I've changed my mind on Fallout 3 - it's a great game

In a few posts I've made, I've made it clear that Fallout 3 wasn't a good game at all. However, that was because when I first played it, I was naive to how RPG elements worked in games, and I wasn't a fan of FPS games in general. That and I thought it was just plain ugly. After having bought the game for myself many years later and putting some time and effort into it, I throw my hands up now and say that I was wrong about it.

This is a hell of an immersive world, one with stories and imagery that make the desolation feel justified. The gameplay, while not the most sterling example of either FPS or RPG combat, does a good enough job of combining the two without one overwhelming the other. That and the VATS system is incredibly fun and never gets old, at least for me. The characters are memorable, as are the environments (surprising, given the setting), and the scope of it, for the time, is incredible and unique, as is the design of most of the enemies you fight. I can't call it a perfect game at all, but at least I can say I'm enjoying it big time.

Has anyone else ever had this happen? You play a game a long time ago that you swore up and down you didn't like, only to revisit it some time later and realize it was actually better than you remember?

I just kinda had that experience with Halo MCC, particularly Halos 1 and 3. I was never a big fan of the original, though I beat it on every setting solo when it came out (not much to play at that time, i guess). I still think the Library is the worst FPS level in the history of gaming (same 3 tiles over and over), but overall I really enjoyed myself and the level design wasn't as repetitive as I remember it.

I take 2 things away from this. One, if you can avoid all the hype and the usual internet negativity that circulates when a game first comes out, it's a lot easier to enjoy a game. You might think it doesn't affect you, but no one is immune. The other, nostalgia is a powerful thing. Sometimes I think I had so much fun going back to play Halo because it's about 14 years old and things were a bit simpler for me then. Fallout is pretty recent, but five or six years is still enough to wax nostalgic and have it soften you up on a game.

I've actually had that happen with The Witcher 2 for 360. I rented it, played it, and decided I didn't like the combat mechanics. I ended up returning it. A few years later, I rented it again, and ended up loving it. I couldn't understand why I didn't give it a chance before... and now I'm dying to play the 3rd one.

I've also had a tough time liking Halo back on the original Xbox, but I'm now having second thoughts about it with the Master Chief Collection. Who knows, I might end up really liking it lol.

i feel like the series has a lot of potential :)

No not really. I always loved Fallout 3. One of my favorite games from last gen.

Assassins Creed. I played the first 3 and did not enjoy them one bit, got Black Flag and boy did I love it. Although not a game the AC series is similar enough in each title for me to consider it all one entity just released at separate times.

Your second paragraph is almost exactly how I would describe the game. The only thing lacking at all IMO, was the main story was forgettable. Everything else was amazing. I was surprised as well that VATS never got boring. Funny enough though, after the first hour of New Vegas I never used VATS again. Idk why but it was way more fun not using it.

Jup I had this too, I barrowed the game from a friend, tought it was awfull. Then 2 years later I bought it myself... Why? I saw some gameplay video's online and my friend kept saying to me I have to play it longer for 2 hours...

So yeah I bought it with the DLC and had a blast.

Hmm, yes i've had it happen a few times. A few games took a while to grow on and after the first disappointment either because of hype or self-made expectations.

Fallout3 one of my most favorite games of all time. I loved oblivion and i always thought how cool it would be to have a game like oblivion but with guns. Then when i heard about fallout3 i was creaming in my calvins, i knew that this game was going to be one of my most special gaming experiences.

Fallout 3 was the first RPG game I played. It took me a lot to understand it as well. I loved it since the first moment though.

