Fallout 3 Fallout 3: Post-play impressions and reviews

[fragonard]

FO3 is OK, I guess, but I was hoping for more. After about 15 hours of play, it's already getting old. I loaded it up last night and started to play but after a few minutes I quit and reloaded a Mount&Blade save and had some fun for an hour.

 

[Dhruin]

The writing in FO3 is miles ahead of Oblivion though, and the characters you meet feel so much more like actual people than the idiots in Oblivion. One thing I like is that some of the chatter you can overhear as you pass by actually makes sense, instead of "Have you heard anything about the king of thieves?" - "I bought an apple today".

That's not my experience so far. I agree about the chatter but despite a bunch of misgivings about Oblivion, I found a number of the quests interesting and even a little creative (within the confines of their linear-with-no-choices structure). So far, I really haven't found any interesting or creative quests in FO3. I'm really enjoying wandering the wasteland and I'm glad they put a bunch of speech checks in dialogue but eveything has been "fetch" or "kill". Admittedly, I've put more time into random exploring than specifically looking for quests, so maybe I've just missed them so far.

 

[woges]

Crashes a lot more with this mini patch for some reason.

 

[Corwin]

Never be the first to try a Patch!!

 

[skavenhorde]

I ran into a certain area that was badly executed. It had so much potential to be an intersting area, but instead the writers screwed it up horribly by not explaining what the heck was going on.

This area is a little west of Megaton, if you have explored west of Megaton maybe you came across this area and had a different experience or even a quest associated with it. Read the spoiler if you've gone west of Megaton.

Spoiler: Spoiler

There is a vault west of Megaton, vault 106. When you get there you come across one of only two computers that you can hack in this vault. The computer talks about gas and people acting strange. Then you go farther into this area, kill some insane vault people and start to have flashes.

Farther down you kill more guys, read a note from someone tripping out and come across another computer that says the security should stay in the designated spots till after the experiment.

So you get to the end of this vault, come across a scientist, kill him and that's it. No more... Not one damn word about what the scientist was doing there or anything. This could of been an interesting sidequest or not even a quest just a place to explore, but after I killed the scientist there wasn't a computer or notes or anything to explain what he was doing there and why.

Anyone get a quest assoicitated with this vault or come across something maybe I missed? If not, then man they could of turned that vault and story into something a hell of a lot better than what it is now.

 

[JDR13]

skavenhorde, it sounds like you might have overlooked something. I seriously doubt that was all there was to the situation. The problem with large sandbox games is that it's easy to screw up quests by killing the wrong person, or by talking to npcs in the wrong order.

 

[fragonard]

I agree; it seems that the main reason for vault 106 was to have a place to put a

Spoiler

"bobblehead"]

.
The more I play, the less I respect Beth's design choices. I'm about ready to chuck it in. This game could have been so much better with just a little more attention to detail.

 

[skavenhorde]

skavenhorde, it sounds like you might have overlooked something. I seriously doubt that was all there was to the situation. The problem with large sandbox games is that it's easy to screw up quests by killing the wrong person, or by talking to npcs in the wrong order.

That's what I was thinking too. That's why I asked the question If anyone has run across a quest for this particular area or maybe I did miss out on a note on the ground or something (FLASHLIGHTS would be a nice little invention, lol). I've also come across a few NPCs out in the Wasteland with names that just attacked me and I was thinking I hope I didn't miss out on something, but this was a little different. They could of at least put a note or something at the end explaining what happened. It's like they teased you with the info on the two computers then decided it would be too much work to put one more computer in at the end of the area.

Spoiler: Example of a good area

The school near Megaton with the Raiders was great, well not great but interesting at least. I went there with no quest and found a note on a dead raider explaining that they were trying to dig into the Vault and were attacked by ants or you could find this info by hacking the computer. Then you go to the digsite kill the ants. Everything makes sense, sorta. It's hard to believe they would just dig all that way into a vault but hell they're raiders, not the smartest people in the world, so at least I understood why the raiders were there and what they were up to.

One or two notes and a computer are great narrators. I wish they had more voice recorded messages like System Shock 2, especially in that vault. The spooky atmosphere, the flashes and then have voice recordings of the citizens going insane would of been great. Instead you just got one note from someone tripping out on acid or something. There is so much missed potential for that one little area.

@Frag my man, I think you should put some "spoilers" around that information. Some people might not know about that certain goodie there and might want to find it for themselves

 

[Maylander]

I experienced the exact same thing as you skavenhorde, and I still haven't got a clue as to what was actually going on there.

Spoiler: Strange experience in the place skaven mentioned

I also experienced something very odd in there - every now and then, the light would turn pink/purple-ish, and it's like I was in vault 101 again - I saw the girl who helped me escape 101 run down a hallway, and I even saw a scientist named "Dad" one time. I'm thinking there must be some sort of gas that makes you go a little crazy in there.

