Fallout 3, am I missing something?

[Old_Scratch]

I've finally alloted enough time to play Fallout 3 and I'm having a hard time understanding why it got so many good reviews. I've played Elder Scrolls: Oblivion and the Shivering Isles extensively and was looking for something new and improved from Bethesda, but Fallout 3 is pretty much more of the same.

No, not pretty much, exactly the same. It's essentially an Oblivion mod. The quests and maps are set up the same, the game play is the same, the "bandit camps" and "castle ruins" are the same, even the voice actors are the same. It looks like they just reskinned Oblivion and put a new name on it. It has a few improvements here and there but overall, it's just another Oblivion.

I understand that it's not Fallout like 1 & 2, I've come to terms with that. What I can't understand is why they didn't do more with this game. Am I right or am I missing something here?

[HansDuet]

Well for me, as a player who gets his kicks from general atmosphere of the game: Post-apocalyptic world > Magic Land of insert general fantasy name.

So I do not think you are missing anything.

[webMaster412160]

You are right, to prove it you have in the beginning of the game that one person that offer you to activate the nuke in Megaton. Well that Lucien Lachance.

[Helm]

What you were you expecting?

[Danny_K_1]

If it ain't broke, why fix it?

[Cougar109]

I agree somewhat. I think the primary reason the game feels like Oblivion is because it's using the exact same engine, which in my opinion is a rather unique one so that alone will make it feel as if it's the same. But to me the comparisons end there. The side quest system is much better in my opinion in Fallout 3 then it is in Oblivion, seems as if much more thought was put into them as they are much more robust and entertaining. Instead of going into the basement and killing some rats or going to fetch an object and bring it back you have these long, multi-staged quest lines that will take you all over the Capital Wasteland to complete. Again the gameplay feels the same though simply because of the rehashed engine and there isn't a whole lot you can really do short of modifying the engine or creating a new one.

The "bandit camps" and "forts" are still their as they are the most obvious place to harbor groups such as raiders, mutants, and feral ghouls. If you're a raider who has made a life killing and looting you're not going to be walking out in the wastes alone as that's a great way to give yourself a short career, you're going to be in small groups roaming around the wastes or get yourself in a large crew and find a nice place to base out of and ambush the caravans and adventures. I don't see a reason to change something that is realistic in thought just for the sake of changing. Voice actors are mostly re-used but at least there is a little more variety in the world then there was with Oblivion where everyone sounded exactly the same. Plus they re-used Wes Johnson who is in my opinion one of the best voice actors in gaming.

Sum it up though it's the exact same as Oblivion on the bare surface I agree, but once you get deeper in it's really another beast completely. The simple fact that it's just a moddable as Oblivion was though just means it'll most likely give me another 300-400 hours of gameplay and even more ontop of that since to this day I still load up Oblivion with FCOM.

[Old_Scratch]

I think my main problem is I played Oblivion a lot, doing every quest and cleaning out every dungeon until I got bored. So unfortunately the similarities between the two seems to have caused the boredom with the play style to carry over from Oblivion to Fallout 3. I just see all the characters and quests as Oblivion quests and really don't care enough to actually complete them. I've taken to punching out as many people as I can in search of amusement. I mean, I blew up megaton just so I wouldn't have to ever talk to those people again or do any of their stupid quests. If I never played Oblivion I'm sure I'd enjoy Fallout 3 though.

[Alba gu Brath]

I was expecting this game to be class aswell, from all of the positive feedback, however, I thought it was shite tbh. Very bland and boring and the combat sucks.

[english tyrant]

It's essentially an Oblivion mod.

It is an oblivion mod, which is why it is so good.

[Banzai!]

I know. The combat sucks until you get the Experimental MIRV, and that is some way into the game.

[Nole4694]

I like the pipboy, thats the only reason I really love this game, otherwise it would be ok at best, i mean atmosphere and everything is great, but if the combat sucks I cant play it, so i guess for me anyways the pipboy saved this game

[Musthavename]

No, not pretty much, exactly the same. It's essentially an Oblivion mod. The quests and maps are set up the same, the game play is the same, the "bandit camps" and "castle ruins" are the same, even the voice actors are the same. It looks like they just reskinned Oblivion and put a new name on it. It has a few improvements here and there but overall, it's just another Oblivion.

Which is why it works!

