The Fallout series goes back 11yrs. It has always been a highly acclaimed PC title and would continually get better with each new game. It had a very unique art design and isometric camera that was akin to many PC games of the early 90’s. Fallout was a series that I never had interest in. It was one early afternoon at E3 when I got a chance to spend some time with Fallout 3. Ever since then, I’ve been nothing but enthralled.

I didn’t know what to expect when I first plugged in Fallout 3 this weekend. I was ready to play with an open mind and an eager heart. My expectations were high enough for a continuation of what I played at E3. I was immediately drawn in by the opening sequence that we saw almost a year ago. It sets the tone for the game, somewhat like a movie teaser does.

The game begins with you coming out of your mothers womb and into the arms of a silhouette known as your father. You can’t make out his face but it’s the voice you will hear for the first hour of the game. You’ll get to choose your stats, customize your look, race and sex during the first 19yrs of your life. Just like some coming of age films, you get to play as a baby, a 10yr old boy and then a 19yr old man.

One of the first things you’ll notice about Fallout 3 is the amazing amount of detail that Bethesda put into the game. The lighting is realistic, the textures are incredibly sharp, the color palette is stylish and the day and night cycle is one of the best I’ve ever witnessed. The Wasteland is HUGE. I was surprised at how they were able to fit so much terrain into the Wasteland with absolutely no load time to access it all. Now if you go inside a building or underground instance, you’ll get a quick loading screen which leads you into another immense environment. The draw distance is beautiful and the skyline is photographic. The night cycle is so dark, that you’ll have to use your Pip-Boy 3000 just to see the ground beneath you. The Pip-Boy 3000 is a futuristic PDA that gives you map date, inventory, stats, radio transmissions and many other neat toys that you’ll use throughout the game.

Fallout 3 is what I call an FRPG(First Person Role Playing Game). It has all the mechanics of a great western RPG but also the action elements of a first person shooter. On top of that, you can also play the entire game in 3rd person if you like. I often find myself switching back and forth depending on the situation I’m in. I still mostly play in FPS mode because it’s what I like.

There are absolutely thousands of items you can find in this game. Everything from bottle caps(the currency of the Wasteland), to Nuka Cola. You can find weapons, ammo, meat, drugs, clipboards and a bunch of other shit I still haven’t found uses for yet. I’ve found several motorcycle parts and I’m wondering if I can build the bike and ride it or not. When you kill someone, just like in a traditional RPG, you can loot their body. If you loot their clothes, then they will be left in their underwear. Any item you drop gets left on the ground. This game is a dream come true for loot monkeys.

The combat system is very versatile. You can use melee attacks, range weapons, bombs and the very unique Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System. V.A.T.S. allows you to target specific locations on an enemies body. The game pauses and gives you a tactical layout and also details your chances of hitting the limbs. You pick the limb with the highest probability for target success and then queue up attacks using your Action Points. When you accept your targets you get a cinematic animation of your attack. It’s almost like an advanced version of a turn based attack.

Your stats are called S.P.E.C.I.A.L. This stands for strength, perception, endurance, charisma, intelligence, agility and luck. All of these can be adjusted with the experience you earn with each level. You can totally customize your character to suit your gaming style. You can be scientific, militant, sneaky or a sharp shooter.

It doesn’t stop at stat customization. You can play the game anyway you like. You can follow the quests if you like, or you can run around town killing and looting raiders. You can buy and sell, you can be good or evil or you can be a thief. Conversations also affect your standing in the world and how your game will play out. If you are a rude heartless bastard, you may not get what you need from certain people. Being nice and helpful however, can pay off in many ways.

The soundtrack for Fallout 3 is one of the best I’ve heard in years. There are radio stations you can tune into and they play old classical music. I just keep the radio tuned while I play at all times. The music fits the game in a very funny way.

One of the things that discouraged me about the game was the AI. If you are hacking Moriarty’s computer while he’s sitting right there at the desk, he does nothing. I also didn’t like the fact that asking the same question gave me the same answer 100% of the time. I asked one of the local whores if she still did favors and she kept saying no. The conversation system is very cool though. There are plenty of questions to ask and plenty of answers to choose. I might end up playing through the entire game twice just to see if things turn out differently if I choose a different route.

It’s funnier how a year after Bioshock we are seeing something as amazing as Fallout 3. Just when you thought the next generation hit a threshold, Bethesda breaks through it showing us that they have staying power in this business. They initiated us into the next generation with Oblivion and now they have us drooling on our second course. Fallout 3 is a truly engrossing title that will have you stuck in a chair for hours on end. If you are a fan of western RPG’s and want something different, add Fallout 3 to your list.