Edit: Here is the solution to Vault 106:
http://gamesblog.ugo.com/index.php/gamesblog/more/fallout_3_vault_106_walkthrough/

Anyway, I have now completed it once, and started a new character who will try to make a few different choices to experience more of the game. All in all, Fallout 3 is well above my expectations (not saying a lot, since it's been quite some time since I was a fan of Bethesda). I enjoyed it a lot, and hope to be done with the 2nd run through it by the time Wrath of the Lich King and NWN2: Storm of Zehir are released.

 

[CarcusRex]

I read a lot how while FO3 is a fairly good game unto itself, it's NOT in line with the fallout universe, and its a poor successor to the franchize even if it is fun to play.

After spending about 10 hours with the game, I have to disagree... to a degree. I think, in large part, this looks, feels, and smells a lot like the Fallout1/2 universe and is a fairly decent progression on what is an aging game. After all these years, Beth's interpretation is not all bad. And I just can't see where this "Oblivion with guns" idea comes from. Comparing this game with Oblivion is like comparing apples to oranges.

Other than lacking in sofistication when it comes to NPC personalities, and fairly poor implimentation of dialogue branching (true, I admit, a let down, and what we all knew would be Beth's weak spot), everything else is Fallout to me. You've got all the chem stuff goin' on... along with addiction if your not careful; book-reading stat increases; brahmn milk, stimpaks, 50's post punk everywhere you look; what I think is a very cool Pip Boy interface - which is a good progression for the franchize; you've got good computer usage stuff... links, quest info notes, activations, errors and technical gliches gallor, unlocking doors, hacking (I really like the wordplay hacking minigame) - all fallouty fun stuff. Many different routes to take for different situations: lockpick skill too low, don a stat boosting garment, drop a mentat... or if that doesn't work, do the same with science and hack a terminal to get into that safe or past that door or by that gun turret. Short term boosting of S.P.E.C.I.A.L stats corrolates to boosts in skills - which leads to tactical options; gunplay is vicious and satisfying, all the gore is there, and you can get your ass kicked in a hury in some situations... where using frag mines and grenades have definite uses, and knowing just when to break out the missile launcher, or perhaps switch to your shishkabob at the right time to save ammo all lead to some degree of tactical involvment. Intermingling between Vats and straight shooting feels good to me. (I use Vats sparingly)

Yes, dialogue can be lame at times, but at least you've got skill checks. And skills make a difference, where low skilled big guns will leave you emptying a full minigun magazine into an enemy at close range without doing much damage... which is excellent in the consequenses department - indeed a good incentive for lvling when you imagine all the carnage you can deliver later with a better skill rank. You've definately got the atmosphere, the desolation and utter destruction, the sense of despair and survival. And I don't know why, perhaps because of the ballistic weapon combat, with its array of ammo types and all the post modern do-hickies - as compared to a fantacy setting with swords and magic, but I find the looting a juicy part of the gameplay.

I don't know... its all very falloutesq to me. How is all this stuff NOT Fallout, besides the gay NPCs??? (I may have just answered my own question... but it's only one part of the whole)

Okay, Fallout buffs... let me have it. Rip me a new one... Yeowser!

P.S. Why did they have to make some of the characters so f@#@#@G CORNY??? I'm thinking Moira and doc Luskin (if that's his name) for starts. Their corniness is really a drain on the immersiveness of the game world. Did the devs really think such gayness was funny, or something? They've got the creativity and imagination... but their sorely lacking in maturity.

 

[Dhruin]

Just finished two major sidequests (Arefu / The Family and There! / Fire Ants). In both cases I enjoyed the general exploration / killing things but I'd really like some quality content for a change of pace. Both of those were rather disappointing in the end.

So, for those a fair way in, what's the best sidequest you've come across in terms of dialogue, choices, creative scenarios, great NPCs. Best use spoiler tags but you don't need to give all the details away - just a location or direction and who to talk to or look for.

 

[txa1265]

Just finished two major sidequests (Arefu / The Family and There! / Fire Ants). In both cases I enjoyed the general exploration / killing things but I'd really like some quality content for a change of pace. Both of those were rather disappointing in the end.

Spoiler

I used my intelligence and charisma to work my way through the family quest, which seemed really cool a=until being back in Arefu ... then you have all those plastic idiotic NPC's doing silly things that add nothing. I agree - disappointing ending.

 

[Prime Junta]

I'm starting to enjoy it too.

Rolled up a new character -- max Intelligence and Charisma, high Luck, medium Agility, low S, P, E, tagged Speech, Repair, and Small guns; made him black and named him Barack.

