Every so often a title comes along which helps to redefine the industry as we know it. A few fine examples are Final Fantasy 7, Metal Gear Solid, Mass Effect, Knights of the Old Republic, Ocarina of Time, and in its own particular way, Fable 2. Each of these games managed to grab us by the scruff of the neck and held our attention with the world they created. Sure, the examples I give are not equal, for example there wasn’t much exploration to be done in Metal Gear Solid as it was very linear, but each example had something special to offer us. You may notice that Bioshock is missing from this list and with good reason. Bioshock is a great game, no doubt in my mind, and with its incredible atmosphere and breathtaking art it certainly stands out from the crowd, but looking back it was very linear and didn’t offer anything ground-breaking. And so enters Fallout 3.
This is a good looking game but if you’re looking for the bright colours of Oblivion you won’t find those here as this is dark, dirty, and grimy, which is just the way I like it, screenshots can be found here -
http://www.teamteabag.com/2008/10/02/fallout-3-screenshotstheyre-all-so-lovely-and-shiny/. The music on the other hand is an eclectic mix of tracks from the early part of the twentieth century and patriotic US government tunes which are accompanied by propaganda speeches. This collection of old music helps to create the notion of a world which time has forgotten and a juxtaposition of the future and the past.
I’m a big fan of the Fallout games apart from that ungodly creation which showed up on the Xbox and somehow managed to completely miss what the series is all about. Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel felt like a cheap spin-off which reminds me of the time I gave Joey a chance based on how much I loved Friends, big mistake. The post-apocalyptic setting is something which really appealed to me and I’ve always been attracted to the idea of a lone outsider struggling to discover what the hell is going on and attempting to put things right.
Fans of the series will be wondering how well it makes the transition from overhead turn-based to first-person real-time and, I can put you out of your misery, it really is quite incredible how they managed to take a solid concept and make it even more immersive. If you’ve played Oblivion you will most likely have fallen in love with that game and will appreciate how expansive and alive the world feels. Bethesda have taken this heartbeat and built an impressive new world around it which feels even more alive and in many ways more expansive than Oblivion.
The thing I find most impressive is that every little decision seems to genuinely have an impact on the world around you. There are certain pivotal moments where you have to make a decision and when faced with these you can sense that whatever choice you make it will come with huge repercussions. A fine example of this is when you’re faced with a decision over what to do with the atom bomb in the centre of Megaton and you realize that it’s not as simple as choosing between two paths. Each of the decisions you make will open up a new set of paths for you to ponder over which adds a quite ridiculous amount of replay value to an already enormous game.
I’m a huge fan of science fiction movies and I am not sure when it happened but it seems as though Bethesda hooked my brain up to a super computer and tailored this game to the exact specifications I desired. Fallout 3 is packed to bursting point with reminders of movies such as Mad Max, A Boy and His Dog, Blade Runner, Night of the Living Dead, The Thing, and Them! This is just the tip of the iceberg as the world is complete with many more subtle references to sci-fi culture which really helps in settling you into your surroundings.
Whatever floats your boat I’m pretty sure you will find plenty of things to keep you amused. This game features a philosophical mutant tree-man, a patriotic wig-wearing robot, flesh-eating emo vampires, and a prostitute who takes your cash and gives absolutely nothing in return. I find all of these examples incredibly exciting, with the exception of that good for nothing thieving whore, and if you don’t then I’m afraid that you may need your head checked.
I urge you to explore everything Fallout 3 has to offer and this means finding the patience to explore the entire map and to interact with as many characters as possible. There are quite literally hundreds of hours worth of play to be had as long as you take the time to experience your surroundings. This may sound like a lot of work but trust me when I say that it’s well worth the effort.
In order for me to better explain just how incredible this game really is I would have to mention the countless moments where I found myself completely engrossed in what was happening but I really don’t want to run the risk of spoiling any of this experience. Everyone who has an opportunity to play this game should grab it with both hands as it is quite simply that damn good. One last thing, dear readers, I hate to boast but I think you’ll find that my bells are the ringiest!
10/10
October 02, 2008, 05:16:03 PM
