It’s the Fourth of July, so you know what that means lads? We’re gonna review a Fallout game! What do you mean UpIsNotJump had an intro like this!? Great guy though. In all seriousness, Fallout is a franchise I’m quite fond of despite not being a longtime veteran. I remember putting a hefty amount of time into Fallout 4, because it was one of the first few video games I played when I started diving deeper into the gaming landscape. It was popular at the time, and there was nothing quite like it. The setting, the atmosphere, the history, and the many places I stopped by during my travels. Fallout 4 was amazing for the time I played it. A lot has changed since then and I started to notice the many crippling flaws that made it worse than I remember, but I do think it’s an acceptable game and that any casual gamer could enjoy it. The older titles on the other hand are a very special case. The first two Fallout games from the 1990s are considered two of the best classic RPGs ever made. With incredible writing and game design techniques that rewarded players for overcoming hardships, forging unique playstyles, and solving problems without being held by the hand. The difficulty of these older Fallout titles were partly due to the fact technology was limited at the time and developers didn’t prioritize tutorials unlike modern games. However, the first two Fallout games had their audience. A specific niche who would discuss the best way to beat the game and how to help newcomers get in more easily.
Black Isle Studios, the original developers for Fallout, were a team who deeply cared about what they were doing. They didn’t want to just make a game. They wanted to make an experience that critiqued political themes, specifically americanism and capitalism, and got the player to rethink their beliefs. They planned to make Fallout a trilogy, but unfortunately for them the studio went bankrupt and they had to cancel development on the third game. Fallout was never heard from again and the original two games would be forgotten. Much like a dead wasteland wanderer, the Fallout series would be left to be swept away by the dust. Until there’s nothing left but bones and the scraps of clothing from their back. I was trying to remember the game over scene for the first game right there. Anyways, an angel came down from the sky in the form of Todd Howard. He and his company Bethesda decided to buy the rights to the Fallout series and make a new game that would adapt the classic RPG formula into a modern format. The Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 were the hot new next generation consoles at the time, and Bethesda wanted to demonstrate what they could do. They did so two years ago with The Elder Scrolls VI: Oblivion, and they were about to do it again with what is probably one of their most praised games besides Skyrim. That game was Fallout 3 and for the time it was considered revolutionary. A game that managed to attract all sorts of players, more so than the original two, and show how big of a game you can make with the technology available. Fallout 3 was a big open world the player could freely explore. It wasn’t the first open world game, but it was an impressive one.
Fallout 3 is considered the entry point for a lot of hardcore fans. Most of the people I know who have played Fallout 3 have played it during its time off and have fond memories growing up with it. Fallout 3 was also more accessible than the first two games and appeased a more casual audience, so it explains why it raked in more fans. Fallout 3 is great and I’ve been meaning to play the game for a really long time now. In fact, I bought a copy of the game all the way back in 2020 and it’s been sitting on my shelf collecting dust. However, there were a lot of things that held me back from playing it. When I asked people if Fallout 3 aged well or not there seemed to be a huge divide. You have people who enjoyed it and those who loathed it. People who enjoy the simplified approach Bethesda, and those who consider it a step back from previous entries. Those who think the game plays well, and those who think it’s a giant mess. I could go on and on, but I think you get the point. Fallout 3 is divisive when it comes to the question of, “Did it age well?” I was actually afraid when considering covering this game, because I have two groups of people I could appease and one will obviously get ticked off if I say the wrong things. I then sucked up the courage to go and form my own opinion through experience. Fallout 3… is pretty good. I actually really love the game and had a blast venturing across the Capital Wasteland. I will admit though that a majority of the criticism now aimed at Fallout 3 are valid. The combat, the story, the RPG elements, quest design, and how a certain gambling follow-up would improve in almost every area immensely. Still, I like this game and I want to share some of my honest thoughts about it. Now then, let’s see how good Fallout 3 is 15 years later.
