Fallout 3

Sooo... Fallout 3 is released on Friday in the UK (out today in the US). Any early US purchasers want to share some thoughts on the game?

I'm interested to hear about some stuff that the reviews seem to omit, such as the dog that you are supposed to have as a companion - I've read 4 reviews (IGN, Eurogamer, Gamespy, PSN Magazine (scanned in)) and not one has mentioned it!

I'm also curious as to if the game has any sexual content and how frequent the bad language is. I know, I know... the game has insane levels of violence in it and if I'm ok with that then I should be ok with sex / swearing etc etc. But I still wanna know how far it goes.

Looks interesting though. The post-apocalyptic setting is a refreshing change to the normal kind of swords elves and magic type of RPG (not that some of those aren't enjoyable).

Have you seen this? surprisingly it shows things related to both your questions ;)

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/42063.html?r=1&type=wmv

No I hadn't seen that trailer, thanks for the link. It indeed answers, or at least partly answers my questions. What really surprised me was how much like Oblivion it looked... I tried so hard to love Oblivion but it just never did it for me - mainly because it was so repetitive and the characters were brain dead (with excruciatingly poor dialogue and player response options).

Still, I'd like to hear how it shapes up from anyone that's got it already.

Seeing as its the same engine Bethesda has been using since Morrowind, im not surprised at all.
And even though i liked Oblivion i fully agree, it had a lot of shortcomings.
And from what ive seen of the action, its just as bad.

But im still gonna buy it though. Fallout 1 and 2 were great games, so i gott give it a chance.

Roll roll roll your head, gently down the slope...


I have been looking forward for this game, not sure what I think of it after seeing that little video. But one short little video might not be enough to judge a whole game on.
I think I will get this game once I have a better PC.

Just went to the store and grabbed my copy, can't wait to get home tonight and try it!

I'm a sucker for post-apocalyptic settings. The first two Fallout games were great, too, as were the Elder Scrolls games (despite their many flaws), so Fallout 3 will be a definite purchase for me.

Fallout 1-2 are classics. Have them both in original cds. I still play them time to time. I think Fallout 3 is nothing but a gore pumped, post apocalyptic oblivion. And I didn't like Oblivion except it's graphics. So dull, so empty, so unrealistic it was.

But I haven't played it yet, we will see.

I have all the previous fallout games (Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout tactics) and I cant wait for Fallout3 had it on preorder since it was first available :)

Been playing it for 2 hours now, and it's really awesome!

I noticed in the nuke quest gameplay video, that the guy you get the quest from has the same exact voice as an NPC in Oblivion; are there any other things that are really similar to Oblivion?

Post apocalypse and survival horror type things aren't really my thing but the reviews are good and it's by one of my fave developers so I'll most likely give it ago.

been playing it and its amazing :D, there is so much to do and so many places to explore/loot

I wasn't going to bother buying it yet, since it will only tempt me to play it, and I can't afford the time. However, since the XBox 360 version is selling for £29, that did seem like a good deal, so I grabbed it.

I just installed it.

Apparantly, it is overwelmingly big - so many places to explore - so much to do.

I can't wait to start cheating.

And I thought FarCry2 was bad... :)

Moreover, you thought Crysis was good..

Crysis is still the best fps today. I could play it over and over again without getting bored, because the graphics and realism is always a joy. But I will try Crysis 2.0 (Warhead) soon, maybe it will be finally a game which beats Crysis.

Crysis made for a nice sandbox but the actual story was a bit dull. I heard a lot of bad things about Fallout 3 and instability issues if you have codecs using FFD installed.

Plus it needs that Windows live thing and Net 3.0 installed to play.

I'm going to wait for the patch that fixes initial bugs before I buy it.

Does anything not have stability issues with FFD codecs installed? I'm pretty anal about stability, and FFD video is the only thing I've never managed to avoid problems with. It's one of many reasons I rarely use my PC for games. It's one of the only reasons all my game's cutscenes will be done in-engine too.

