Fallout 3 Review

Leading up to the release of Fallout 3, there were many people that questioned the decision that the latest entry in the franchise was abandoning the traditional isometric viewpoint for the new first-person look.  On top of that, the change in developer from Interplay (legendary creators of Fallout and Fallout 2) to Bethesda brought some concern.  Let me be the first of many to say that we had nothing to worry about.  Bethesda has done a phenomenal job of taking up this franchise and making it so much more than Elder Scrolls – Oblivion with radiation and rifles.  Fallout 3 is not just the latest entry in this series, but truly the spiritual successor.  For those that loved the earlier games, you will feel right at home in this fully-realized radioactive wasteland. 

The game does an excellent job of easing you into the story (and control scheme) literally from the moment of your character

Graphically the game is absolutely stunning, and does an excellent job of showing off the power of the PS3.  For those of you familiar with the Elder Scrolls series, the style of graphics will be instantly recognizable.  The smooth transition from day to night, the terrain, objects, and people you encounter

With talents such as Ron Perlman, Liam Neeson, and Malcolm McDowell, it is no surprise that the voice acting in Fallout 3 is top-notch and adds immeasurably to the game experience.  Ambient sound fits the mood well, and never intrudes on the game, only enhances it.  The radio stations that you receive are enjoyable, and actually change as you interact with the world and progress through the story. The radio gives you additional hints on where you should go next, or even what your reputation is becoming in the world.

Overall, the sound quality is amazing, and you will be rewarded if you have a full surround sound system with subwoofer.  The first time you hear the whoosh of a missile flying by you will send a shiver of fear up your spine, and the boom when it hits its target just immerses you in the game that much more.

When Bethesda first announced that they were making a first-person shooter/RPG out of Fallout 3, there were many puzzled looks going around.  How can you possibly combine these elements, along with the turn-based nature of the previous Fallout titles, and have it make sense?  Needless to say, Fallout 3 combines all of them in a nearly flawless manner, making this title uniquely enjoyable to play. 

One of the highlights of the controls is the VATS system.  The Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System, or VATS, allows you to freeze combat to target specific body parts on your enemies.  This adds a strategic component to every fight, as different enemies will have different weaknesses.  For example, shooting out the control module on a robot will make it go crazy and attack anything around it.  If attacked by the aforementioned missile-toting mutants, you can target the missile launcher and attempt to eliminate it from the fight.  Just beware, if you want to use that missile launcher after you defeat the mutants you

Fallout 3 is first and foremost an RPG, and as such conforms to the traditions of the genre.  You get experience points for killing things and completing quests, you

My biggest pet peeve about the PS3 is the hit and miss nature in what games have trophies and what games do not.  I