Refreshing and unique gameplay makes for a great rpg/fps hybrid experience

User Rating: 9 | Fallout 3 PC
Bethesda Softworks has done it again! Fallout 3, the respectable new-age sequel to a classic RPG series.


I'll start this review off by going straight into the cons. My biggest peeve with Fallout 3 is the lack of 'boss' characters. The ending choices feel extremely weak, and there's no build up to a huge boss fight, because the biggest boss is on YOUR side. This means you leveled your character up to his pinnacle by completing some sidequests and doing that exploring only to discover the end involves absolutely NO satisfying display of power! Bethesda should have made an ending that relied on the experience gained from sidequesting, since the main plot can easily be completed in a short period of time (it would be a safe bet to say under 20 hours).

The game ends (goes back to the menu) upon completion of the final story quest, even though there is little reason to. This makes the "Broken Steel" DLC a must-buy because it extends the main quest and more importantly, it lets you continue to explore the original Fallout 3 wasteland after wrapping up the main plotline.

Moving along from my frustrations. Fallout 3 has many great aspects which fortunately save it from its shortcomings. It plays as a FPS with a leveling system, but has a feature called "V.A.T.S." which when used incorporates Turn-based RPG tactics and displays them with breathtaking cinematic camera angles.

V.A.T.S. is what caught me hook line and sinker, and made me love the game. When you encounter enemies you have the option of freezing the action and entering into this mode. There you will be able to cycle through all visible enemy targets, where your in-game computer gives you a breakdown '% to hit' on various different body parts. "Perks" aka skills learned upon leveling up can tweak things in V.A.T.S., such as improving headshot accuracy, or regenerating AP (Action Points) upon kills. You have certain amount of these points to allocate on enemies, depending on your attributes, and these will regenerate fairly quickly in real time.

Allocate your points and exit V.A.T.S. to watch the fireworks. Sometimes time will slow down to a crawl and the camera will zone in on your rifle round, following it as it strikes a mercs head, exploding gorily into hundred pieces. [b]Or[/b], watch your close range shotgun skills blow a supermutants leg right off, and hear his anguished moan in delightful low-pitched slowmotion. [b]Or[/b], you could take aim at an Enclave soldier as he's cocking his Laser Rifle at you, and then unload your Semi-automatic's magazine into his right hand, blowing the Rifle out of his grasp leaving him completely at your mercy. V.A.T.S. is [b]awesome[/b], and will keep you hungry and on the lookout for more foes. Hopefully you can withhold yourself in cities, or entire populations might find themselves victim to your arsenal of weapons in cinematic display of bloodshed.

In conclusion:
Fallout 3 is very easy to get into, and it's target market is pretty much anyone +16. The game is very liberal with the f bomb and has no shortage of gore, much to my satisfaction. The main plot is not the greatest, but it's a decent story worth telling, and there is NO shortage of action. The buildings and subway stations are tightly packed plus there's fast travel to any destination, so there will be no need to walk through areas you've already reigned destruction upon, and when exploring you'll come across something interesting every couple steps. I think most casual gamers will love this game. Thanks for the read, and I hope I helped you make a decision whether or not Fallout 3 is worth the play :)

(note: I clocked 66 hours upon finishing the main quest, and about 10 of them were from the DLC's "The Pitt" and "Operation Anchorage". I finished a fair amount of sidequests but explored only about half of the map. Expect upwards of 60 hours from this game)