Forget about Oblivion
Fallout 3 has a number of plus points that make it worth-while purchase. Firstly, it's storyline keeps you intrigued and we were always keen to find out what was going to happen next. The V.A.T.S system is also fun to use and there are a wide variety of nice upgrades that come in the form of 'Perks', which you can assign to your character each time you level up, for example, the 'Lady Killer' perk, which gives you 10% extra damage against any female enemies you come across.Such was the brilliance of Bethseda's last project, Oblivion, that we were still left a tad disappointed. Fallout 3 could have been better and more enjoyable if it weren't for a few issues.
The Pip-Boy, for example, is frustrating to use, yet it's pivotal to the game. It's hard to read the small text and its unnecessarily difficult to navigate. We know Bethseda can do a great and clear-cut inventory system because we've seen it in Oblivion. The map is also so small and confusing that you can find yourself, especially in underground passages, losing total track of where you’re supposed to be going.
Primarily though, the characters lack, for want of a better word, character and the desolate brown coloured wasteland never feels that exciting to explore.
It’s easy to play Fallout 3 with Oblivion in the back of your mind, but if you do that, you’ll regret it. It simply doesn’t live up to its impeccable standards of gameplay and presentation. Still, if you can get past the first couple of hours of slow gameplay, you’ll still spend hour upon hour exploring the vast wastelands, enjoying the new combat mechanic and collecting anything and everything you can lay your grubby hands on.
Click for larger imagePros
VATS system effectively adds to combat
Great storyliner
Takes some of the good from Oblivion,
Addictive, brick bashing fun!
Cons
Combat outside VATS is unbalanced
Bored exploring the wastelands
Characters lack...character
Put Oblivion to the back of your mind and you'll enjoy this post-apocalyptic ride
HEXUS Awards
Fallout 3 (8/10)
