When you're told a new game from the creators of Oblivion is on its way, that has been awarded amazing review scores and countless awards, and that the same game promises limitless freedom,characterization, mind-blowing A.I, and innovative breakthroughs in combat techniques, then you know you're in for a treat. Much was expected of Fallout 3 ever since its announcement, mainly due to the heights of appeal Oblivion reached with gamers, and creators Bethesda have done all they can to make sure the expectations are indeed met. Ironically, many fans wanted Fallout 3 to fail, being so attached to Oblivion that it's hard for them to accept something surpassing it. Others just took comfort in the fact that another potential classic was on the horizon, and waited with baited breath for its imminent arrival.

Finally here we are, game in hand, with Oblivion's greatest threat signed, sealed, delivered, and stocked on the shelves ready to be explored. What was previously its biggest insult "Oblivion with guns" turns out to be its biggest compliment, as Fallout takes everything its unofficial predecessor did right, and expands on it exponentially. The 3 in the title is slightly misleading, in that it requires no knowledge of any previous incarnations in the Fallout series, but the main issue at hand is that yes, we ARE in for a treat, for what we have here is one ambitious, epic, sweeping adventure on the absolute grandest scale, that welcomes you into its gritty, post-apocalyptic world, and entices to you to swim gloriously in it.

Gameplay:

The game plays typically like you'd expect. Those familiar with Oblivion will feel right at home, those new to it will pick it up instantly. Played out in either 1st person or 3rd person perspective depending on your preference, the game can be played as and how you so desire. The transition between modes is seamless, and both offer different takes on exploring this incredibly realized wasteland. The combat too is left to you in terms of how you wish to conduct your fighting ways, either take on your foes in typical 1st person style, or switch to the V.A.T.S (Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System) mode, and enter a more traditional role-playing art of fighting, where you can select specific body parts, target weak areas, and time your attacks more technically to take down your foes with more finesse. Both ways of combat are highly effective, and the V.A.T.S system feels perfectly suited to a game of this type. You plan your attack in a more strategic sense, and the relative action plays out accordingly in slow motion, as you sit back and watch your chosen tactics either fail miserably, or succeed wonderfully. Being an avid fan of RPGs myself, I felt suitably at home with this method, but on the flip-side, being just as big a fan of 1st person shooters, it felt all too natural switching between the two. I'd sit back and watch my planned V.A.T.S attack go ahead and play out, and while the necessary action-points recharged to allow me to plan another tactical assault, I’d happily slip back into 1st person mode and start picking heads off myself. At least trying to anyway.

How you wish to explore the world is your choice, how you wish to fight in the world is your choice, and how you wish to conduct yourself in the world is again, your choice. And it's that level of choice, the path of freedom so to speak that the game prides itself on. Bethesda have tried to offer the player true freedom, in as much capacity as they can, to explore the wastelands before them in whatever manner they see fit, and the freedom of choice on hand is often quite impressive. After all, its not every day a game begins with you emerging from your mothers womb and being allowed to determine your very own sex!

Graphics:

With such an huge and often overwhelming world to explore, its imperative that the visuals are up to scratch to pull the whole thing off and make the whole world believable. Good news, they do. With obvious influences ranging from similar ruined, post-nuclear landscapes like those seen in the Terminator or Mad-Max films, Fallout 3’s world is well-represented, with the throes of a ruined civilization captured well, the spoils of a once glorious landscape underlying the incredible destruction that followed, and the lack of hope that now resides evident with every pixel. Everywhere you look there are ruined skylines and scenes of utter devastation, yet constant underlying traces of familiar monuments, echoes of times past, and things we take for granted today standing out like a sore thumb against this Armageddon backdrop. The contrast between the “peaceful” times of old against this vast, deserted and completely annihilated wasteland is scarily haunting, and rather poignant at times, only adding to the incredible atmosphere of the entire game. Add to this a phenomenal draw distance that really brings in to scale the whole thing, and you really get the sense that the entire world is in tatters here, which perfectly complements the sense of vast tragedy upon which Fallout hinges its very soul on.

