THIS GAME IS THE BEST GAME I HAVE EVER PLAYED! FALLOUT 3 PWNS FTW!
The game is set 200 years or something after a nuclear attack from China has bombed the US off the map (I believe the year is 2230). You have grown up in a vault, which is basically a bomb shelter set up to escape this nuclear apocalypse. You figure you have been born in this vault, but you find out later in the game that your father brought you into the vault when your mother died in childbirth. This shows that the vault can be opened, and the outside world is safe (I mean, giant molerats, 20 foot tall supermutant behemoths, mirelurks and raiders, geeze that's safe). something brown hits the fan after your father leaves the vault. The overseer, the man who runs the vault, kills your father's assistant, and isn't looking to talk to you. His daughter brings you a gun which you use to shoot your way out. You kill your once comrades, using manual shooting or V.A.S.T.S system, in which your game does the shooting with spectacular results.
After exiting the vault, you enter the real world, one with a barren and drab landscape, like something out of a post apocalyptic landscape. Oh wait, this is one. The portrayal of this landscape varies only slightly, sowing that life above ground is not exactly peachy.
You plan to improve this lifestyle, and can do quests to improve your self or others lives, or not. You can play the evil murderer and prey on helpless civilians, laughing as you rain nuclear destruction upon them with your MIRV launcher. This choice of good and evil karma plays a significant role in your gameplay, affecting the outcome of quests, and how NPC's in the game react to you.
There are many side quests and unmarked quests to satisfy your time in Fallout, as well as a strong main story line that provides a strong backbone to the game. In the end of the main quest, your noble sacrifice will save people's lives, or not. You can upload a virus into the water supply, making people die.
This ends the game, although it auto saves before the end, so you can continue playing the game after you get your achievement. This main quest does continue with the purchase of the broken steel DLC, which I will review separately.
This enormous landscape will keep you exploring for hours and provide nearly endless gameplay filled with random encounters, unmarked quests, and rare weapons.
I will now rate the games graphics, gameplay, value, sounds and break it down from there.
Gameplay: 10/10
This game has great gameplay to it. The controls are sharp, the action is fast paced, the amount of quests is high, and you can sink hours into the game exploring the over 200 locations. If you are a fan of oblivion, this game is basically the same, except with guns, a level cap, and a slightly different skill system. As you level up, you gain access to a certain number of skill points each time, which can be used to boost your skills with weaponry, repair, sneak, lock-pick, medicine and more. You also gain access to perks, which sometimes need skill level requirements in addition to a certain overall level needed. Each DLC gives new perks, although broken steel gives the most, as it also raises your level cap to 30.
Value: 10/10
I purchased this game for 60 dollars, and it was the best valued game ever. It was simply amazing, and came with plenty of reasonably priced DLC upgrades that added to the value. I have played over 200 hours, and I do not consider any of these hours wasted.
Graphics: 10/10
While some might argue that the visuals need an update, I do not agree. The visuals accurately portray a post apocalyptic landscape, and show the somber mood of the game, the absolute crushing hopelessness of the citizens predicament. It shows people striving to eke out a living in this barren wasteland, all in great detail. The transformed area of Washington DC is absolutely astonishing and even in the wreckage, the area is very easy to see that this was once a proud city, and now it is shattered. Without these outstanding visuals, none of this would be possible.
Thank you Bethesda for creating such an amazing game!