The Checkpoint 11.03.08: Live from Vault 101

Posted by John Curry on 11.03.2008

This week the Checkpoint looks at his first week of Fallout 3. The good, the bad, the bombs, and the babes -- it’s all inside.

This week I received my copy of Fallout 3 to review for the website. Upon playing, I quickly realized that this game is going to take more than a mere week to play, beat, and give a quality review. So as a result, I have decided to devote my Checkpoint column to a weekly update and follow through.

Achievements Unlocked 7 out of 50

1. Protector (10g)
"Reached Level 8 with Good Karma"

2. Reilly's Rangers (20g)
"Completed Reilly's Rangers"

3. Following in His Footsteps (20g)
"Completed Following in His Footsteps"

4. The Power of the Atom (20g)
"Completed Power of the Atom"

5. Escape (20g)
"Completed Escape"

6. The G.O.A.T. Whisperer (10g)
"Took the G.O.A.T."

7. Vault 101 Citizenship Award (10g)
"Got the Pip-boy 3000"

The Good

The first thing that I have seen so far that really makes me enjoy the game was the introductory video. While many people when they play a game for the first time they automatically hit the start button to skip through the intros to get straight to the game, I tend to watch them as they give you a little back story to the game you are about to play. Fallout 3's intro is quite long at approximately four or five minutes but it is by far one of the best introductory videos this side of Bioshock.

When someone who picks up Fallout 3 who has played Bethesda's Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, it is IMMEDIATELY apparent that this is the same game engine and setup at the Elder Scrolls game, and that isn't necessarily a bad thing. You have the same command prompts for discussions, actions, and movements with the only thing different being the 1950's science fiction-esque view of the world and words you see. After you complete the Escape level you will be thrust into what is quite possibly the largest and most expansive map you have ever seen. I have beaten Oblivion 100% and I can say with confidence that this map and the amount of locations possible to be discovered is probably at least five times the size. The environment is intricately done with the amount of ruins combined with recognizable landmarks scattered throughout. The destruction of the atomic wars is evident without being ridiculous. The craters destroyed buildings, all the ways through to the defaced and empty Washington monument have all been done with the highest attention to detail.

The small outskirt cities bear a significant resemblance to the wonderful world of Mad Max. Small cities strewn together by destroyed cars, buses, scrap metal and more all make for a very enjoyable environment to be in.

The weapons available are as varied as possible. There are the classic weapons such as the baseball bats, the combat knives, the assault weapons and more. Then there are the more futuristic weapons such as the laser pistols, laser rifles, and other assortments of energy weapons. Aside from these are the more enjoyable and fun weapons that you are brought to us are the ones we can create ourselves. I have finally created the explosive bottlecap mine and the devastating Rock-It Launcher which is capable of shooting every piece of trash with devastating accuracy including the monstrous Teddy Bears.

The new V.A.T.s system is a great addition to the game and something that I would absolutely love to see added to the next Elder Scrolls game. The shooting system is actually rather simple to use. Press RB and select the limb which you want to target and fire. The slow motion shooting system allows you to expend devastating shots on your opponents while providing some enjoyable footage is what really raises the bar of this game. You will find yourself using this nonstop and laughing at the results.

The missions are challenging and the characters I have encountered so far are top notch and challenging especially those damn Super Mutant Brutes. Those guys are fun to fight. The characters have me excited to see what happens and who I will run into and who I will be able to fight as the game progresses.

The Bad

While this is still early in the game there are some things that are aggravating that need to be discussed. First and foremost is the introductory scene. While I understand the necessity of changing the introduction to the world in which we are about to enter, the progression seems forced and rushed while not really expanding on the relationships that exist within Vault 101.

My biggest complaint about the game is the disparity between the success rate of using the weapons in and out of the V.A.T.s mode. If you are in the V.A.T.s mode you can blow off someone's head using three or four shots from a 10mm handgun and outside the V.A.T.s that would require 50 or 60 shots to do the same thing. This is ridiculous. The disparity has me wondering exactly whether Bethesda realized there was such a difference between the two or if they want you to focus on using the V.A.T.s system non-stop.
The lock picking is also one of the weaker points of the game so far. Not because it is difficult or anything but many of the locks you want to pick require minimum skill levels to pick rather than allow you to take that chance. I want to be able to take the chance and enjoy the satisfaction of cracking a lock that is above my level.

The hacking of the computers. Yes I love anything that stimulates the brain but at 2 a.m. I don't want to be solving the "Mastermind" style puzzles to unlock a robot that can't do crap anyways other than getting itself killed before it even has a chance to defend me. Craptastic here Bethesda. Craptastic.

Hints

Do not use your laser weapons unless you absolutely have to. The batteries are valuable as can be and you will want to sell them later.

You will need a fission battery for the Reilly's Rangers mission

Right now I am making my way to the top of the Washington Monument to install a satellite dish that will allow the greater D.C. area to hear radio broadcasts so until next week get your Fallout 3 on. Leave some hints, secrets, clues and more and I will include them in the next article.