I played this in anticipation of Beyond Good and Evil 2, but I have had this game in my backlog for far longer. And what a mistake that was. Beyond Good and Evil is a special kind of game, it involves puzzle solving, stealth, photography, combat, and a great story with a great soundtrack. This game oozes charm, a trait common to some of my absolute favorites. From the character design to the music to the world design, I just feel happy when playing it. A must buy for anyone looking to play a real gem that went under many people's radar, like Psychonauts.
Fallout 3 is the third game in the Fallout main series of RPGs, and the first produced by Bethesda. Fans of 1, 2, and New Vegas will probably find the role playing slightly disappointing, the morality too black and white, the story poor, and the writing bad, but 3 brings something else to the table that only it and 4 have focused on. Exploration. Exploration is at the heart of Fallout 3, and while Fallout 1, 2, and New Vegas focused on role playing, choices with consequences, and memorable side quests and characters, 3 brings the Elder Scrolls into the Fallout series with a world filled with dungeons and loot to find, all in a semi-horror package. Fallout 3 is the spookiest of the series, and while it is no true horror game, some things can be genuinly creepy. Fallout 3 does have missteps however, for instance, the atmosphere was an attempt at combining the seriousness of 1 with the campyness of 2, but instead Bethesda created an atmosphere of depression and absurdity, and thus I cannot help but feel like it isn't quite Fallout. The goofy 50s aesthetics are there, and the retrofuturism, the Super Mutants, the Deathclaws, the Brotherhood of Steel, the Enclave, and so forth, but I cannot shake the feeling that this is nothing more than a remix of 1 and 2 with a heavy dose of depression and Elder Scrolls. In conclusion, this is a good game, and a decent Fallout game. It stands as not being the worst in the series, a title reserved for 4, but it isn't the best either. Worth a purchase for the mods, however, which can give 3 new life as a true horror post-apocalyptic survival simulator instead of the Oblivion with guns that we got. 3/5, would give 3.5/5 if I could but sadly I cannot with this system. 7/10.
As a fan of the series and someone who has played each title(even 4, and I don't even like 4) multiple times, my favorite is by far New Vegas, with 2 close behind and 1 close behind 2. Player choice matters in this game, and it matters a lot. Your choices will affect who you can be companions with, the quests you can do, and more. The writing is astounding, especially in the DLC. Speaking of the DLC, the best in the series can be found here. Personally, Dead Money is my favorite part of the entire series, even above the conversation with the Master in 1. Fallout: New Vegas successfully transfered the values from the originals to the 3D environment, something I cannot say Bethesda has been able to do yet, and likely won't ever. If you have never played this game, and are looking for a true RPG to spend hundreds of hours in, look no further. Finally, the mod scene deserves a bit of a mention, as it can be important in deciding if you want to invest in this already cheap game. It absolutely rocks, with some of the best mods for any game ever. I recommend the someguy2000 series, but only after you have played one or two playthroughs first. Have fun with this game, I know I will only continue to.
As a fan of the series and someone who has played each title(even 4, and I don't even like 4) multiple times, my favorite is by far New Vegas, with 2 close behind and 1 close behind 2. Player choice matters in this game, and it matters a lot. Your choices will affect who you can be companions with, the quests you can do, and more. The writing is astounding, especially in the DLC. Speaking of the DLC, the best in the series can be found here. Personally, Dead Money is my favorite part of the entire series, even above the conversation with the Master in 1. Fallout: New Vegas successfully transfered the values from the originals to the 3D environment, something I cannot say Bethesda has been able to do yet, and likely won't ever. If you have never played this game, and are looking for a true RPG to spend hundreds of hours in, look no further. Finally, the mod scene deserves a bit of a mention, as it can be important in deciding if you want to invest in this already cheap game. It absolutely rocks, with some of the best mods for any game ever. I recommend the someguy2000 series, but only after you have played one or two playthroughs first. Have fun with this game, I know I will only continue to.