Sound:

The soundtrack is haunting and brooding, tragic and powerful. It suits the atmosphere perfectly, and as is expected nowadays, matches the on-screen action well. A stirring piano chord will softly strike as you wander the ruined expanses alone, beautifully contrasting the stark realisation of a fatally wounded society, the only remnants of its past glory just distant memories in the wind. Essential to the atmosphere in any game, the music in Fallout helps capture the spirit of this fallen civilisation, and proves as sombre and haunting as the game’s backdrop itself. Opt out of the game’s soundtrack though, and you can use your interface to tune into the game’s very own radio stations, set up by the world’s few remaining survivors to keep up morale and “fight the good fight”. Consisting of a 50’s jazz playlist that provides a glimpse into an age long gone, it reminds you somewhat of Bioshock, where the stark, disturbing action and settings on screen were in direct conflict with the melodic, up-beat period sounds emanating from your speakers. It’s a contrast that works well, and provides your first ray of hope that you’re not alone in this crazy world. Myself, I turned it off, much preferring to relish in the post-nuclear isolation and eerie stillness of the whole game, but it’s nice to know it’s there. Add to all this some decent voice acting, featuring such talents as Hollywood stars Liam Neeson and Malcolm McDowell, and it’s evident that as much importance was put on Fallout’s audio quality as it was on the rest of the game.

Longevity:

As with Oblivion, Fallout 3 is an exploring gamer’s ideal playground. Not so much a sandbox as a whole bloody beach, its 16 mile square radius will both amaze and overwhelm. Simply put, you’ll be wandering around for weeks. The fact that there’s no set time limits or order to complete quests, gives you both the freedom to complete the game at your own pace, in your own way, and also the desire to see all you can. Strictly follow the main story, and you’ll reach the end sooner, but by doing so would be missing out so much. Fallout 3 is a game that encourages you to take your time, pace yourself, and see all that you can see. It rewards exploration, and encourages repeat play, as the many choices in the game make you eager to see what would happen had you done something a little bit differently. And in this case, curiosity didn’t kill the cat. Well, unless the cat was armed with a FatMan, one of the game’s heaviest, most impressive weapons. With no need to rush through and follow the game’s core story arc, a solid 40-50 hours of gaming lay await for any dedicated gamer, ensuring that everyone should more than get their bottle caps worth from this epic title.

Overall:

For all Fallout 3’s ideas, innovations, and excellent hybrid of game genres, it’s not without its flaws. The game occasionally stutters along, hangs completely, displays repetition in the voice acting and dialogue choices, and contains a few save bugs (an example I encounterd was upon infiltrating a super mutant base, disposing all enemies therein, promptly saving, only to reload and have all the enemies respawn!). But all these are slight niggles, and don’t come anywhere close to ruining your immersive experience. Some too may argue that there are times when the expansive and deserted wastelands feel a little TOO expansive and deserted, a noted criticism being “what’s the appeal in a exploring a world where there‘s nothing to find?” But while some may see these moments as bland and devoid of life, others will relish in the fact that it complements the setting perfectly. This ISN’T a world ripe with life, rich in colour, and brimming with delight. It’s a baron, ruined landscape, where you fight for your very survival, where the sins of mankind have taken their toll and decimated what was once a glorious civilisation, and where the hope of a better, brighter future is what drives humanity to keep going. Fallout 3 is a bold, dynamic, vast epic adventure, representing the perfect blend between action and role-playing, set within one of the biggest, most atmospheric, and well-realized gaming worlds ever created. Absolutely justified in any self-respecting gamers collection, it's a truly essential title, for an essential console. Buy this game now, and lose yourself in it. Just be sure to keep your radiation exposure down to a bare minimum after completing it though, or you might find a third arm growing from your stomach. Not bad if you’re going for those expert achievements on Guitar Hero, but otherwise, stay safe.