Story
In the year 2077, the world was ravaged by nuclear warfare. Political tensions were high and the great nation you lived in decided to declare war on the east. Civilians clenched their loved ones tightly as the burning smoke took them all, but there were those who managed to take shelter during the dropping of the bombs. Thanks to a government funded company known simply as Vault-Tec, several underground vaults were built across the United States in case of the Fallout. People would flee to those vaults when the time came, and for the next two hundred years they would live down there. Maintaining order so that when the radiation on the surface cleared up they could emerge. Rebuild society in an American fashion, but even in a new world there are conflicts. Raider, gangs, and factions who dare to challenge the ways of the old world. Thus a new war must be fought to see who shall rightfully control the new world. War is unchangeable. War, war never changes. You are one of many vault dwellers. You’ve lived in Vault 101 for your entire life. From conception all the way to young adulthood. Your father was one of the few head scientists at the vault, and he was there to guide you during each step of your life. From teaching you how to walk, play games, learn how to fire a gun, and celebrate each of your birthdays. Your father wanted to make you feel happy, even though you were surrounded by the same cluttered steel walls everyday. Still, you always wondered what the world was like outside the vault.
That day would eventually come. By the age of 19 you would take a test, the G.O.A.T, and see who you would be for the rest of your life. A scientist like your father, a leader, a guard, etc. This would confine you to the vicinity of the vault, but a catastrophic event forces you to leave. Your father decided to leave the vault. Opening the seal keeping everyone within and venturing out. The overseer went mad and radroaches started to flood the vault. Everything went into chaos and the overseer ordered all the guards to bring him your head. Luckily, your childhood friend Amata helped you escape and you left your old home behind. You step outside for the first time in your life to see what remains of Washington D.C, the Capital Wasteland. You see the ruins of what is left of the old world, and all you can wonder is “What of the world now?” You eventually make it to a small town named Megaton and start asking the locals if they have seen your father. One of them does mention him and this leads to our main journey. Trace the footprints of your father, find him, and discover why he decided to leave Vault 101. Your adventure is going to be a little more complex, as what your father is planning to do might change the entire wasteland.
Gameplay
Fallout 3 is an open world survival RPG where you explore, scavenge, and do quests that either give you the supplies you need or help progress the main story. The world is big and once you exit Vault 101 you can technically go anywhere. There are certain limitations like areas not being accessible unless you journey underground, and the game does its best to navigate the player to Megaton as soon as possible. Still, there is a considerable amount of freedom to where you can go and what you can do at any time. You may find some ruins in the distance and want to search them for any resources you could use. See an encampment of enemies and attempt to clear them out for what they have. Maybe you’ll even see a township and try to solve whatever problems they could have. Your choice, your freedom. Quests are fairly designed. Person gives you a task, goes to a specific place, does something, fights some enemies, comes back, and gets an award. A simple and somewhat predictable quest design structure, but it works well enough. You can meet a slew of characters and factions throughout the game, and how their stories end will depend on what you do. Will you bring peace to everywhere you, or will you be the most evil son of bitch the wasteland has seen. Your choice, your freedom. The core staples of what makes Fallout what it is lingers here, but we’ll talk more later on how I think Fallout 3 handles this.
So you run around the world, loot things, and occasionally you’ll have to fight enemies. That be the many raiders wandering about, Super Mutants, wild animals, robots, and many more. There are a variety of guns to use, but each uses a specific ammo type. Some are harder to come across than others, so you’ll have to use what is best for the specific scenario or consider what you want to spare or use. You can modify weapons to give them different traits, but it’s either they are very expensive or are hard to come by. I only encountered one suppressed 10mm pistol during my 12 hour playthrough of the game. Weapons also have conditioning, otherwise durability in simpler terms. When the conditioning runs out then the weapon breaks and you will no longer be able to use it during combat. Forcing you to swap it out for another weapon, replace it, or repair it. I like this mechanic, because it forces you to swap between your different tools. It forces you to loot weapons more often from foes, and at least durability doesn’t go down drastically quick which gives you the time to repair them. Consider whether you waste the caps now so you can keep using a gun you like, or save them up because you have enough durability left. One of the huge features Fallout 3 added to the franchise was V.A.T.S. At any time during a battle you can freeze time to trigger V.A.T.S. It allows you to target specific parts of an enemy’s body, and directly shoot at it with a percent chance of missing or hitting. Using V.A.T.S consumes AP, which is basically an energy meter. V.A.T.S adds this sorta turn-based element to the game. You can fight in real time, but it can be tricky especially with enemies with specific weaknesses or are in large groups. V.A.T.S allows you to plan attacks more accordingly or defuse a difficult situation. Like you could shoot an enemy in the head to deal critical damage. Cripple their legs, stun their arms to decrease their accuracy with weapons, or even knock the weapon straight out of their hands. It's one of the core mechanics they carried over for future games.