Now I've been wandering around the DC wasteland being charming to people and, occasionally, shooting their heads off. Haven't got too deep into any quests yet. Observations so far:

* Nice scenery. Very rich, detailed, and interesting take on the post-apoc-50's-kitch-punk theme. If anywhere, Fallout's legacy lives here.
* Bad writing. I haven't met any characters beyond the "painted stick with a corny accent" level yet. If anywhere, here's where the game lets down the FO franchise most.
* You can tell the devs had fun making it, and that means a great deal for any game.
* The combat is OK -- nothing spectacular, but not too bad either, and the character skills appear to factor into them nicely. This is more Deus Ex than Fallout, Oblivion, or VtM:B. Truth be told, I'm enjoying the combat a lot more than I did in FO -- running away is a viable survival strategy, and I don't get anywhere near as much bogged down shooting rat packs, since that can be done on the fly. Not much to do with FO here, but it works, so I'm not complaining. Seems fairly well balanced -- occasionally challenging without being insta-killing.
* It seems a bit too generous with the junk. Lots of guns, ammo, food, and medicine lying around, which sort of undermines the "post-apocalyptic wasteland" thing IMO.
* Too many things that don't make sense. FO's world was internally very consistent -- you really felt like you were intruding on something that was there despite you. Here, there are lots of places that feel like set pieces put together for your enjoyment.
* Technically solid -- runs impeccably on my (somewhat aging) rig and looks and sounds great; I get occasional crashes on startup and on quit (even post-patch), but only one freeze on scene transition so far when playing.

I'd rate this as a solid "Buy" thus far -- it's not like we're swamped with cRPG's these days.

 

[Remus]

I'm starting to enjoy it too.

Rolled up a new character -- max Intelligence and Charisma, high Luck, medium Agility, low S, P, E, tagged Speech, Repair, and Small guns; made him black and named him Barack.

That's interesting, imaging him running around preaching "change" and "yes we can" in a game with famous tagline "war, war never changes". Let me know how well he survives with those non-combat skills and traits...

 

[Foss]

Spoiler

I used my intelligence and charisma to work my way through the family quest, which seemed really cool a=until being back in Arefu ... then you have all those plastic idiotic NPC's doing silly things that add nothing. I agree - disappointing ending.

Spoiler: Arefu ending

Did you return to the "vampire" leader again? It doesn't say in the quest I think, but he does want to hear if the town acceptet the agreement and reward you for it.

 

[woges]

There's far too much of:
"Too many things that don't make sense. FO's world was internally very consistent -- you really felt like you were intruding on something that was there despite you. Here, there are lots of places that feel like set pieces put together for your enjoyment."

I also thought:
"Technically solid -- runs impeccably on my (somewhat aging) rig and looks and sounds great; I get occasional crashes on startup and on quit (even post-patch), but only one freeze on scene transition so far when playing."

But after a fair bit of rambling and some broken quests the game is crashing rather consistently every 5min. Maybe that was patching mid play through?

 

[Starwars]

I'm so-so on the game. It's one of those games where the highpoint is the initial exploration, and it's a lot of fun in this game. While it's inconsistant to say the least, some areas are very atmospheric and well done.

Once I explored most of the map though, I'm really feeling the repetition step in. I tried restarting as an "evil" character and I'm actually very disappointed so far in this part of the game. Many quests simply don't have an evil way of solving them, unless you want to blow everyones brains out. The much touted Saving Megaton vs Blowing up Megaton isn't a fork in the road at all. Gameplay wise, there is no incentive to blow up Megaton because even if you save it, you can still gain access to Tenpenny Towers and the main quest associated with it. You miss out on the Tenpenny suite, but if you save Megaton you get a pad there instead.

There are choices in this game, which is a wonderful breath of fresh air after Oblivion. But most are really lacking in consequences. The ending was gigantic disappointment in this regard as well.

It's a really solid Elder Scrolls-y PA game though. But as with those games, the more I play Fallout 3, the more the design flaws starts to emerge and ruin the experience.

I do not think it's good when judged as a sequel to the Fallouts but it's definetely worth a look if you like the freeroaming nature of the Elder Scrolls and could do with a bit more... Hm, personality injected into the game.

 

[mute]

Waited for my opinion until i finished it. And i must say that this was a really good experience. I had no CTDs in game but got one once when i exited the game.

I found the MQ really satisfying, don't know if i need to see the other endings though. I am however curious about lots of choices i did in the game. The final play time, in game clocked in at 25 hours. But seeing that there is alot of reloads when i was dying i guess i took me 26-27 hours to beat it first time through. I utilized some fast travels, and did some quest i wanted to do because i found them. But i could easily have done more!

I must say that the experience was the best ever from a bethesda game. I felt connected to the game and i will most certainly try it again. There is alot still unexplored.

I feared the level cap a little. But i ended up only beeing level 16. I have no feeling off rushing through the game. So i think it was spot on. I don't have so much time playing so for me to be able to finish a game is an accomplish in it self.

Its not the "greatest game", it could have been better. Some part in the MQ i really felt WOW - i even stopped wathcing TV for se what would happened next.

Never bought a addon to a game unless it was included in a game of the year package. But i do think i will be very curious about what they will release in the future. Hopefully they'll release some other odd 20hours adventure to complete.

So to sumerize my experience: A good game, well deserved to be played!

 

[Dhruin]

So, come on....someone must have seen some really compelling quests to direct me to?

 

[Starwars]

The actual quests are really quite uninteresting now that you mention it which is a real shame. The Tenpenny vs Ghoul situation has an interesting twist to it depending on your choices, but it leaves the whole thing feel very unfinished and the twist would've been better left in an ending slide.

Most of the fun I got from the game is exploring certain areas. The Dunwich Building (southwest corner of the map) is good for example. But yeah, the quest content is actually not very interesting.