Did someone say Oblivion with guns?

It is impossible for me to review this game without the inevitable comparisons to Oblivion. To answer the question....Yes Fallout 3 is a lot like "Oblivion with guns", but in my opinion it is so much more. I can also say that if you really liked Oblivion, then you will find many of the same game play elements here. You still have branching conversations, and very familiar controls that are near identical to Oblivion. You retain the Lock picking skill although the mini-game is a bit more accessible. You can still repair your gear and even have the ability to craft new more powerful weapons using all the junk items you find in the Wasteland.

Where Fallout 3 really separates itself is in it's personality, and the awesome new V.A.T.S system. V.A.T.S is what sets the combat apart, and gives you the opportunity to make strategic choices in an otherwise Real-Time battlefield. Using V.A.T.S, you can target specific body parts in order to cripple Raiders, Ghouls, or some other irradiated horror. By crippling their legs they can't run away, cripple their arms to make them drop their weapon, or cripple their head to mess up their vision. There is nothing quite like watching someone get their arms shot off (with all the blood and gore) in slow-mo.

The story is quite compelling, and is set in the Wastelands of Washington D.C. (which have never looked better). There are side quests aplenty, and the storyline will take several twists and turns along the way. The side quests are particularly interesting as they give you a better look at the world of Fallout, and often don't play out the way you expect them to. There are plenty of moral choices to make, which will affect your Karma rating. But whether you're a Saint or a Sinner, you will find plenty of difficult choices throughout the game.

The graphics are very nice and portray a beautifully ruined world just seeping with radiation. The characters look decent although the animations can sometimes be wonky. As long as you play in the first person perspective, it won't bother you too much. The audio is an area where Bethesda really did their work. While the voice actors are quite good (a lot of familiar voices from Oblivion), the music is what will stick with you. The world of Fallout is sort of stuck in the 1950's and the music on GNR radio will reflect that. While I don't know any of the songs by name, or even who performs them. I feel like Bethesda made a really good design choice by including them. It gives the game a very surreal atmosphere when your humming along to a bee bopping tune from yesteryear while blasting Raiders to smithereens in a radioactive wasteland.

Bottom line: if you enjoyed Oblivion, you will probably love this, and will come to find more of the same. But you will stay for the compelling combat, and to explore the strange wastelands of Washington D.C.