Developer: Bethesda Game Studios
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Genre: First-Person Action RPG
Players: 1
Console: Xbox 360/PS3/PC
ESRB Rating: M (Mature)
TestFreaks Score: 9.6/10
Hours Played: ~ 40 hours
Progress: Beat main story, completed about half of side quests
Bethesda is a video game company known primarily for its development of one of the biggest first-person action RPG game series in the world, Elder Scrolls. With their track record of primarily awesome games and their renown in the world of RPGs, extreme quality is most certainly expected from any game that they produce. When it was announced that Bethesda was going to take the reins for a first-person iteration of the popular Fallout series for current-gen consoles, there was a mixed response from the gaming community. Isometric turn-based RPG purists were disgusted that Fallout 3 would not be receiving the Diablo treatment again, and fans of the Elder Scrolls series rejoiced as Bethesda was embarking to create another game so much like thier beloved series. I was in the latter of the two categories, so my expectations for this game were quite high. Was Bethesda able to deliver on all of the hype surrounding their newest RPG?
Graphics
The graphics in Fallout 3 are mostly awesome, with only a few signs ageing. Fallout 3 was made using an updated version of the Oblivion engine, and this only rears its slightly aged head every now and then. Considering the scope and general draw distance achieved in the game, the lack of uber-high resolution textures in most places is certainly forgivable. If anything, the occasional murky textures serve to add to the grungy effect that the graphics give off in general. Lip-sync with character voices is usually spot on, just like in Oblivion, so nothing to worry about there. Unfortunately not only the Ghouls look ghoul-like up close. A few less polygons than we’re accustomed to were used in many of the character models, but it hardly detracts from the experience of the game. What made this game’s graphics extra special were all the little things that they put into the game to make the world more believable. While you walk through the open and desolate world, you’ll encounter dust devils (mini-whirlwinds), when you go into somewhere that had been long uninhabited, you’ll be able to see the large clumps of dust floating in the air, and most general dirty and dusty things behave accordingly when interacted with. These ambient effects were not present in Oblivion, and do much to make the world more realistic and further immerse you in the game. Overall, not a heck of a lot to complain about graphics-wise, so I give the graphics an “immersive”.
Sound
The game makes full use of audio queues in various situations, just like Oblivion. When something starts attacking you from behind, aside from your sudden drop in health, you are alerted by the music switching into the more tense battle soundtrack. When you’re safe from danger, the music will fade off and turn back into the normal background music for that time of day or area without being distracting. The creatures and items in the game all make apt sounds as well. Aspects of Fallout 3’s sound that are particularly of note include the awesome surround sound through which you can clearly hear whatever clothes you are wearing rustle or clank beneath you as you walk, and the satisfying noises produced both by the Mesmotron gun acquired later in the game and people’s heads as they explode due to the high lead concentration that you have pumped into them. Overall, sound gets a “sweet”.
Controls
The controls in the game are mostly similar to those found in Oblivion. Classic FPS controls, with some RPG goodnesses thrown on top. Switching items in the Pip-Boy 3000 is fast enough to not be terribly inconvienient. If you are accustomed to the usual item, equipment, etc. switching in FPS RPG games, then you’ll be very comfortable with the Fallout 3 system, as it is entirely the same. Pip-Boy himself adds a good measure of personality to the menus and is an entirely welcome addition. You can once again assign items and weapons to hotkey location so that they can be easily accessed when need be. Otherwise, nothing in particular really stands out about the control methods. Controls get a “great”.
Gameplay
In general, the game does a ridiculously good job of making you feel as though you are exploring the neo-retro remains of a destroyed Washington, D.C. There are many American history lessons to be learned from playing through the game, as many characters are more than willing to go on at length about things like the Declaration of Independence, the Lincoln Memorial, and other such iconic entities in American history. You can visit and explore the remains of most of these places and items, and enjoy the small side-quests that surround many of them. The story itself certainly gives your quest a bit more purpose, but you do often feel unmotivated to do more than just wander around and asplode things.
One gameplay element of particular note is that you can form a “party” in this game of a motley crew of the inhabitants of the barren wasteland. Not only can you have dogs and animals help you out, but you can also enlist characters like mercenaries, robots, and even Super Mutants to act as your wing-mates in any battles that you may encounter. Incidentally, you have to be a pretty goody-goody character to get some of the better side-kicks. The Karma system in the game gives you positive karma for goods deeds and negative karma for bad deeds. This deeds over a time amass and give you an overall karma level that you can view in your Pip-Boy. I took rather great lengths to be a good guy in the game, and was rewarded with my killer Super Mutant sidekick fairly near the end of the game.
The VATS system of auto-targeting is actually amazing. I was not expecting to use it at all, even after playing the game for a while, but it is so ridiculously helpful, especially once you level it up a bit. It’s a good mixture of bullet-time and classic RPG-style targeting and health bars that is simply one of the most unique and revolutionary features of the game. Definitely give it a try, and you’ll likely soon be joining the rest of us as we curse when we run out of points in the VATS targeting system.
Make sure to go sidequesting a lot before the final mission, or just to save a lot at random increments, because once you’re done the game’s story, there’s no extra wandering around afterwards like in Oblivion.
Summary
Graphics:
+ Spectacular ambiance
+ A vast and austere world to explore
+ Good lip sync
– Lower-res textures
– Lower-polygon counts on random things
– Often hard to see by only your Pip-Boy light
Audio:
+ Dynamic score
+ Great surround sound
– Not too many voice actors
Gameplay:
+ Standard access to varied items
+ Awesome VATS targeting system
+ Good online experience
– Main narrative could be longer
9.5
