Fallout 3

[abigsmurf]

I've fixed the issue I was having, was a codec conflict, found a utlity do disable codecs, used that and kept disabling and re-enabling codecs till the pausing issue was sorted. Since then I've only had a single crash.

Enjoying it a fair bit so far, there are some great little touches like the radio guy commenting on some of your actions and the

->Open Spoiler<-

virtual reality big is amazing

only slight worry is that I'm not doing an amazing number of sidequests, roughly one chain per area and I'm still whizzing through the levels which makes me wonder if the game is a bit short. Some of the bad karma triggers are a bit unfair too.

Biggle niggle with the game is the junk factor. There are far too many unremarkable items in this game and the random generated containers that contain a small bit of ammo are unexciting. Would be nice if there were a few more safes and things dotted around that don't need insanely high skills or give you bad karma. I hate walking around with low value, rubbish items.

Seems a bit easy too.

That said, I'm really enjoying it.

[Charlie]

shame, you are going to miss out on so much - but if you have put time into it and still feel the same, maybe its not for you.

I agree, it is a shame. If I could somehow overlook what I dislike maybe I'd fall in love with it in the same way I did Oblivion but then I think maybe that's the problem, the game is basically Oblivion with guns and much as I loved Oblivion - it hasn't aged at all well. Both game worlds are as beautiful as they are vast but soon as you run into life the spell is broken by terrible animation and poor voice-acting.

[Extra Terrestrial]

I am now very interested in purchasing Fallout 3 since it can be found going for ?20-25 in most high street stores but I have one question to ask before I do so:

I loved Oblivion, until you had to do the Oblivion gates quest.

I gave up there and then because I was bored rigid and couldn't believe that such a poor and unexciting quest structure - somehow - managed to slip its way into the final game.

Does Fallout 3 have anything as, shall we say, **** as those Oblivion gates?

Thanks!

[Charlie]

Someone who's completed the main quest will hopefully back me up but I've heard the main quest isn't nearly as repetitive as Oblivion's.

[kernow]

its short, and fun. But theres more fun to be had ignoring the main quest for as long as possible. I miss this game having sold it after finishing, but I'm not sure I'd want to play it again. its typical the ps3 patch comes out now, when most people have finished it.

I hate modern gaming, yet love it so.

[MattyD]

only slight worry is that I'm not doing an amazing number of sidequests, roughly one chain per area and I'm still whizzing through the levels which makes me wonder if the game is a bit short.

Apparently if you follow the story it's only about ten hours long, but I've played it for 20-30 hours, maybe more, and barely done any quests yet. I haven't even gone to follow the father to GNR. There's a tonne of things to see and do, loads of 'dungeons' for want of a better word, to explore, etc etc. You just have to be willing to go out and look for them. Some of the quests take ages as well.

[H-Man]

Its amazing how this game has divided opinions

Totally.

I haven't been as engrossed in a single player game for quite a while. Oblivion's appeal soon wore off for me, but this has had me gripped for a few weeks now.

[losersclub]

Just got this today and it's fantastic so far

[NoelEdwards]

I took advantage of it being ?20 the other week in gamestation and picked it up. I?m really enjoying it so far, don?t have a clue where to go now I?ve got out tho.

[DCharlie]

okay, finished the X360 version (main quest mainly) and here are my brief thoughts :

to start with, i'm a huge Wasteland nut. One of my favourite games of all time, and whilst i liked Fallout 1 + 2, it just felt like it was missing something. Both were good games, but i guess the visual representation (as shallow as that is) wasn't what i thought Wasteland would look like in my minds eye.

Jump forward to Fallout 3 and on first setting foot outside Vault 101 i was suddenly in a place that i'd imagined all those years back. The graphics aren't super state of the art, but the atmosphere that the game oozes is brilliant. There is a bleakness about the game with an (albeit) heavy handed dose of political commentary that does resonate with the current global situation : i.e. GLOOM, DOOM, We are all screwed. It does feel like the perfect time for a game like fallout. The music is absolutely fantastic and Three Dog's radio station really add to the atmosphere.

The combat is decent enough, with the VAPS system fun, but ultimately boiling down to a " breather" option for people playing in real time (or people looking to conserve ammo).
The quick travel is there from Oblivion and the general feel that you are always missing something in the world is also present : Talking to the odd stranger can queue up a whole list of quests.

My finish time was around 28 hours, but i think it could be done in well under half that time, but there is is so much to distract you if you take the time. Plus there are multiple approaches to problems - so you could go and do that long task to enable entry into a certain place.... or you can go balls out and just kill everyone to gain entry.

On the down side, on the X360 you might get a bit bored of hearing the same old same old over and over on the radio. Not sure how other versions are. I've also had the game freeze a few times, so lots of saves are recommended (ESPECIALLY if you are an achievement loving person!). The ending felt somewhat abrupt too, but it was still fairly satisfying.

Still playing the game now, wandering the wastes and picking up extra caps. However, if you have no attachment to the previous game, or found Oblivion to be not your cup of tea, then i'd try and give it a rent first. I had a real hard time of things on my first play for 5 hours, but as my US machine fried, i ended up playing the Asian version on the JX360 and things were a lot smoother (due to some slightly differnt choices i made early on). Talking to friends, they had the same sort of experience - they got frustated having no money, no ammo and seemingly no obvious place to go to progress. In that sense, it's pretty old skool - and whilst that might appeal to some people, it can obviously put people off.

All in all though, i thought it was one of the games of the year.

Thanks for listening, chiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiildren.

[honeymustard]

I'm not sure if this was posted, but they just released a patch for the PS3 version, adding trophies and fixing a lot of bugs (including the notifications temporarily freezing the game). Great news for me

[MattyD]

Re: the radio, it's pretty much the same in the PC version as well. I've only found four stations so far but they're all just short clips on a loop. It's not like you can just change between multiple stations whenever it takes your fancy either like in GTA games so oncee I've heard the clip once I pretty much go back to the regular score (which is nice anyway TBH).

[Rossco]

I thought the radios were all supposed to be quite short range or something so were hardly ever on. And would only tune it automatically whenever you came close to the station instead of being always on if you turn to the radio option. I don't always want the music and talking on, but woulda been cool if it was to come and go.

[MattyD]

Not sure about other versions but on the PC you get a notification when you go within range of a new radio station but to listen to it you must tune into it through your Pip-boy 3000. If you go out of range the signal gradually gets weaker and noisier until there's nothing but static. You have to actually untune the Pip-boy to get the regular background music though, so I pretty much leave it off.

[Rossco]

Hmmm sounds stupid. I leave mine switched off too then.