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Those of you that have played the previous titles in the series before Bethesda Softworks took the reins will be happy to know that there are plenty of elements and nods to the old series. The Brotherhood of Steel, a band of men and women that are on a mission to restore stability by peaceful means will pop-up in your adventure. Plus, there are a lot of mentions and hints at how previous events in the Fallout universe have affected Fallout 3. The weird retro-pop 50’s pop art is there also, with illustrations showing what to do in case of a Fallout, and helping to convey the dark humor that the dialogue and gameplay is completely soaked with. By talking to non-playable characters (NPCs), you will notice that more than one voice actor does the work for most of the characters. Nevertheless, all the voice acting is done very well, and there is still much more variety than there was in Bethesda’s Oblivion. Talking to them isn’t particularly engaging though, and it is a shame the developers didn’t try to expand on the dialogue systems that were created in Oblivion. The audio is wrapped up with an incredible and varying soundtrack with the brash title theme as a basis for a great soundtrack that revs up during battle, and accompanies you well along your journey. Of course if you don’t like the orchestrated pieces, you can always listen to some of the old 40’s music, with each track kind of summing up a different part of the game, despite being real tracks from the likes of Billy Holiday.
You can play the game through first or third person mode, although the third-person mode can be incredibly awkward and really only gives you a sense of your surroundings. You are guided by your trusty PIP-BOY 3000, a handheld computer that allows you access to your inventory, aid, objectives, world map and more. You prompt it in game, in which case your character raises the device to his face to check it out. Along your journey you will encounter an array of creatures, mutants, and the scoundrels that lurk throughout the land. To get around you typically will journey through old subway tunnels, or the wasteland abroad while on your missions. Mutated moles, flies, dogs, crab people (taste like crab, talk like people?) and worst of all, hulking mutants wielding any weapon you yourself could and will come at you with all they got.
Brotherhood of Steel is for real!
There are all kinds of weapons at your disposal as well. From pistols, rifles, and shotguns, to big ones such as rocket launchers, a flamethrower, and my favorite, the Big Boy handheld nuclear warhead launcher. The combat is by far the best part of the game next to the exploration and surprisingly difficult fights, especially against bigger numbers, encouraging you to think on your feet. There are two different ways to engage in combat. When free aiming you can shoot from the hip or look down the sights ala CoD style. This method can be very ineffective since the cursor is very small, and it doesn’t seem to work well using an analog stick. Still, this should always be the method used when you are waiting for your Action Points (AP) to recharge from using the Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System (V.A.T.S.)
Individual body part and weapon damage is interesting and can be done through the special system (V.A.T.S.) that slows time down allowing you to individually target parts on an enemy. This creates an effectively more turn-based RPG feel during battles. Would it be easier to target the mutants or the rifles in their hand? You can target more than one thing at a time depending on how much AP you have. When you plug in you entry and set it in motion the end result is a slow-motion gun down. It is particularly neat to see limbs fly off or skulls get blown clear through with sprays of blood and guts everywhere.
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JasonXe
comments | 24 |
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10/29/08
16:53:37
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Second. I will definitely rent it when it becomes available. To mˆñ
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Kiwi
comments | 1 |
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10/28/08
13:49:25
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FIRST!!
Ahem, anyway, good review. Looking forward to getting ˆñ
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