Fallout 3 Collector's Edition
by Bethesda
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Video Game Reviews of Fallout 3 Collector's Edition
Customer Review: Dumbed down version of Fallout
Summary: 2 Stars
This is a decent game on its own but it's overhyped in my opinion and nothing like the originals.
There's a lot less role-playing compared to the original Fallouts. (A trend I've noticed with many modern so-called cRPGs)
I know it's an *action*-RPG but it's more of a FPS than a RPG. That's not how Fallout was. (Tactics/BoS doesn't count!)
The buildings, terrain certainly is post-apoc. but the world is way too overpopulated/places are too close to each other.
Anyways, 2 stars because there was too much hype and because Fallout 1 & 2 set the bar really high and I feel Fallout 3 didn't deliver
Customer Review: This game ROCKS
Summary: 5 Stars
VERY good combination of FPS and RPG. Rich well thought out, ironic, and full of humor and action. Customer Review: Lunch Box, Bobblehead, Fireants...Fireants?!?!? Nooooooo!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
For those of us who are RPG fans, few games reached the level of customization as the acclaimed Fallout 2 of yesterday. This game had immersive RPG elements, as well as a targeting system in the turned based attack mode which allowed you to target specific points of contact in your attacks to gain desired effects. Fallout 3 delivers the same features, with even better less linear RPG elements, and an attack targeting system (achieved by pressing 'v') which delivers sometimes breathtaking cinematic attacks in slow motion, and it throws in your standard real time first or third person shooter to boot.
The Fallout series is a unique RPG experience, and a lot of that has to do with the shared RPG system created in the original Fallout. This systems is known as S.P.E.C.I.A.L. The abbreviation stand for Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility, and Luck, which are a few more modifiers than the original RPG, D&D. The system is futher augmented by Skills and Perks. This system is so much more customizable than the original role playing modifiers, its perks and skills have been included in almost every role playing system out today.
Before I go on, let me talk about the V.A.T.S. which stands for Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System. This really brings some enjoyment to the game by allowing you to hone your attacks with great precision. While this system never has to be activated, it can certainly save you ammo. When activated by pressing 'v' this system pauses the game and allow you to select any of the multiple targets attacking you. Then, you can select which area of the target you want to attack, such as going for the head, or trying to cripple an attack arm, or attacking the legs to prevent escape. Each highlight-able section of the target gives you a percentage chance for a successful hit, which helps greatly in the selection process. Really, the system is quite similar to fallout 2, in this regard. Once the highlighted area has been targeted, if you have enough action points available, you may attack the target. This is done in a cinematic slow motion, which can really look great. Sometimes the automatic camera angle which is chosen leaves much to be desired, but overall, the effect is great.
Fallout 3 is set in a rough post apocalyptic universe, which might not be to your tastes. If not, stop right now, this game is not for you. The language is rough, survival is rougher, and the themes are definitely on the adult side. This is really not a game for kids. Body dismemberment is so graphic, it might just haunt you a bit.
Still, this is the post apocalypse, and one could hardly expect it to be run by Walt Disney, even if they unfreeze him. Fallout 3, regardless, provides a bit of tongue in cheek humor, on the radioactive side, which gives some respite from the gritty realism. These nuances are great, and plentiful. Enjoy the dialogue with a little boy who is lost looking for his father, and has been plagued with FIRE ANTS! That's not what his father calls them, but this is all part of the ambience that Fallout 3 is brimming with. Overall, however, the gritty edge gives this game a tense feel, and makes it that much more immersive, even if you battle a few humorous mutations like rad roaches or giant ants.
Overall, this is one of the most compelling offerings of 2008 in my opinion, as this is a true example of a genre bending game. It is shooter/rpg with equal parts of both, and to me this is quite unique and much appreciated.
Don't entirely be put off by the negative reviews about this product. Almost all stem from the inclusion of securom, which is an attempt to prevent unauthorized copying, while at the same time not requiring the entry of a cd key. Some folks don't like this somewhat invasive approach, which only allows so many copies to your hard drive, and it checks to see if certain copy programs are installed before it begins installation. If those programs exist, it will not install to your computer. Some claim that this has the potential to cause damage to your optical drive, but I don't think something like this would happen to any casual user. In fact, I don't see why, other than a complete reformat of your hard drive, why you would need to install the game more than once.
This game is a masterpiece, and a joy to play. I highly recommend this game. Oh, and if you are looking for a way around 'securom' you might try one of the online downloadable game sites to purchase a download off the web. Such games don't use securom since you don't have a disk. But really, game companies have a right to drm, and securom doesn't bother me at all, at least, certainly not the way it is used here.
Like I said, highly recommended.
BTW, the bobble head looks great inside a windowed case, especially if your fans are strong enough to make the head bobble, and the lunch box looks great in the office, if you are into that sort of thing.
Customer Review: DRM total deal buster
Summary: 1 Stars
Dont appreciate being lied to especially by the CEO of a company. Should learn to stick to his word. Never again will I buy something on someones word they wont do something.
Customer Review: A Post-Nuclear Elder Scrolls
Summary: 4 Stars
Straight out of the vault, *Fallout 3* is awesome. Bethesda Softworks mated the Gamebryo engine with Fallout's environment, to birth a squalling mutant beneath the Wasteland sun!