I've played through about four hours now.

Some stability issues - a couple of crashes, but reasonably stable.

Enjoyed the opening 'in vault' sequence - helped establish character and setting effectively.

Found myself a little at sea once I got outside the vault - it's a much less inviting world (obviously) than Oblivion's. In fact it's downright depressing as the gameworld is essentially one big rubbish dump you're fossicking through. Also difficult to pinpoint distant objects and buildings of interest due to the desaturated colour pallette. Once you've spent a bit of time in the wasteland you start to understand the colour scheme and lay of the land though. Upping the brightness helped as well.

Animation is somewhat clunky - most noticeable when characters climb stairs and bump into each other - particulalry in rooms. Think Oblivion here. Character's faces are pretty immobile as they speak. The quality of the writing and the voice acting really helps here though.

Starting to get into it though - bit of a slow burn this one I think.

I am struggling to find anything good about this game - it is just a case of wandering around trying not to get bored to tears.

In my wandering around I have found tons of stuff which is of no use as I cannot carry it all. If the developer thinks I am going to wander around trying to find it all again later then they can take a running jump.

Dull - dull - dull. A very poor man's Oblivion. Not sure where all the extremely high reviews came from. I liked Oblivion - hate this.

With Oblivion I only hated the Oblivion gate sections - this whole game appears like the Oblivion gate sections - all dull, grey and boring.


Still, the Football Manager 2009 demo is out tonight or tomorrow night.

Activating the console and entering TGM will allow you to carry all the stuff you like and also give god-mode.

It's the same cheat as for Oblivion - I assume other commands like TCL which is ghost/fly/noclipping also work.

Might start to enjoy this game now.

Puki

The wandering can be much less enjoyable than Oblivion - there's not dungeons every 100 metres for example and the world is much less inviting. You may find it clicks for you if you stick to the given quests instead - I'm having quite a time there.

Oh, and one last piece of advice - DON'T CHEAT!

I bit the bullet and got the game, like puki I'm disappointed. It's like a dull and boring scifi oblivion. Feels like the same game really, only the TAB UI stuff for inventory, maps and journals feels much more primitive being all text based with no visual representational icons.

I've only been in the first town. Oblivions were fairly easy to negotiate and map to memory without getting lost. The first town is extremely annoying with 4 or so overlapping areas accessed by ramps and and bridges. The map is 2D and gives no indication of the 3D nature of the town making navigating and exercise in frustration.

Everything is extremely bland, like a trip to the local refuse dump, only less colourfull. I'm kind of bored already, I spent a good 100+ hours playing oblivion. I'm less than 2 hours into F3 and feel like I've just played the game already and like Puki, I'm bored to tears.

It's an Oblivion total conversion...Only thing I enjoyed was watching enemy parts explode in V.A.T.S.

After the first time, starting a new game is a pain. You can't skip the birth, childhood, G.O.A.T. you have to spend 20 minutes to see all the scripted scenes and dialogs again.

Graphics, animations, general dialog style (camera etc.), map and fast travel...there is much more to add. It's simply an Oblivion total conversion.

There is a nice variety of quests and options for different style of characters but that's all.

It shouldn't be named Fallout.

Edit: I actually found a sword, even the animation %100 same as oblivion!

I had my suspicions this game would be a dull rehash of Oblivion and I'm glad I stayed away from it. I'm already maxed out on frustration with Oblivion anyway as about 2-3 hours away from the finale I had disk failure and my backups took me SO far back I couldn't face going through another 2 weeks of playing the game to finish it. Since then I've moved to a RAID 1+0 setup.

Ever since the Gerstmann affiar I've noticed all reviewers are really going to town on giving even only average games great reviews. Looks like the word has gone out, "Tow the line or lost your sponsership and/or your job".


