come on...its fallout!
the basic plot of the story is that you are forced out of vault 101 and forced to make your own destiny out in the wastelands. thats about as much as im giving you since the rest is spoilers.
Gameplay:
if you've played Oblivion (which im assuming you have) then its basically that with a few additions.
the big addition is guns. lots of guns. big guns. and this obviously puts more emphasis on the long range combat but there are CQB melee weapons that are pretty cool like the chainsword and the power-fist. the most unique gameplay mechanic is the V.A.T.S targeting system which pauses time when activated and lets you target specific body parts on individual enemies. this is very useful as it allows you to take out lots of little swarming enemies with single shots or allows you to get more shots on target on the bigger enemies.
the game still has the same little niggles that blighted Oblivion but performs solidly.
my main (and only) concern is that it doesnt encourage you to do any side quests. ive completed the game in just over 17 hours with very little deviation from the main quest but whereas in Oblivion where random people would walk up to you with side quests, none of this happens unless you walk around for a considerable time trying to find side quests (or use the guide to find them).
Graphics:
very proficient for the game that it is but the same could be said of any game that has come out in the past year or so. there are a few graphical glitches (mainly on the puppet that is seen when in third person) but which could easily be corrected in patches.
Overall:
a great game to have but effort is needed in trying to stay off the main storyline and racking up the same amount of hours that i did in Oblivion.
This game would also benefit from a few DLC packs like more buildable weapons and a shivering isles-esque expansion as it would considerably broaden the game and make it more fun.