Bethesda's vision of destruction and hope is equal parts remarkable and disturbing. A landmark for player immersion.
The Good
The World: It is massive. So much so that it almost becomes overwhelming when you stand up on a high ridge a peer out over the destruction knowing that there are untold secrets to be discovered. The scope of the Capital Wasteland really does provide you with a sense of freedom and possibility that for me is unrivaled by any game ever.
The desolation: When can desolation be a good thing? Never really. But when a video game can provide you senses of destruction and loss that are so complete and pervasive, it really is remarkable. I can't overstate just how fully realized the world of Fallout 3 is. When played for long stretches a sense of depression tends to wash over me. But video games don't often make me feel something genuine. And Fallout's ability to provide this unending sense of loneliness and dread is remarkable.
ASIDE: In my game have a companion with me. He fights with me and makes observations now and again. He died at one point. I was so deflated and distressed at the thought of adventuring on my own that I had to reload my last save. It's that kind of immersion that makes this game special.
VATS: For those who don't know this is the combat system by which you stop a battle and target specific areas of an enemy's anatomy. And despite countless battles I never get tired of dismembering fools.
The Not So Good
The Main Storyline: It's short. It's cliched. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense. And in a world so large and epic it just feels flat. The opportunity was there to make the player feel like they are truly affecting the course of the world. The developers tried. But it doesn't come together. I got a greater sense of accomplishment by completing side quests.
The Animation: Bethesda needs to get it together. Just like in Oblivion the characters are poorly animated to the point of reminding me of a marionette theatre.
Glitches: More than once the game has frozen up on me. I've had landscapes dissolve into nothing but random polygons and black voids. I've gotten stuck in rocks. I've had my companion get stuck within a door and be unable to move. Again Bethesda get it together. It doesn't happen terribly often but when it does it's a total turn off.
Despite its drawbacks I do love this game. It is enjoyable and atmospheric and quite disturbing at points. And all of this is to say nothing of the 3 DLC chapters I plan to get my hands on. At this rate I am thoroughly entrenched and looking forward to New Vegas.