, but very few.
I've never been so immersed in a game, that quite frankly looks worryingly real (If there was to be a nuclear war that is). From the character models and the blades of grass in the wastes, to the cracks in the dark destroyed buildings in the destroyed streets of DC, everything looks amazing. Heck, even the metro system is bar none the best i've seen. The character animations on the other hand, the way they interact with the world sometimes, or the way they move can be a little sluggish, not the best i've seen to date but it's something i can live with; But then reading that in O:A DLC, the animations are getting re-done to look better and interact to the world better put's the subject to rest.
The sound is amazing. The player uses a small computer called a pip-boy, which is like a huge bracelet thats attached to the left arm. This will help you all through the game, and is also used as an inventory menu too. Heck, it even plays the damn radio. With such voice acting from Ron Perlman, Liam Neeson, and Malcolm McDowell, the game has some great voice acting. Some of the dialogue throughout the game can be a little off, which breaks the hold a bit, but the sounds of the explosions and everything in the environment from the creaking of doors opening to the abandoned ruins of hotels and haunting corner shops, it really does suck you in.
The gameplay and story are also fantastic, you start life (literally) being born, from the womb of you're mother, in you're home, called Vault 101. You can change you're appearance in any way possible, like Oblivion, and also choose a set of pre-designed faces, but not as monstrously ugly Oblivions. There is then the cleverly calculated S.P.E.C.I.A.L. system; Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility, and Luck. This system was used in the previous Fallout installments, and still to date is one that i've always remembered well. You then have you're skills such as Small Guns, Sneak, and Barter, which are governed by S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Also, once you level (A max level of 20, which is also being raised in DLC) you gain a perk. These perks can help the player greatly, they are like special attributes or abilities you can aquire, but seeing as you can choose 1 per level, you'll have to be careful on spending that perk point.
Moving on you slowly grow up, taking tests at school, and even celebrating you're tenth birthday where you're given you're own Pip-Boy. As you turn 18 you're father goes missing, leaving the vault, which is a crime to it's inhabitants. Probably as bad as murder in thier case. So you're left on you're own, but hell no are you staying in the vault. This is when the journey truly begins, and you embark into the unknown wasteland, for answers to finding out where he went and why he left. I won't spoil the story too much, seeing that i've been blown away by whats been thought up here.
The game plays great, some minor bugs, which in later DLC there are major bug fixes included, which also greatly makes me happier that such a great game can be made better. The V.A.T.S system is also one of the best combat systems i've ever seen in this generation, those new and old to the Fallout series will be blown away by this one. It holds the RPG element of turn-based combat, as it allows you to target an enemies body part, but the accuracy and damage of the shot is determined by you're skill, such as in Energy Weapons or Big Guns etc. But if you're willing to stick to you're FPS roots in this Hybrid of a game, feel free to blast away!
There are also PLENTY of different enemies and factions in the game, spanning from the much remembered Enclave, Super Mutants, Slavers and Raiders to friendly allies such as the Ghouls and the Brotherhood of Steel. On a side note, even watching the random battles between these factions are pretty insane, the explosions and destruction they create are both ruthless and fun to watch, unless you want to get involved that is! There are also cool random encounters in the huge wastes of DC, such as a runaway Super Mutant who disbanded from his brothers, having different views from thiers, and doesn't want to fight anymore, to an Alien Ship that crash lands, which you can go to it's crash location, and see what Phat Lewt it brought with it. The map is huge, not as big as bethesda usually like to make it, but a fair size indeed. Also one thing i love about the game, are the companions, such as Dogmeat, the canine all Fallout fans love, this one being somewhat a descendant of the dogmeat from the first game.
Crap. I've written too much, if you can be bothered to read all of this, i must say, if you don't have this game, buy it. Worth the money, worth the wait, worth the hype, and worth the hours upon hours of playing it. Playing over 70+ hours of the game i'm still not bored, and still have locations to explore, also starting up a second save to do everything i've already done, in a different way, and trust me, the multiple ways to complete a quest are insane. With the 3 upcoming DLC, i won't get bored of this for a while.
This game is an utter masterpiece in it's own right, Bethesda have done it in creating a new world for Gamers to explore, love or hate, and cherish. This is game of the year people, and one i will remember for years to come. Hands down 10/10 (Upcoming DLC has helped this a little, from what i've read will have to see if they stay true to thier word!).
Finally this review has come to an end, i've written all i can possibly be bothered to write, so to the people of Gamespot, i'm off to the wasteland! Godspeed.
TPJ McGinnes