Fallout 3 is possibly one of the best games ever made.
You begin as a newborn baby as you jump through your childish to adolescent years (Something like 8 months to 3 years to 10 years to 16 years and then to 18/19/20- similar to that). From the getgo you automatically choose your character's traits, as well as physical traits. It's pretty deep naming yourself right after you come out of your mother's womb. Then you get started; you learn to walk, then you have your tenth birthday where you get your Pip-boy (amazing device btw) and at 16, you take the goat. It's basically an aptitude test filled with a bunch of crazy questions. Then, at 18, your forced to leave the vault (this is going to be as spoiler free as possible, so I won't tell you why, but let's just say the "overseer" doesn't like you very much). You wander away from the vault into the wasteland- for the first time you see sunlight. The cinematic experience really draws you in, and its very interesting to watch your eyes adapt to the light. You eventually stumble upon Megaton- on of the human settlements in Megaton- and that's where your adventure begins. You spend the rest of the time completing your quest, while running through underground caves, fighting mutated humans and rats, as well as dueling against enemies 3 stories high. Everything feels cinematic, and overall, Fallout 3 is definitely the most immersive game I've EVER played. There's so much history behind it, it's very impressive. If you love games with lots of stuff to look up and a dark history, Fallout 3 is definitely your game. The combat does feel slightly clunky, but that's a minor flaw you eventually begin to ignore, as it becomes less common with VATS. VATS is very cool; basically, it allows you to stop time and aim directly at what you're trying to hit. You're not forced to use it, but it doesn't break up combat flow at all, so it's a ton of fun. Other things you can do are select perks, that give you special abilities. That's the jist of the game, and now I'm just going to run through the graphics, sound, etc. and give them a score (lists- everyone loves lists).
Graphics: 9.5/10- Solid graphics with draw distances stretching for miles. It's amazing when you can see a radio tower a mile or two off in the distance and watch as you slowly start to see the rust and fractures in it as you get closer. Overall, very impressive for the size (and very short loading times; they're not THAT common, and they never last more than 10 secs. You never feel drawn away from the game).
Sound: 10/10- 40's and 50's classic songs that present a very strong theme of post WWII style music. There are a couple radio stations (if you ever find Agatha's station, you'll love it forever- but it's hard to do: Hint: Vault 92). You may start to grow tired of the music, but you can always turn it off. As well, the voice acting is incredible .I don't think ONCE I heard the same voice repeat (and we're talking over 100 significant characters).
Gameplay: 9/10- Combat is always fun, and it plays pretty well as an FPS- but that's not what is is. It clings to the Fallout 1 and 2 style of turn based action through V.A.T.S (which is very intelligent on Bethesda's part). Also, you don't run to slow or too fast, and you can fast travel between cities- something a lot of games should have (FAR CRY 2!!!!- but I still love you).
Story: 10/10- You'll never find a better story- ever... EVER. Maybe, but it'll be tough. This is like Bioshock and Halo 1 put together (when Halo 1 was original). Awesome, awesome, awesome. Enjoy it, especially if you love history (a TON of amazing references within the game).
Replayability 10/10- I spent 100 hours on this game- you probably will too. It's worth the 30$ (or 60$ if you get the GOTY edition).
Overall, 10/10. My favorite game of 2008, and ties with Bioshock as my favorite game EVER. So, IMO, Fallout 3 is worth your money, and your time. The amount of fun you'll having playing this game is insurmountable. I'm already dreaming of Fallout: Vegas.
Oh, and if you're stuck on choosing which platform to get it on, here's your best bet:
PC>Xbox 360> PS3
PC is definitely the best, combat is fantastic, and graphics are superb.
Xbox 360 graphics are OK, but it really depends how good you are with a controller when compared to the PC version.
PS3- buggy as hell. Avoid if possible, and if not, you'll still have a good time, just make sure to save often.
Hope this review made you spend 30$.