If you are low on health you can use Stimpaks or one of the many food items you pick up across the game. There are also drugs you can bust out to grant certain attribute raising effects, but if you take too many drugs you gain drug addiction. This can be cured by visiting a doctor, but will cost a good amount of caps. Speaking of caps, those are the main currency of the game. They are used to pay for things and barter when given the chance. They are kind of the reason why you should do side quests, because early on you have no caps and trying to scavenge for a ton is quite hard. If not, you can always sell valuable objects you loot to merchants. However, you have a carrying capacity and if you exceed the capacity then you walk slowly and can’t fast travel. God, there’s so much stuff to talk about when it comes to Fallout 3. Radiation poisoning increases whenever you enter a radioactive area. The karma system and how your actions either raise it or lower it. The many companions you can pick up and how they can assist you during your travels. Might as well finish off with the leveling system. If you gain enough experience points you level up. You get to put twenty points into the many stats of Fallout 3, and are given the choice of a perk. Stats will affect one of many categories. Your ability to lockpick, sneak, hack terminals, heal yourself, barter, efficiency with big or small guns, melee combat, win in speech checks, and much more. Increasing these stats allow you to either succeed more or gain access to things you would normally not be able to do. They may even open up different ways to solve problems. The perks on the other hand are special traits you can give to your character, or maybe stat boosts. Either way be careful what you invest into, because you don’t want to be lacking in something you might need in the future. Enough about summarizing the gameplay, what are my thoughts? What do I think of Fallout 3 and what are my main critical takeaways? Well…..
Thoughts
In all honesty, Fallout 3 was a game I really enjoyed. I don’t think it’s perfect, because there are a considerable number of areas where the game has aged poorly. A lot of rough edges which hold the game back from being a timeless classic. Yet, despite its flaws I loved and found it to be more than just the sum of its parts. A confident enough open world survival RPG that would set up the formula for future Fallout entries. The thing I love most about Fallout 3 is the sense of freedom and exploration. You can go anywhere in the world once you exit Vault 101, and there are quite a few interesting locations to come across. There are a plethora of difficult foes to face and all of which will tear you to shreds, but if they trouble you too much you can just come back when you have better weaponry. The setting is masterful and the atmosphere is top notch. The Fallout series is known for being mostly quiet at times. The only music you’ll hear are ambient tracks as you slowly navigate across the wasteland. Music that’s soft enough to make you at ease, but unnerved for when you hear something else. Gunshots in the distance, possibly from raiders or Super Mutants. The rattling of a Radscorpian, the scurrying of a dog, and much more. You could just pop on the radio and listen to an old world tune. Be reminded of the prosperity that came before, but it’s not that easy. You are surrounded by death and decay everywhere you go, and all you can feel is loneliness. You’re just a tiny speck in a mad world, and all you can do is pray you’ll live to see the next day. The main character is referred to as The Lone Wanderer, and no better title for a protagonist. You are a loner, and you have to learn to take care of yourself now that your father is gone. Set your own path, your own journey, and decide what is best. I specifically like the main menu theme to Fallout 3. It’s epic, but there’s a sense of forbidding to it. That what you are about to step into is not going to be a lighthearted experience. No, not at all.
Graphically the game has not aged well at all. Character models look weird, textures are off, and the game has terrible lighting. I hate how everything in this game is the color gray, brown, green, or uses some shade of it. To be fair, it’s a wasteland and everything full of life has been blasted away. Plus the hardware of consoles was limited at the time, and trying to program a large colorful playspace on the Xbox 360 was hard without crashing the system. Still, future entries like New Vegas and Fallout 4 would have a more distinct setting and locales because they varied in color. However, there are some really cool locations to stumble across and the world itself is impressive. Sometimes I just look out into the environment and say to myself, “They made this in 2008.” Okay, now we move onto some of the more critical aspects of Fallout 3. The RPG mechanics are a pretty confident attempt at adapting the classic Fallout formula for a modern audience. A lot of people complain that the RPG stuff in Fallout 3 is shallow. That you never really feel rewarded for pouring points into certain stat categories and lose motivation to forge special builds. Compare that to New Vegas where literally anything outside of Speech, which is the stat usually used in conversations, can help you in debates or offer alternative solutions to quests. Yes, those complaints are valid but I did find myself enjoying it nonetheless. Leveling up and trying to distribute points among all the stat categories equally. Making sure I wasn’t lacking in a certain one just in case I needed it. I wasn’t specializing in specific builds so I wouldn’t struggle in the early game, but I was still being thoughtful over what I wanted to invest in.