But something like you said happened to me with MGS Saga. The first one I played was MGS3, I hated it right from the start. A friend recommended me to give it another chance.. Doing as he adviced was probably the smartest decision I've ever made

After leaving the vault for the first time, I got so lost in the world (not in a good way) because I didn't know how to navigate properly. And I would get my ass kicked by enemies because I was so under-supplied. I didn't understand basic mechanics of the game like sleeping, stealth, or how to use the secondary map on the Pip-Boy. Basically, I got frustrated and quit playing the game and even contemplated selling it. But I gave it another chance, not even a week later, and slowly got the hang of it and not too long after that I was completely immersed into the world and everything. Ultimately, it became what I can more comfortably consider my favorite game of all time.

It just goes to show what can happen when you give a game another chance. I end up enjoying the vast majority of games because I play them through until the end. Usually if I'm not enjoying a game, it just means I don't know what I'm doing and am probably just not playing it properly. Not that it's always the case, but still. There are very few games I can say that I hate. Part of that's because I try to play games I know I'll enjoy, and another part is that I actually play games all the way through before forming an opinion on them. I just think that most people who think a particular game sucks didn't even play it all the way through, or let alone gave it more than an hour or two.

I actually felt like that about Mass Effect 2 after playing the demo. I was not impressed and was ready to write off the whole trilogy. Then people on here kept saying the demo is a poor representation of the game, so I decided to pick it up for PS3. One of my best gaming decisions ever.

Bioshock 1 was actually my gateway into FPS. I used to think all FPS games were COD crap until downloading the Bioshock demo out of sheer curiosity from seeing it on so many people's GOAT lists. Bioshock introduced me to how creative and immersive a good FPS can be. From there, the curiosity grew into trying out games and loving games like Skyrim / Dishonored and even having a blast with Battlefield 3 of all things.

Fallout 3 is what made me a fan though. Couldn't believe I had it wrapped in plastic so long before finally playing it. One of my top games last gen. 3 Dog, the soundtrack, dat intro, starting out as an infant and making your way out the vault for the 1st time, discovering Megaton, priceless.

Fallout 3 kinda turned me off originally like the other bethesda games because it seemed too daunting in size with numerous bugs but after beating it, Fallout 3 is hands down one of the best games I have ever played and I'm gonna nerdgasm if Fallout 4 is announced at e3. Although New Vegas had a few things I liked more about it such as improved FPS elements, depth, reputation system, and replayability, Fallout 3 was better to me due to its stronger story and interesting world in my opinion.

Two things to make Fallout 3 better:

No lagging/freezing

Iron sights

Glad you ended up enjoying Fallout 3. It was one of my favorite games last generation. The whole atmosphere of the game is what really got me into it. Now to answer your question I would say League of Legends interestingly enough. The first couple times I played it I wasn't a fan of it mainly due to not understanding what to do and I hated how the camera worked. I stopped playing it for a couple months but soon ending up picking it up again due to my friends all being into it. Slowly I started to learn bit by bit and eventually I grew to really enjoy the game.

I'm glad you enjoyed it. Fallout 3(as well as Oblivion) is easily one of my fav games. And I only played it about a year ago, I was left baffled about why I hadn't played it before. Its world is so impressively immersive and the gameplay/combat aspect is surprisingly decent. It's one of the few games that I didn't feel completely overpowered and had to manage my supplies and gold.

I had a similar experience with Fallout 3. When it was announced I had no interest in it, but everyone I knew got it and told me I'd like it because I loved Oblivion, but when I went into it I didn't enjoy it at all, and was bored of the game before I'd even left the vault, I think I played though up until your first visit to Rivet City before finally giving up. I didn't play the game again for about 3 or 4 years, but something compelled me to give it another go, and for some reason that second time, I loved it.

I also experienced this with Assassin's Creed. I was really excited for it when it's was first announced at E3, but when I got to play it, couldn't get into it at all. I only went back to the game after the sequel was announced because I wanted to play that one, and I enjoyed it a lot more, in fact I'd say it's between the original and Black Flag for my favorite in the series.

@koopa_kinte: Where the hell do you still rent games? Gamefly?

@Simulator_Shock: Lol the first time I rented it at Blockbuster when they were still open, and then I rented it at Redbox the second time.