Darkheart

Wow... I also had my suspicions, mainly based on the trailers that I've now seen, but I'm still surprised that they would handle Fallout 3 like this.


Agreed (about the Oblivion gates) - they were so dull and repetitive it sucked the fun out of it for me.


What a shame and a waste of an opportunity to do something truly special.

Still, cheating has made the game better.

I can fly now.

Well, I've just spent the entire day on the game and I'm enjoying it alot.
You have to stick with it a bit - it's not as bright and cheerful as Oblivion, it's a garbagedump of a world and you've got to dig a bit. Once you get into downtown, things get a bit more tricky with super mutants and other assorted nasties.

This is one huge game.

Shame it is so dull and boring though.

Quests are hard to come by - would have been better if there were more places to get quests.

Still the boredom of Fallout 3 has been offset by this:
http://www.footballmanager.net/

I give up ;-)

I have been playing for a while now. Really great game. I haven't had any trouble finding quests? Just do the ones you've got, talk to people on the way, you end up getting tons more. :)

Zenith

I think like others, I found it difficult to adjust to the 'wasteland' at first, but now that I've gotten the hang of it, I'm finding lots to do.

Those wrecked cars can go up with a massive bang!

Haha, those busses are crazy. When they go off its like a mini-nuke. :D
I've been trying to be as good as possible. I've got urban-legend status. Next game I play, I will be entirely evil.

Zenith

Yeah, I'm playing as 'good' as well. People come up to me in Megaton now and give me presents. It's quite cool to turn on the radio and hear news reports about what you've been doing.

I found a bunch of slavers in the Lincoln memorial. Ended up using a rocket launcher on the steps of the memorial to clean them out.

Regards those buses - first time it happened, it blew me away literally ;-) Next time, I found a ruined church inhabited by super mutants. There was a bus nearby, so I layed a few mines next to the bus, got the mutants attention and led them back. Very big boom. I hate those super mutants.

Regarding that radiation sickness mission for that tart in Megaton - ie, you need to get radiation damage.

I spent ages searching the world map for radiation - swiming in radioactive polluted water - drinking it - standing next to anything radioactive - desperately trying to increase my radiation levles.

I thought it was because I had got the Rad Resitance Perk that was hampering me.

After about an hour, I realised I was not getting any as I was in 'god-mode'.

lol - classic

lol. I played the game a couple of hours extra lastnight, went to the supermarket and the subway, started hunting for some girls family and am starting to get into the game a bit more. Suffering from mild radiation sickness at the mo, but overall am enjoying the game quite a bit.

I found a bloke selling robots (I think he was called "Tinker Joe" - but he wouldn't sell one to me and then he walked off with 3 robots following him. I chased after him for a while trying to buy a robot but he wouldn't sell one - although there is a dialogue option to buy one.

I want one - sniff.

Wait a minute!!!

Guess what I just walking into?

The RoboCo Factory.

There has got to be some in here.

puki

You'll definitely find some robos in there ;-)

Anyone been into the capitol building yet?

I can see it - I can see it - I am by the museum at the moment which is not far away.

I'm not sure if you can walk to it - but I can try flying to it.

I just found Rivet City.

ps, I still don't have a robot.

puki

All this cheating means you're missing a lot.

I reached the Capitol only by fighting my way through trenches filled with super mutants. Much more rewarding than just flying there.

Ok - managed to meet the radio DJ Three Dog last night and completed a task for him.

Now I'm trying to make my way along the river to Rivet City, but there's a super mutant fortress in the way.

I hate those super mutants.

Super Mutants are no match for god-mode.

I thought I said no cheating?

Decided that rather than risk trying to get past the super mutant's fortress, I'd do a bit more wandering in the waste's outside the city to up my levels.

Managed to level up twice.

Visited a cave full of annoying kids. They're hiding something I think, but couldn't find out what.

Cleaned out the slavers at Paradise Falls and freed the slaves.