A lot of players also complain Fallout 3 doesn’t have the moral choices and consequences New Vegas has. That is another valid point of criticism, but what this game taught me is that not every choice has to be a moral dilemma. It still has that Fallout sense of solving a single problem in multiple ways. For example, there’s a quest later on where you have to go into Paradise Falls to rescue some enslaved kids. You could pay your way into Paradise Falls, but it’s a hefty price. You could go on another quest and enslave four people to gain entrance. Once you do get in you have to figure out how free the kids are. You could pay more caps, but most likely you just blew them to get into the town. You could hack a terminal nearby, but that requires a high investment into the Science stat. You could just shoot the slavers up though! You gain good karma for doing so and you get to free all the slaves besides the kids, but there’s like a ton of them and if you are under equipped you might have a difficult time. There’s even an eviler option where you tell them there is an entire town of kids that could be enslaved. Oh yeah, by the way the reason why I went on this quest was because I needed to gain access to a town of kids so I could gain passage to Vault 87 which I needed to go into to progress the main story. Fallout 3 doesn’t have the sense of choice an immersive-sim has, but it does have a considerable amount of choices. I liked most of the side quests I went on, because they gave me more reasons to explore the world and try to raise my good karma up as much as possible. I know I’ve gone on rants in the past on what a good moral choice is in games, but sometimes all you need is a fun adventure where small steps lead to good deeds. Another complaint players have deals with the difficulty scaling. If you don’t know, Fallout 3 scales the difficulty of enemies with what level the player is at. If the player enters an earlier area of the game at a high level then the difficulty of enemies is increased to match the same level. However, it does mean nothing in Fallout 3 is too hard or too easy. Yet, with the amount of freedom Fallout 3 provides to go anywhere at any time I can see why they did this. In New Vegas they didn’t use level scaling, because the developers had a set path the player wanted to follow and not run into late game factions so early. In my defense, I still found myself being challenged by the game. It wasn’t hard, but the right amount.
Speaking of combat, it’s probably my only big gripe with Fallout 3. Gunplay is great and every single weapon feels satisfying to use, but fighting enemies is not fun. You can be aiming directly at the chest of a Super Mutant and a good chunk of the bullets you fire miss. It also sucks that Fallout 3 doesn’t have iron sights like future entries, and your character does this crappy zoom instead of showing you where your gun is exactly pointing. At some point I just started to rely heavily on V.A.T.S, because despite bobbing in out of enemy fire and creating a much slower approach it turned out to be a more viable playstyle. It sucks that the combat is like this, because every other idea surrounding it works. Ammo is hard to come by or expensive, so you have to make every single bullet count and aim for the enemy’s weak spot. You can cripple foes if you shoot them enough times, and you may want to prioritize certain foes depending on what guns they bring or the terrain. Consider when to heal or when to bust out scenario specific meds. The combat has everything it needs to work, but it’s just so sloppily put together. I can get over this fact though, because Fallout was never mainly focused around combat. No, if you want then go play Fallout 4, because it took RPG mechanics and meaningful choices and threw them out the window. The final thing I want to touch on is the story, the most divisive part of Fallout 3.
I think the story of Fallout 3 is good, okay? Yes, there are problems! A good portion of the story feels more centered around your dad than you, the Enclave feels somewhat shoehorned in later on, and then the biggest criticism of them all is how the game ended. All of this is valid, but honestly I don’t really care. I enjoyed the story of Fallout 3, because it just got more epic over time and I loved where it took me next. Learning what your father was doing when he left, and the big project he poured his life into. How he wanted to do something honorable before he died, and hope that you would do the same thing. Witnessing him make a brave sacrifice to protect you. Rallying up the troops to save his work. Fighting back against the Enclave and hoping by winning you can make his life’s work worth it. Sacrificing yourself much like your father to preserve his work. Being remembered as a hero and establishing the legacy of your family. The wife of a brilliant mind, the brilliant mind who planned to save the world, and the wanderer who braved the ferocity of the world and stood tall till the end. I don’t think the ending is half bad to be honest with you. The people who are acting like it’s the worst thing in the world are kinda overreacting in my opinion. I think it's a fitting end for everything you just went through. So what’s my final verdict for Fallout 3? It’s rough at times, but in the end I give Fallout 3 a 9/10 for excellence at best. Not everyone is going to like this game especially now in 2023, but I thought what it did well was done extremely well. I strongly recommend this game nonetheless.
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