The year is 2077. You are a survivor of the nuclear holocaust, one that shattered society and to an extent- humanity as we know it. But it was not the end of the world. People survived in pockets on the surface, or, in underground Vaults, like the one you are in. Vault 101. In this Vault, no one ever enters, and no one ever leaves. You are destined to stay here... forever...

But then the Overseer tries to kill you and you beat him down with a baseball bat, and then you run out of the Vault looting everything for CAPS!

OK, so Fallout 3 just stands out to me. Why?
Because for it's time, it was just the best. Fallout 3, uncontested, was the best game of 2008. Hands down. Why?
Bethesda has been known for making great games. I mean, come on, even then they had two big winners under their belt. Morrowind and Oblivion. (The other two, Arena and Daggerfall, were still great, but significantly less known) Then why is this so special?

In a way, Fallout 3 is what you'd expect from Bethesda, a great game. But there's something that sets it apart from the others. Maybe, it's the change of scenery. In Oblivion, beautiful expanses of wildlife, small cities, towns, and hidden caveats await you. In Fallout 3, the stretch of the Capital Wasteland, a desolate desert that is filled with the remains of a nuclear World War. But there's just as much hidden goodies in Oblivion, if not more, in Fallout 3.

Maybe what sets it apart is the terrific gun play. Whilst Bethesda's other games had the options of using bows, they were either used as a sneak attack option, or to single shot your foes at long distance. Now, you get to experience a more "arcadey" feel- one where you slap a clip into your assault rifle and blast heads off of foes.

Or the horror-survival. Whilst the graphics and the general tune of the game really doesn't allow for any scary feeling constantly, there are the few moments where I'd crap my pants in surprise. (Not literally, mind you.) Also, some of the moments add a chilling effect, like discovering a certain town- where they serve strange meat. You also have to conserve ammo in the early game, though in the later game, this becomes moot as you earn more money.

Anyways, Fallout 3 has a certain air to it. Well, now, since I've pretty much gone over miscellaneous details, let's get down to work.


Overall, this is a great play. Any of Bethesda's games are. You'll have fun with it, and with a bit of horror, and shock in it. Also, like many other Bethesda games, it immerses you in the experience. I swear, even now you can play it for several hours straight.

Graphics, well... to be fair, it isn't that great for today. Whilst it manages to keep it's size, loading times, and several things intact, it compares nothing to Skyrim, which graphics blow my mind.

The voice acting in the game is so good. The various gun noises, however, can sometimes get annoying, but overall, very nice sound design.

You can always play it over making different choices. This is the infinite beauty that is Fallout 3.

The story is somewhat compelling, albeit one downloadable content sort of ruins it for me.

Depth, like all Bethesda Games, is HUGE in Fallout 3. With every little side quest to finish, with every little town to explore, it would take a minimum of 50 hours to get through it all.

Hardness varies, but in the end, when you have a crudload of money, the strongest gun in the game, you achieve godlike status. This happens when you progress in any Bethesda game.

In summary, go get Fallout 3- you know what? Get the entire everything of Bethesda, you'll love it.