Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition

I tried to play Fallout 3 a dozen times since it came out, but just like Skyrim, it felt empty and emotionless so I never really got into it. New Vegas is one of my most favourite games of all time though so I decided to try and play Fallout 3 with TTW mod and let me tell you, I enjoy it as much as I enjoy Fallout New Vegas. If you can, that is the way to play it in 2023.

I do have mixed feelings towards Fallout 3, for multiple reasons; I find it quite repetitive, with a lot of time spent crawling through dozens of samey-looking dilapidated ruins (damn DC tunnels...); it often feels like it’s trying too hard to mimic the vibe of the OG Fallout games, nailing it only on occasion; it’s janky in many regards, notably when it comes to the combat - although it’s better than previous FO and Bethesda titles, which is not saying much; and while it’s not the devs’ buggiest, it has enough technical issues to make you wonder if it was coded by orangutans. Of the multiple Bethesda games I’ve played so far, it’s probably my least favorite: it doesn’t have Oblivion’s high-quality quests, or Morrowind’s sense of wonder, or Skyrim’s satisfying gameplay loop… But still, it’s a very good experience. The decision to essentially turn the franchise into a post-apocalyptic version of The Elder Scrolls was a good one, and for all its awkwardness this game has more than enough satisfying elements to keep you hooked. Yes, the gunplay isn’t very good, but pulverizing people in VATS never gets old. Yes, a lot of “dungeons” are here as padding, but much of the open world retains a great sense of wonder and exploration. And yes, the writing isn’t the best in the FO series, but the quests, characters and locations are quirky enough to remain intriguing. In fact, the atmosphere rules: as a proud relic of the “dirty toilet filter” era of gaming (remember when every realistic game had to be covered in gray, brown, teal, or yellow?), FO3 does a stellar job of immersing you in the bizarre, decayed uchronian world that is the trademark of the series. In the end, it is a flawed title and there are better alternatives to it out there, but it’s better than the sum of its parts and has its fans for good reasons. It’s a game of vibes, a game that for all its faults succeeds at putting you in the shoes of a badass wasteland explorer. It’s worth at least a playthrough.

I've had so many good experiences with Fallout 3. The game is great, you can go anywhere and do anything. Even break storylines with your bad decisions! It's one of those games that you want to play at least twice to see what would happen if I was really nice and then if I was really bad. It changes a lot! It's a great mix of shooting action, RPG in turns and a story driven dialogue game. The DLCs are some of the best part of the game, so even if you think the game was good not great, there are greater things after the end credits. I wanted to buy it again because my disc got lost after so many years, but the Steam version is broken. BUT here on GOG the game worked PERFECTLY. No patch. No messing around. Install and done. GOG always doing a great job keeping older games running even when Bethesda doesn't anymore.

Have launcher pinned to desktop so it GOG doesn't display time. In reality, I have a couple hundred hours on this game. I absolutley love this game. Even thought there isn't a lot of choice, the game does a great job of making it feel so open, the atmosphere is great, this game does so much well. In reality, Point Lookout is the only good DLC but I enjoy all of them. Great game and is definetley worth your time.

I have a soft spot for Fallout 3. It was my first Bethesda game, what got me into modding along with Dragon Age: Origins and, honestly, their best world to date. Sure, the morality system is paper-thin, the main quest is generic and you can tell they tried way too hard to please everyone, bringing back everything from older games rather than trying something new. Still, the Capital Wasteland is great to explore, especially the massive metro system, and the combat is fine for its time. This was the last game before Bethesda went all-in on the awful MMO-style radiant quests. DC feels lived in, featuring memorable locations and side quests without just being a big empty world for the sake of it. It's no masterpiece and still can't compare to Fallout 1 as my favourite in the series, but 3 is enjoyable overall. I haven't played it in many, many years, but now it works right out of the box, too.