Apart from the seemingly low amount of quests and the crappy ending (wouldn't know anything about the DLC, haven't bought any because of that horrorfest known as GFWL), I really enjoyed the game. Not as much as Oblivion, but nonetheless, a great buy.

[Kanaric]

No, not pretty much, exactly the same. It's essentially an Oblivion mod.

So your sayin oblivion had plot, dialogue, roleplay, and decent gameplay? IDK what oblivion you played, where did you download that? All I got in my copy was garbage sandbox gameplay, gimmicky scripts for 12 year olds to laugh at, and one or two one word conversation choices with NPCs. Game wasn't even an rpg.

[Inhuman One]

I personly just dont believe in the fallout 3 world. Its a nice game and all but the story is quite terrible because the world does not always fit with it.

The world gives me the impression that the nuclear war was not nearly as long ago as 200 years. 200 years is a long time, more things would have been rebuild. Not only old stuff would have been scavenged, but new things could have been build as well. Mining facilities and such would be destroyed, but simply making houses out of wood would be easily possible with the available resources.

Inhabited houses and buildings could have been fixed up better too. why would they keep all kinds of broken shelves, rubble and such in their house? wouldnt they have cleared that out soon after moving in? Repainting the walls could also work wonders.

If advanced ammunition and weaponry are still around 200 years after the war it would need to be produced somewhere. If those things can be produced, I am sure other more practical things could be as well.

I really like VATS and the dismemberment that comes with it, reducing someone to a pile of ash with a lasergun is also a nice addition. And blood seems to splatter against walls and the floor too and remains there.

Sometimes it is a bit over the top with weak weapons though like a simple pistol. you cant shoot someone's head off with that.

I am hoping that such a damage system will be used for elder scrolls 5. not VATS though, that wouldnt belong in an elder scrolls game.

But it sure would be nice to be able to chop limps and heads off with a big axe. Would make sense when you hit someone in their neck with a big sharp axe.

Magic could also give some nice effects. Fire magic could really put someone on fire where they are hit, water could put it out. electric shocks could cause someone to spasm a moment and some smoke could come off the victim if its a powerfull spell.

Fallout 3 was a nice game, but mostly because it shows a few things Bethesda can take with them when creating elder scrolls 5.

[gambit]

So your sayin oblivion had plot, dialogue, roleplay, and decent gameplay? IDK what oblivion you played, where did you download that? All I got in my copy was garbage sandbox gameplay, gimmicky scripts for 12 year olds to laugh at, and one or two one word conversation choices with NPCs. Game wasn't even an rpg.

And you got that with Fallout? The plot and dialogue were absolutely TERRIBLE.

[Manco]

I personly just dont believe in the fallout 3 world. Its a nice game and all but the story is quite terrible because the world does not always fit with it.

The world gives me the impression that the nuclear war was not nearly as long ago as 200 years. 200 years is a long time, more things would have been rebuild. Not only old stuff would have been scavenged, but new things could have been build as well. Mining facilities and such would be destroyed, but simply making houses out of wood would be easily possible with the available resources.

Inhabited houses and buildings could have been fixed up better too. why would they keep all kinds of broken shelves, rubble and such in their house? wouldnt they have cleared that out soon after moving in? Repainting the walls could also work wonders.

It's not supposed to be a truly believable world, but how the '50s saw a post-apocalyptic future. Besides they are rebuilding, the NCR on the West Coast for example.

IIRC the Capital Wasteland was also virtually deserted till recently. Some 30-40 years ago was when most people immigrated towards it.

[Pious Agnost]

Bethesda's last good game was Morrowind...

[Comrade the Colonel]

it was alright. I thought that it was pretty hard though (the combat part) in the beginning.
Graphics are not that great, look like oblivion graphics. Many animations are from oblivion, like the sword animations.

it also has the same crashes/freezes as oblivion.

[VOP2288]

You're pretty much right, it is in fact Oblivion only with a post-apocalyptic atmosphere and guns but it's still fairly fun if that's your thing.

I think for the most part the people who were not big in Bethesda titles are the ones who kept singing this game's praises...people who didn't play Morrowind or even Oblivion...heck I for one never played more than at least two hours worth in each and I ended up really liking FO3...but take some of the TWC members on here who played Morrowind 20 times over and what not and they'll probably tell you how FO3 is crap.

[Juggernaut]

take some of the TWC members on here who played Morrowind 20 times over and what not and they'll probably tell you how FO3 is crap.

Not me.