Fallout 3 : Is it True Napalm Tastes Like Rainbows?
Fallout 3 is an engrossing and amazing tale set in a post-apocalyptic Washington, DC, during the year 2277. The game takes place 36 years after Fallout 2 and 200 years after a world war ending in a nuclear holocaust. After being born and raised as a resident of Vault 101, you awaken at the age of 19 to find that your father has left the vault for unknown reasons. You begin your journey searching for your father through the Capital Wastelands to find to find the truth about why he left.
I was a little hesitant to play this game at first. I liked the first two but for some reason, this one really was not pulling me in. One day I decided to play it because I desperately needed something new to play. Right from the start of this game, I could see why it is so special. It was like playing Knights of the Old Republic or Mass Effect for the first time. You get that feeling of being a kid again, anticipating each moment or is that just me?
This is a very vast and open-ended game making for long gameplay. You will spend a lot of time walking at first. I believe Bethesda did this so you could see all the different areas, landmarks, detail and time that they put into this game.
I know what you are thinking; "what can they do with a place devastated by nuclear destruction?"
They are able to give you the feeling of being in a bleak and tough world. I am not saying everything is perfect; there are some areas that reuse graphics. All the same, they were able to make most of it convincing.
The game is full of different characters and creatures with whom you can interact. You will find that quite a few of them tend to have the same voiceovers; every super mutant has the same one but as you know, they can only use so many voice actors. There are different types of super mutants, ghouls, giant insects, raiders, slavers and other factions and groups that keep things interesting.
The story throughout is wonderful, original, fun and at times intriguing. It takes you in many directions by not knowing where the main plot is going to take you. There are quite a few missions to the story plus side missions that will keep you busy for hours on end. I suggest that you do the side missions as well; you never know what you will find.
Character creation and attributes
The way that you begin character creation is very interesting concept and completely original. You start the game right at birth and this is where you decide the name, sex and look of your character. Will you be male or female? What features will your character have? You can choose everything from your hairstyle to hair color, pigment, eye color to eye shape, and much more.
Building your characters attributes is an important part of the game. These attributes give you special abilities, like lock picking, medicine, explosives, sneak, large guns, etc. There are so many options that at times you are not sure which direction to take your character. However, that is okay because part of the game is exploring the different types of characters you can create.
Choices shape who you are
Throughout the game, you are faced with many decisions. You can go in several directions with every given situation. Will you:
- Do the right thing?
- Be a selfish jerk?
- Cause havoc and just do all out carnage?
The choice is yours; you have the freedom to do whatever you want. This is one aspect of the game that makes things interesting.
One thing to remember is that the decisions and actions you make effect your overall karma. Karma affects your characters status in the world. Every faction and group perceives and treats you differently depending on the choices you have made.
For example, if you are aligned more on the good side, Talon Company will attack and ambush you or if you are aligned with being bad, the Regulators will attack and ambush you.
Sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll
Weapons
There are many weapon types to use in the game. Everything from melee, shotguns, pistols, automatic, energy and explosives, will be at your disposal. Another option is to create your own weaponry; all you need is various schematics found in certain areas. To make these weapons you also have to find the parts and use a workbench. I must say, they are very cool. Weapons also degrade with each use but you can pay to get them repaired or repair them yourself if you have the skill.
Armor
As with weapons, there are many different armor types. Armor can range from clothing to the ultimate, power-armor types. Some armors are better than others depending on the attributes. I suggest getting the best you can get; having good protection will really help. Especially, if your reaction time is slower. Armor degrades over time and by how much damage you take but you can pay to get them repaired or repair them yourself if you have the skill.
V.A.T.S.
Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System, or V.A.T.S., is great for combat. This gives you the ability to pause time and select individual body parts of an enemy, which will ultimately lead to its gruesome death. Using this, you can blow off limbs, shoot a weapon out of an enemies hands or (this is my personal favorite) aim for the head to decapitate some poor soul. This system is kind of like turn-based but it happens in real-time.
VATS takes action points to use and depending on the weapon, points are taken away faster. Using VATS does not always kill some of the harder super mutants, ghouls, slavers or raiders but you can inflict enough damage that will make them easier to take out. One thing that makes a difference with how well VATS works is what difficulty level you play on. The higher the difficulty, the less damage you do.
Health Food and Drugs
You lose health by taking damage during combat, falling, or by accidental injury. To heal all you need to do is find a bed to sleep in, use stimpacks/drugs, or eat food and drink. There are drawbacks to using drugs, eating and drinking.
You can become addicted to drugs; the only cure is to find a doctor. Eating and drinking causes radiation poisoning and the only cure to that is to take anti-radiation drugs. Both have negative reactions to certain attributes and can blur your vision.
Accessibility
In terms of accessibility, one thing that stands out the most in this game is the Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System. As I said, VATS gives you the ability to pause time and select individual body parts of an enemy. Some say that this feature makes the game somewhat easy but for people with slower reaction times or need help, it makes playing much more enjoyable. One-handed gamers and mobility impaired will want to approach this game with caution. The use of voice software to assist your gameplay is highly recommended.
A word of warning to deaf gamers: While this game is mostly sub-titled, there are parts of the game with dialogue that has no sub-titles what so ever. While most of it is random banter and ambient noise, some of the non-subtitled information is extremely important to understanding parts of the game. Bethesda really needs to address this issue and fix the problem.
The highlights
The Good
- Complete freedom
- you can go wherever and do whatever you want; missions can be completed in a variety of fun ways.
- VATS combat system
- Great accessibility combat option; results in cool gruesome deaths.
- Graphics
- Helps create a very realistic post-apocalyptic DC; landscapes are great looking; atmosphere is bleak and fascinating
- Downloadable Content
- Adds new mission to the game
The Bad
- Graphics
- Character models could be better
- Camera has some issues at times
- Story
- Ending needs help, could be improved
The biggest complaint that I had was with the ending, it is less than desirable. To be fair, this seems to be an ongoing problem in most games today, an epidemic you might say. Ultimately, the beginning and right up to the end is very satisfying. I do not want to spoil anything because
Fallout 3 is one of the best RPGs to date. It is a thoroughly enjoyable game despite its few flaws. This game may very well set the standards for how an RPG should be structured. Allowing the player to decide the outcome adds an extra dimension to the immersive environment of an already fantastic storyline. Fallout 3 is an absolute must play!
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