Had a run in with a super mutant behemoth that was only resolved with a mini nuke to the head ;-)

Will try for Rivet City tonight.

I found dad!!!!

He was in Vault 112. Which is in the western side of the map.

Hoorah for me.

puki

Geez! How about a spolier alert?
Thanks alot ;-[

I like it.

Watching my friend play it. It does have a great post-apocalyptic feel, even if the scenery both indoors and outdoors does becoem rather tedious, discovering the ********* (spoiler 1) was pretty profound. I think it's a nice blend of RPG-style and shooter, but of course, it depends on your taste after all.

Incidentally, I dont have nor have played Oblivion.



















******** Spoiler 1 = (the aircraft carrier and Fat Man mini Nuke launcher :D )

Dad has died.

He died in a gas chamber thing.

I even tried cheating and disabled clipping to get inside the room to save him - however, Bethesda obvioulsy realised this and prevent the player from shooting and stuff. It is clearly part of the plot.

I think I can respawn him via the console though.

This is the cave that has the Vault 87 access.

You arrived there too soon - you will need to go back later - the story plot will send you back later.

Haha yeah had some troubole with some NPCs that you can only sshoot down to 'unconscious' not kill them, so theen they get up again a few minutes later!

Ok - that's me gone from this thread - Puki's giving away plot critical info at this point.

I expect it's because I made disparaging remarks about Football manager.

You're such a cruel animal, puki!

Well he cheats, so it's all like candy to him.
Unlike us honest gamers who work hard for our plot advancements.

Do you know how many super mutants I had to go through to get to Vault 112?!!

Puki just flies there. The little sh*t.

Not excluding that I have a billion in bottle caps.

I an afford anything - kill anything - survive anything - only flying person in the game.

I am a king at playing this game - I totally own.

I'm like a gaming god.

But you're not playing this game - you're hacking it - you're just a ghost in the machine - ephemeral, transitory, the king of nothing...

Maybe ya should actually try playing it rather than trying to adjust the game via the console.

Agreed. What puki has done is of no merit whatsoever - any of us can cheat our way to victory.

Oh and what's with the spoilers puki? Keep stuff like that to yourself in the future, please.

I have gamer's tourettes.

I am not normal.

I had more karma than Jesus until I found my new friend Fawkes. My old friends, Dog and the gal from TBOS just ran away at the sight of him. Nevermind them, Fawkes owns, with Fawkes evilness becomes art.

I have him too - although, nobody ran away from him.

Nobody in the game is friends with me.

Who is "Dog"?

Who is the girl from TBOS - what is TBOS? Is she good-looking?

Bloody-hell!!!

I just finished the game - it isn't that long - it isn't my cheating.

I still think there was a lack of missions and things to do - I thought it would be a game like Oblivion - but it plays more like Half-Life 2 with freedom to wander about.

sniff.

Dog = Dogmeat, a shepherd doggie you can pickup from the Scrapyard.

TBOS = The Brotherhood of Steel. There is one female knight, bit of a zealot and def. not hot, who want to keep you company. She's kind of a bore actually.

If you want women, oust President Dave and you'll probably inherited his two wifes.

Enough to do, but you've to search for it.

This game is quite hard. And it crashes.

Other than that I like it.

I am replaying the game now - but without god-mode - not cheated yet - although, at least I know what is going on and what to do.

I want the dog - I hope it can't die - I'd be gutted if it died. I wonder if I can rig god-mode onto it?

Hey, there is a patch for the game - released on 6th November:

http://bethsoft.com/eng/downloads_01.html

I made it to rivet city by walk, at level 2.
And for what? A girl? - Noo, a simple bobble head figure... ;)

Sounds like an interactive movie to me. I like animations but I hate canned movie sequences. Makes me feel like all I'm doing is wandering around triggering them. Invest development time and money into top notch graphics and built in addons like map and scenario editors character creators machinima interface etc...