Fallout 3

Howlsthunder: #fallout_3 I wanted to put in an update now that I've played Fallout 3 all the way through, thoroughly finishing all quests and collecting all collectable objects/rare weapons, etc. I also added the "Broken Steel" and "Point Lookout" expansions and completed those.

I took a year-long break from F3 (playing "Oblivion") and came back to start a new melee character (having previously had an assassin/sniper-type character before). I couldn't say why, but I am still drawn to the monotonous wasteland more than the colorful flora and fauna of Oblivion. Above-ground, I still LOVE Fallout - I think that now the only thing I absolutely dread is the repetitiveness of the subway tunnels and the comparatively small variety of enemies.

I think I am probably immune to the depression of the landscape and post-apocalyptic situation of the game, too, because I find it exciting and interesting. If such things get to you, then this game will probably be overwhelmingly monotonous. :\ But post-apocalyptic fans should be happy clams.

I am also finding that increasing the difficulty and keeping to melee weapons and NOT stealing for income helps to slow down my leveling progress and make the game not so easy on my second time around, now that I know that halfway through the game I will suddenly be swimming in loot I shouldn't hoard everything at the start.

A note about the expansions: the Game of the Year version comes with all the expansions. This may help to enrichen the gameworld overall, but I couldn't say personally. Though I do know that having the "Broken Steel" and "Point Lookout" expansions installed from the disc got rid of most of the weird 'stretched-out-pixel' bugs.

Having "Broken Steel" expands the end of the main plot and raises the level cap to 30, which you'll attain easily, but it does bring some fun perks with it. "Broken Steel" also allows you to continue playing after the main quest is finished, though at that point it feels silly to keep going for no reason other than to, say, kill everyone in the game. It also adds some leveled-up enemies which NEVER get easy to kill.

"Point Lookout" takes you a bit south to some swamplands for a nice change in terrain and scenery full of deranged and inbred-looking hillbillies and tribal-like people. There are a few mob fights, which livened things up a bit. It was a fun distraction, probably just short enough for the amount of content.

In short, even after all the time I've sunk into Fallout 3, I still find it highly enjoyable. I'm not the most hardcore of gamers and Fallout doesn't rush me, which I like. I'm a post-apocalyptic survival theme nut, which the game has in spades, and enough freedom and depth to keep me immersed. I still like it better than "Oblivion" despite Oblivion's greater size and variety, but I am sure personal preference plays a huge part.

I don't think the game is perfect, no, but I do think that despite its weaknesses, it appeals to most of my favorite gaming elements and mechanics an does them well enough to draw me in again and again, making it one of my top favorite games thus far. I think that people who don't like Fallout 3 have very valid and good points, so if you are on the fence about this game, rent or borrow it first and then get the GOTY version. :) Apr 14, 10

Howlsthunder: #fallout_3 I am a long time Fallout fan (Fallout 1 & 2) and have eagerly awaited Fallout 3 for years. I have not been disappointed. I love the graphics, love the controls, love the new FPS/V.A.T.S. combat system (I never thought I'd NOT miss the turn-based only combat), love the weapons options, love the interactivity of the landscape and the things laying everywhere. I love the soundtrack, and I love the retro post-apocalyptic world even more now that it is in 3-D and totally immersive. I wonder if there is a difference between fans of the original games and newcomers to the series because I find all the things that have me loving Fallout 3 come from improvements and innovations over the old games.

My complaints are:
1) It is not out for the Mac
2) the bugginess is VERY obvious
3) you max out your character WAY too fast if you explore too much
4) the main storyline is not long enough for the size of the world
5) you cannot continue to explore after you beat the game
6) lack of the same pop-culture humor of the previous games

But the things I love far outweigh the negatives:
1) (aside from lack of humor) F3 stays very true to the feel of the original games
2) The world is IMMENSE with tons to explore, both marked and unmarked
3) The world is highly interactive - you can blow up vehicles, pick up and move all kinds of objects incl. things you cannot carry
4) The soundtrack is fantastic. I love the retro patriotic tunes on Enclave Radio and the authentic 40s and 50s songs on GNR and the fact that you can tune into them whenever you like with your PipBoy
5) The PipBoy is a VAST improvement over the original games with more detailed maps, better gauge of statistics, better inventory control, and most of all a detailed quest log so you don't forget what it was you were working on. This was SUCH a problem in Fallout 2
6) Much better balance in weaponry. In previous Fallouts it was much harder to make it through the game unarmed or pure melee and if you wanted to be a Big Guns expert it was a long time before you came across any relevant weapons or the ammo for them, meaning you pretty much also had to be good with small guns. In F3 any weapon method is valid and can be used throughout the game.
7) Much better balance of skills and skill points. It was too easy in previous Fallouts to have an all-around evened out character. In F3 you have to specialize more, making the game more challenging and interesting.
8) Armor makes a much bigger difference compared to earlier games. In F3, power armors are no longer all-powerful: they don't make you crazy strong or invincible like in previous Fallouts. They also make noise which can be a detriment to stealth players.
9) Weapons and armor break down and require repair. This is makes a HUGE impact in the survival feel of a post-apocalyptic world, and for the better.
10) Radiation is actually a nuisance, which it wasn't in previous Fallouts.
11) V.A.T.S. combat system is awesome. Having the game primarily operate as an FPS saves a lot of time and keeps the game immersive but the option to slip into the action-point-based targeted shooting with cinematic slow-mo results prevents the game from feeling stale, adds new dimension to kills depending on how you want to dispatch targets, and keeps many fights from becoming overwhelming.

I really feel the Pros and Cons on this site do not do the game justice because a single pro far outweighs several cons. Fallout 3 isn't meant to be a game you pick up and play for 10 minutes, it is meant to be an RPG experience. Aside from some length of main plot issues, I think the world really succeeds in giving us an entire world to explore. I gladly "waste" entire days playing this game. :) Apr 1, 09