First Impressions: Fallout 3

by: John - posted: 10/28/2008 1:30:00 PM

Is Fallout 3 all you could hope for in a sequel to one of the most beloved franchises in the RPG world? So far it’s pretty darn close. After the first few hours, it was hard to put down the controller just so I could write these quick impressions of the game. Playing on the Xbox 360, the graphics are beautiful and the outdoor area is exquisitely detailed. That’s not to say that the Vault doesn’t have a certain charm on its own but stays in the Vault for their entire lives?

Moving to a first or third person RPG action game, the series still retains its roots. The style is exactly the same as it was in the original two only in a 3D world. The music and propaganda radio stations enhance the feeling of being in the post-apocalyptic environment. V.A.T.S. works really well in combat allowing you to target certain parts of the creature and watch the outcome of your actions. You can try to run and gun but V.A.T.S. will make your life easier and the gruesome outcomes are a joy to watch.

There’s plenty of nice little side missions to get you some experience and some money. I actually picked up a nice little perk accomplishing one and so far the missions are pretty fun. I haven’t gotten the go to this place and kill this person for me type of mission which is nice. Not that I’m opposed to those types of missions but it’s a nice change to do other things besides the assassination or escort missions.

Voice work in the game is top notch and you’ll definitely be talking to a lot of folks. It’s an RPG so gathering information through various conversations is essential. What’s cool is that depending on your stats and even your gender, you’ll get some different choices for some folks. If you plan on replaying the game and you’ll want to if you want to see more of the world after you finish the game the first time, there are some nice variety to these interactions to make the second or third encounter a little different.

So far, Fallout 3 is living up to my high expectations and it’s really hard to stop playing for the night. The story is unraveling slowly and like a good novel, I don’t want to put it down. I know that once I am done, there will still be plenty of areas left to explore so I can see myself revisiting the Washington D.C. again. Look for a full review of Fallout 3 soon.