Fallout 3 - Buy it

Fallout 3 is a phenomenal game. Although the game came out several months back, i don't think anyone should pass this one by. I purchased the collectors edition on the first day, and was very satisfied.

While the first two games took place in western America, Fallout 3 throws you into Washington D.C. 200 years after the nuclear bombs fell. Bethesda did just about everything right with this game. Graphics, combat, item maintenance, character attributes, storyline, dialogue, and sheer size of this game are just a few things that come to mind when considering what aspects of this game are stinking awesome.

This game looks beautiful. The nuclear war torn landscape pleases the eyes and creates a feeling of unmatched depth. The stunning graphics contained in this game enhance the whole Fallout experience, especially when it comes to destroying your many, many foes in the wasteland.

The combat system was very well designed in Fallout 3. It feels like a solid first person shooter, but with the addition of V.A.T.S. (Vault Assisted Targeting System), it enhances the experience exponentially. While in the V.A.T.S mode, time stops and you can then strategically select a certain body part of your foe that you wish to do damage to. Although i am slightly dissappointed that you cannot target the crotch of Super Mutants and other enemies like you could in the first two games, i think i can get over it. Using the V.A.T.S. will save ammo and give you a fuzzy little warm feeling in the depths of your heart when you score a critical hit and blow the selected body part off of your enemy in an amazing cinematic mini cut-scene. But you must use this system wisely, because a certain number of action points are deducted each time. But fret not, because if you do use all of your action points, you can always just shoot them in real time while your valuable A.P. regenerate. And just as it should be, with each subsequent shot of your firearm, and with each hit you take, your weapons and apparel take damage and slowly breakdown. So in order to keep them in tip-top shape, you must find the same type of weapon or piece of apparel to repair the item properly.

The story in this game is similar to the first two Fallout games, but has it's own distinct feeling and gets you interested right away with what's going on in the wasteland. The dialogue and character interaction is basically identical to The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion. As with Oblivion, the voice acting is top notch and definitely adds to the depth of the Fallout experience and the enjoyment of playing the game. You could easily spend upwards of 30 hours exclusively doing side missions, exploring what look to be abandoned buildings, and blowing the heads off of your foes. This game is nearly perfect.

But unfortunately it does not reach total perfection. The difficulty of the game could definitely be more challenging. You level up a little too often to feel a real sense of accomplishment, and the gaining of a perk at every level, although nice, certainly does not equal the amount of excitement gained in the first two games when you acquired a perk at every third level. Another thing that annoyed me is the level 20 maximum. Although that will soon be changed with the Broken Steel downloadable content, it lowers your desire to kill enemies after you reach 20 because no experience points are gained.

But please do not let the details i just pointed out deter you from buying this game. This is an incredible game with a staggeriing amount of depth and satisfaction that you definitely do not want to pass up. I also suggest you play the first two Fallout games, although they are radically different from Fallout 3, they are amazing and challenging games that were and still are incredible. So go buy all three games right now and prepare to spend several months playing through them and enjoying every minute of it. Snee ya.