The only game that gave me a bad first impression that I sorta grew to like was Dead Rising. It's still an awful game but the first time I played it I didn't have a high def flat screen TV to play it on so I couldn't read any of the fucking text.

A few years later I bought a used copy after I had acquired a modern TV and my experience was considerably improved since I could actually read the goddamn text this time.

The game was still really crappy tho since you're constantly being rushed to get from point A to point B, and the game has the most awkward and crippled controls ever, but for some reason I really enjoyed saving every single survivor in the game. Hell that was my favorite achievement I ever unlocked since it like I really earned it.

The graphics are not dated, to not say ugly for our current time. I doubt I could like this game anymore. But about 5 years ago, this game was damm good. Good news you new say this is a good game.

I just loved exploring and discovering new stuff. bethesda can't do likable characters I always find myself rebelling against their game worlds and killing everyone. I played Fallout 3 late as I knew a lot of DLC was coming and I was into MMO's heavy at the time. When I eventually got round to it I binge played it with all the DLC and a single armor mod (there wasn't enough crop tops and hot pants in the wasteland) I absolutely loved making everyplace have the worst outcome possible. Nuked that crappy village while standing on that privileged hotel after slaying them ghouls who wanted in, enslaved every woman and child I could find and nuked the brotherhood of steel, which by the way - was the best bit of the game. I loved sitting in that escape craft and those knights were like "HQ report in? WTF? You did this!" Best game ending ever.

Wasteland 2 did a much better job of getting me to back the sides cause. I felt as a Desert Ranger in that game I had to help the vulnerable, and my team will go out their way and determent themselves to make t he world a better place to anyone seeking a peaceful life. That had something to do with making characters that treat you with the proper due respect, or fear that would come along with being a band of heavily armored ass-kickers, unlike that other game Fallout 3 and New-Vegas where every NPC seems to treat you like your a newb even though you can one shot them in VATS without even equipping your weapon. Seriously, the bit that takes the piss is how in New-Vegas the game thinks you might need an escort to get to the gate in-case a single raider attacks you with a lead pipe. Come on game, seriously?!?

my favorite game from last gen. the Capital Wasteland is incredibly immersive, i didnt experience the same thing in New Vegas. I actually had the same thing happen with Deus Ex Human Revolution. i played it for a couple hours and didnt like it at all, put it on my shelf and gave it another shot a month later and now its in my top 5 games of all time.

@mastermetal777: Glad you like it.

I rate it as the best game ever made. Such a great format.

Same here. While most people seem to say that new vegas was better there's still a good percentage of people who preferred fallout 3.

All I can say is I'm glad that Bethesda is making fallout 4.

They don't seem to care too much either.

Bethesda can't do Fallout justice because they don't have the writing talent. Fallout games are known for their dark humor and choices that actually effect the gameworld. (another thing F3 and Beth/Toddler & co. fail at)

I don't agree. I think you were right before you changed your mind.

Okay, why is Fallout 3 the best game ever?

V.A.T.S. Is great because what it does is give you the same thrill that an old school video game gave you but within a new game with modern graphics.

It has a great sense of humor. (Unlike Skyrim that takes itself much too seriously and therefore only appeals to uber nerds). Every time you blow someone's head off and they fall over in that exaggerated way I want to die from laughing.

No one has mentioned the voice acting by Liam Neeson which is superb for a video game.

It is a good twist when Liam commits suicide.

Did I mention how hilariously dark humored it is (in a way that Fallout 4 is not?) If you don't like the humor in this game, then I also bet you didn't like Breaking Bad, as they have a similar style, and if you didn't like Breaking Bad then I think you should just crawl under a tree and die. (And you probably also didn't get the dark humor in that last sentence either...)

It's really fooking gory and violent in the best of ways.

Much better than New Vegas (which is the Wal-Mart of Fallout games, in that everything is there but it has no soul!)

It's just fun fun fun chaos