Bethesda knows their craft, and it shows in one of the year's most promising games
To start off, the graphics are amazing, but as with every other game, it has it's blemishes. Every now and then, you will see your weapon clip and go straight through a wall, and you still magically move through grass and bushes without any reaction from them. Although some still see it, I think the facial movements, while still rough at spots, look much cleaner and the lip-sync is more fluid. Now to clarify, THIS GAME IS ABSOLUTELY GORY!!! There is no other way to say it. Walking through halls, down the streets, by trash cans, etc, you will see almost every part of a body, inside and out, strung across the wasteland. When using V.A.T.S. (more on that later), and you land the final blow on a limb or the head, it usually ends with blood and gore going everywhere, and even painting the floor and walls red. Great effect for both shock and style. Now onto the environment and characters themselves. The only words that come to mind are stylish and detailed. The environment has tons of little detail and objects that put you directly into the world. Characters look cool and distinctive and I've yet to see a recycled character design.
Now to the talk of the town, the gameplay. First off, the V.A.T.S.( Vault-tec Assisting Targeting System) just plain rocks!!! Basically, it pauses the game to let you shoot different parts of the opponents body, from arms, legs, head, and even the weapon the foe is holding at the time. Its original, easy to use, and adds that flair of, "Oh s***, i just blew that...name body part...off with my gun/melee weapon! That was so cool!" Yes moments like that make Fallout 3! Just don't go thinking that you can use this without some sort of consequence, and that is where action points come in. As you use V.A.T.S., the AP meter drains, and when it is empty, you have to let it recharge. Fortunately, it refills quickly, so tough gunfights aren't as tough as they could be otherwise. However, when not using V.A.T.S., the shooting takings some getting used to. This is not Farcry 2 or CoD4, mind you, so don't try to play it as such. With that mindset, you will play this game just fine. Speaking of guns, there are a surprising amount to be found. There are pistols, shotguns, assault rifles, a minigun, and a bazooka. The pistols, shotties and assault rifles all have a few different models, like a revolver and standard 10mm. Then there are the melee weapons that include pool cues, butterfly knives, tire irons, and many many more. On top of that, you even have energy weapons. To top it off, you have my personal favorite, the Rock-It Launcher. This baby can turn the most useless junk in your inventory into fast moving death-bringers. From teddy bears to plates, darts to old books, all are fare play. Just don't expect to shoot something as big a door or dumpster. This IS NOT the gravity gun from Half Life 2. Kinda wish it was. *sigh* The best thing about it is that the gameplay stays frest because of the constant finding of new weapons, new enemies, new locations, new characters, and...
...missions. This game has an abundance of missions. From story to side quests, this game has you covered. I have played the game around 15 hours, and only got 2 main story missions complete, mainly because I am captivated by all the things around me, including the side quests. Many of the characters you encounter will have a problem to be fixed and/or a wrong to be righted. Thankfully, from what I have played, they are all fun and engaging, while being challenging. Thankfully it stays challenging without being infuriating. All of this is done in a huge game word, and is easily bigger than Farcry 2 and GTA IV put together. No exaggerating whatsoever! The only gripe I really have about the gameplay is that, other than than the warp-to location( if you have discovered the area that you want to go to ), all is done by on-foot travel. To top it off, there is no sprint button. Why can't my repair skill get myself off from walking to fixing up on of those motorcycles I see every once in a while to ride to a location!? But that is it. BTW: I have to hand it to Bethesda for one of the most interesting and unique openings and tutorial levels for any game to date.
Now onto sound, and I must say, wow is the only word that comes to mind. For being a wasteland, there are a bunch of noises. From crickets chirping to the sounds of the breeze, and even nearby water sources, the effects are stunning. Guns sound appropriate ( got to love it when you go into V.A.T.S. and hear the bullet slow down with the time. It kinda has that Matrix feel to it), characters sound gruff and pissed, raiders yell profanities and warcries toward you when spotted, and more. Their isn't much music in the game, but like in Dead Space, as an example, the music kicks in when you are in immanent danger. For the plot and tone, the sounds are near perfect.
The replayablitiy for this game is high, and for those who love achievements, FO3 will take at lease three(3) playthroughs to get the Good, Neutral, and Bad karma achievements. Go to http://www.achieve360points.com to see what I mean. With a wide open landscape, immersive gameplay, a cool story, and an altogether well made game, we have a contender for Game of the Year for sure!