Fallout 3 (Xbox 360) Review

Posted by John Curry on 12.10.2008

If Mad Max had a next generation game this would be it.




Title: Fallout 3
Publisher: Bethesda Game Studios
Players: 1
Genre: Action-RPG
Rated: M for Mature

Also available on: PC, PS3, Xbox 360


Gameplay

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.
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. If you focus on increasing your small handgun usage and V.A.T.s focus then when it reaches 100% it does become much simpler.

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.

The final thing that actually had me debating whether it is really as bad as I think it is or whether I am just expecting too much is the fact that if you complete the main mission the game ends. You cannot pick up and continue on. While in 99.9% of the games in the world this is a normal occurrence, it is not something I expected from Bethesda after playing Elder Scrolls: Oblivion in which after defeating the main mission you could continue on in the game playing the side missions. Unfortunately, in Fallout 3 this isn’t the case. After you rescue your world a la’ Waterworld, it’s done. So know going in that if you want to beat the game 100% you need to do the side missions first THEN the main mission.

Graphics

While this is a basis for many arguments regarding this game, I cannot help but to see Oblivion in every single aspect of the game. From the child infested caves that resemble the caves, to the brownish color focus throughout the game, and especially if you pick up a sword, the game’s graphics scream Oblivion 90% of the time. The other 10% are the best aspect of this game, the V.A.T’s system. This is absolutely the greatest thing to hit this brand of game. I do have to say the creatures are well done, the facial expressions, the battles and everything were well done, very well done. Even though there is a drastic similarity to Oblivion, in my opinion, there is nothing here that is detrimental to the game. I would however beg Bethesda that in any of the sequels they come out with from here on to please differentiate between the games they create.



Sound

The sound is top notch. You can hear every little creak, crack, and growl throughout the game. The music that plays throughout adds to the game in more ways than you would expect. The score is highly developed and well focused on the missions rather than monotonous repetition that is often found with RPG games.
Positive here is the inclusion of Captioning on all levels and communications. Your pip boy also can be set to radio stations that play some of the classic music from the 1930’s on. Kind of fun but I wish I knew how or if I could add my own music to the game.

Fun Factor

This game is absolute fun in every sense of the word. However that fun runs dry if you beat the main mission before the side missions. There is just something about beating the main mission of a game that destroys your desires to continue playing the game. Fortunately, upon starting my second character I realized that this is one of the funnest games I have played in a while and after hours of playing at a time you realize there isn’t anything to complain about when you know not to beat the main mission.

Lasting Appeal

It will take the average gamer well over 50 hours to beat the entire game 100%. After that you can do it again with Neutral Karma, Bad Karma, or Good Karma so there are always at least 3 ways to play the game. Combine this with the unlimited amount of ways to play the game and the lasting appeal is innumerable. To add the icing to the cake this is one of those games we can expect updates from on a consistent basis. One of the few games this year that will have a lasting appeal of a few months or more which is all I ask for.



The 411

While Fallout 3 entered the market as one of the games that will compete for game of the year, it does fall just short of those expectations. A confusing game pace combined with aggravating lock picking and computer hacking drags down what is otherwise a perfect game. The future of this franchise is bright, and while you can do somewhat better on games this year, you can do much worse. Overall, don’t rush out and buy this game, rather wait until you can pick it up used somewhere.

Graphics	9.0	Looks amazing.
Gameplay	8.5	The fact that I cannot continue playing after defeating the main mission automatically brings this down a point.
Sound	8.5	Good Score. Okay soundtrack on Pip boy. Would have like to have been able to add my own songs.
Lasting Appeal	9.5	With three updates already lined up over the next six months this game will stick around.
Fun Factor	9.0	While it lasts it is the single most fun I have had shooting people in slow motion. VATs makes this game what it is.
Overall	8.9   [ Very Good ]

Screenshots
All 35 Fallout 3 Screenshots