About time too. It's been ten years since *Fallout 2*, the critically-acclaimed king of computer post-nuclear role-playing. And after 40 hours of game-breaking play, I'm ready to report on this latest installment.
---Fallout Never Changes---
Despite pre-release concerns, the spirit of Fallout possess everything. Comedy runs from black satire to silly jokes. Characters strut in Mad Max leather and wield double-barreled shotguns. Our Pip-Boy is present, guiding the player in HUD announcements, or providing permanent stat-boosts in the form of collectible bobble-heads. Even the classic button bleeps are here. An exception: the pop-culture references are present, but considerably more subdued.
*Fallout 3* does not continue the original Vault Dweller story. And like *Fallout Tactics*, story elements have questionable canonicity. Continuity freaks like me may be ruffled by this, but the journey is something to behold.
For *F3* provides what its predecessors could only approximate. One night I found myself blasting mutants in slow motion, gibs flying around the screen, with classic 1940's jazz playing on my Pip-Boy radio. The cheery, upbeat music strikes a perfect contrast with the ruins of civilization and people alike.
---Son of Oblivion---
With the leap to 3D, gameplay is striking. The engine was the weak point of the Fallout series: being flat, distant, and low-res. Whereas I found Bethesda's *Oblivion* to be immersive: from graphics and Radiant AI, to the crafted go-anywhere maps and the piles of physics props you could steal or knock around.
For *Fallout 3*, the developers apply similar mechanics--along with some lessons learned. It still boasts a giant outdoor map, albeit streamlined with fewer "dungeons" or "villages", while debris barriers prevent players from wandering into the tougher neighborhoods too soon. The maps also seem optimized, as objects have longer draw distances and advanced textures without crippling my machine.
You can't enter every building, unlike previous titles, but interiors seem extensive and detailed. I was pleased to board a warship and find yellow battle lanterns set in the bulkheads, just like the real Navy! The Anchorage War Memorial, meanwhile, is a multi-level maze full of monsters and loot. At the same time, Bethesda tried to preserve performance by reducing the amount of prop clutter compared to the last Elder Scrolls.
The NPCs have gotten a face-lift from the rather generic folks in *Oblivion*. Faces offer more expression, with more body language during conversations. Stronger writing and more voice actors diversify the personalities.
Unfortunately, Bethesda sometimes stumbles in the Fallout spirit here. The player's own dialogue is often flat. I have yet to get into a wonderfully silly conversation, like the "Rocket Man" routines with Rensco in *Fallout 2*.
I also notice some cut corners; characters tend to glide across rough ground or up inclines, or get stuck in level geometry. There are no laughing animations to accompany the dialogue.
--The Issue is Control---
Also unfortunately, controls need work:
>My character sometimes seems to bump forward an extra step or two, or move a bit sooner than I expected when pressing keys.
>Like *Oblivion* the game also has some problems with mapping to my Razer Diamondback mouse--I can bring menu screens up, but I have to use the keyboard to close them back down.
>It also needs FPS-style weapon scrolling via the mouse wheel.
Combat itself is a mix of *Oblivion* and *Tactics*. Players can battle real-time in first-person or over-the-shoulder (this time, Bethesda provides a crosshair for third person view). At any time, players can enter Vault Assisted Targeting System, pausing the game for hit-locations. Targeting costs actions points. Your choices play out in a cinematic mode before returning to real-time. Because the enemy tends to glide about, it can be a chore to hit your opponents in real-time, so I often take cover until my points regenerate.
Now, I was surprised when I watched heavy Paladins whipped by raggedy mutants with pop guns. In contrast, the fighter companion I recruited seems overpowering. I'd like to see these friendly and neutral NPCs balanced.
I'd also like to see shield combat and two-weapon fighting. This would add depth and variety, since players could chose between being a heavy weapon fighter, a twin gunner, or a shield fighter.
---Irradiated Dice---
Otherwise, *Fallout 3* is still a role-playing game. The Capital Wastelands are dangerous, and unlike previous games, you can't hire more than one gunslinger at a time to protect you. But you can sneak, hide, and even outmaneuver dangers.
Karma effects your progress, as killers, patrons, and recruiters will seek you based on your actions. Even the radio commentary reflects the results of deeds and misdeeds.
Non-combat skills matter a lot; the player needs to hack computers, break locks, repair weapons, craft equipment, and interrogate characters.
Hacking and lock picking occurs in mini-games, like *Bioshock*, but the UI is more realistic. You have a pick set and a lock you must twist and turn intuitively. The Commodore-like computers use a password decipher game to match correct letters.
As part of the streamlining, Perks and Traits combine. Since the level cap is set at 20, you can pick a Perk every level from the diverse catalog. This helps to refine characters as a Combat Boy, Diplomatic Boy, or Stealth Boy. The SPECIAL attributes system remains, and you cannot level them up through use as in *Oblivion*.
---In the Nuclear Sunset---
Forget all that pre-release apprehension. Nuts to those Internet nerds whining about shooter elements. Whether it's slap-stick humor, a splat of sticky brains, or a stab of HDR lighting in your eyes, *Fallout 3* invigorates the series.
P.S: Due to word count limits, please see the comments section for DRM, system performance, and Collector's Edition review.