"War never Changes"
Game: Fallout 3
Developer: Bethesda Works
Rating: Mature
Platforms: Xbox 360 / Ps3 / PC
MSRP: 9.99
I do realize I am a bit late to the party on this one. Fallout was a game I was told about so much and I never cared to try it until recently. When "Skyrim" came out (a game by the same developer but set in a mystical dragon fantasy setting) I was told that If I liked "Skyrim" I would love "Fallout". Well I hated "Skyrim", but I found myself really digging "Fallout". Is this game worth your time? We'll find out right now.
Story:
Fallout's charm lies in its aethestics and story telling. The game itself is retro armagedon, in the sense that the style of the game is what the 50's thought the end of the world would be like. In this world, the cold war ended up with nukes hitting all the countries, ushering us into what humanity calls the wasteland. Nothing grows really, and survivors have to scavenge and fight each other to survive. Before the war began however the U.S government built safehouses or Vaults to keep a select few groups of society intact for when they would be needed to repopulate the planet. You play as an inhabitant of one of these vaults, the war has been over for at least 100 years but no one you know how dared to go outside. You, of course have to.
The character you control is speechless and of your own design. When talking to people the game gives you a wide list of things to say as a response to most things, meaning that you control the character's destiny, actions and story. In turn this engages the player to the story more because the game is trying to make you one with the character your controlling. The main quest of the game is to find your dad who escaped the vault and that simple task will take you on some wacky adventures until you find him. Fallout is the kind of game in which you reap what you sow, the more time you spend playing it, the more rewarded you will feel afterwards with the stories and events it throws at you.
Grade: B+
Gameplay:
This is by far one of the most violent games I've ever played, way past "Grand Theft Auto". As an inhabitant of this world you can explore the wasteland ruins of what was once Washington D.C and its surrounding towns and countryside. There are about 3-4 places that act as towns where you are safe and can get rest, and buy weapons. The rest of this world wants you dead, enslaved or to eat you. Everything in this game is your enemy, from radioactive flys, to overgrown crabs and even other canibalistic humans want your blood. And the game gives you an arsenal of weapons to fight back with, like Ak-47's, machine guns, grenades and bats. As the game goes on you can level up your character and make them stronger with certain weapons giving you a customizeable edge, but in the beginning most things can kill you easily.
Running with the plot the game implements a karma system. Depending on your actions in the world you can either by loved by the world, or feared by it. Most significant actions fall under the frames of good or evil and when you fall into the extreme of either category, perks happen. For example if your really good, people will bring you food and give you free items. Or even simply give quest objectives to you instead of having to run around for them. When your evil some of the bad characters instead of attacking you will revere you and people become easier to rob. Either way you choose to play the game is up to you, it is fun however to see that every action has a consequence in ways that arent clear at first.
Grade: B+
Graphics and Sound:
This is an incredibly gorgeous game to look at, even now. Released in 2008 all the detail in the game still shines as if it were made this year. There is some oddities with how humans are made however, when people talk to you they stay perfectly still and only their lips move, but aside from that most of the game seems very lifelike.
The music of the game is provided by a little handheld computer the character carries. Being that the bombs dropped in the 50's all thats left of the worlds music are hits from the 50's. The soundtrack has songs from "Billie Holliday" and the "Inkspots" to name a few. Dont know who they are? Play this game for a few hours and you will and you will love them.
Grade: B
Verdict:
This isnt a shock to those who already own this game, but Fallout is amazing. I'm late to the party I realize but it really is something that you don't quite get too often these days. While it may not be as expansive as "Skyrim" I found myself caring about this world and the setting alot more than I did about the former. This game is grand and if you haven't played it yet, go to gamestop right now and buy it.
Final Grade: B+
Is this game worth your money?: For 10 bucks its a steal right now.
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