Fallout 3 - Review @ RPG Codex

If you're reading a review from a site that is highly critical of softcore rpgs of a fairly softcore rpg than I reckon you can expect the review to be critical. It's not quantum mechanics. Everybody understands the codex's point of reference and it's not a critic's responsibility to agree with anyone else's opinion, only to write one.
 
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Of which one is an expansion pack. How many games like that can you mention lately that had that kind of quality? Both are 2 years old.

There were gaps between great games like fallout & planescape too. I thought they were a welcome return to classic rpg quality, I'm pretty hopeful for age of decadence and scars of war to show similar quality in the next year or two.

All in all not looking too bad for high quality rpgs that have always been thin on the ground. There just isn't the same quantity of solid filler rpgs that there used to be.
 
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To me, writing is like 4th or 5th on the list of what makes crpgs fun.

I loved the Matrix and Speed movies and neither of those had good writing and the voice acting was horrible :D

Late to this party but I just HAD to comment on the above quote.

I truly believe (well it's MY opinion) that writing is extremely important in an RPG since RPGs, like Adventure games, depend more on story than anything else unlike say Action games where it's all visceral.

Just the same, Action games equate to Action films where you just need some big explosions, great visuals, special effects, gore, etc.

So it makes sense that that the writing in Oblivion, err, Fallout 3 doesn't bother you because it's not a true RPG but an Action/RPG lite. :)

Of course good story/writing/acting only helps elevate an already good action film or game (God Of War is an excellent example).

But back to CRPGs, the writing doesn't have to be amazing but definitely should be above adequate and some of the dialogue in Fallout 3 is just horrendous (just like in Oblivion). It feels like it was written by and for 13 year olds. It's just too simplified and even unnatural to a point.

Bethesda can definitely learn from Obsidian, just play Kotor 2 or NWN 2: MoTB. Now these weren't the pinnacle of writing in a CRPG, that award would probably go to Planescape: Torment (Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines is up there too) but the writing was certainly above average.

But even the writing in Morrowind was much better than their recent games.

Anyway we're all entitled to our opinions so I can understand that you have those 3 or 4 other things that matter most. But to me story and dialogue come first. And if those are mediocre then the RPG better have some interesting game mechanics and entertaining gameplay.
 
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Anyway we're all entitled to our opinions so I can understand that you have those 3 or 4 other things that matter most. But to me story and dialogue come first. And if those are mediocre then the RPG better have some interesting game mechanics and entertaining gameplay.

Thanks for acknowledging that - it is the reason there are so many genres and sub-genres and game systems and so on. It is always important to remember ...
 
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@Relayer: I'm an older player or maybe played longer/more crpgs than most folks. Story didn't start as a very important part of computer role playing games. They're about stats and combat, skills and spells. All of the old crpg games focused on these items, not on story. Story really never became much of a factor until Ultima IV. That's when the computer and the people who made the games started expanding them and the concept of crpg. Even role-playing games such as D&D were mostly about stats and combat, dice rolls and treasure. As the genre grew, story got tacked on and started to take on a larger roll.

I'm not sure I can even vaguely remember what the story was about in Eternal Dagger, Shard of Spring, Phantasie, Temple of Apshai, Wizardry, etc. There was a story kinda floating in the background but it was just fodder.

As my sig says, this is just my own opinion though. Not of any greater or lesser value than anyone else. I'm unaffected by crpgs that are known for their story. I haven't finished any of the Gothics, Planescape, Vampire, Betrayal at Krondor, etc. They don't grab my attention because their focus is skewed to me. I love rolling up my character so those games that start you out as someone already have a huge strike against them. Witcher was one of the few of those, that I actually finished.
 
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it may seem silly or obvious but i think the reason bethesda did a better job with making some many unique locations in fallout 3 rather than the "all the same" oblivion is sure they had a bit of help with fallout lore, and of the benifits that come along with a real world locale, but most importantly i attibute their "success" to the fact that the dc area is there "home" and as such the muse was much more prevelant in the creative game making process.
i think this has some merit when you look at pirahna bytes art direction/home location and cd project and there's.

first hand inspiration is unmatched.
so hopefully we have reason to hope for alpha protocol will be top notch, since spys and guns are very so cal. though some will surely call it mass effect without aliens, which i'm guessing will be accurate at least on the surface.

edit: oh and of course troika-bloodlines both la.
 
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It is interesting, I've been playing Sacred 2 and that makes me appreciate Fallout 3 more. Playing something like Arcanum, as I was when I started FO3, makes it seem juvenile, but compared with a solid action-RPG it offers some nice depth.
 
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holy crap juvenille must be the word of the week...
on an interesting note that should make us all feel lucky fallout 3 wasn't anymore juvenille than many people think it is already and completely stripped of all rpg elements--
check out the people on zenimax (bethesda's parent company) board of directors
http://www.zenimax.com/bod.htm
 
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