by Mathew Overbey

Created on: January 16, 2010

Imagine this; the world lies in ruins after a all-out nuclear assault. The world, plagued by nuclear energies for over two hundred years, clings to some humanity. Law has steadily decayed to near complete anarchy. Years and years of radiation has mutated fiendish breeds of mutant creatures of nearly every walk and tainted all food and water supplies. All this sums up to Earth being a paradise of fun , happiness, and easy-times to be had.

                Fallout 3 takes place in the year 2277, two hundred years after the world went ape$#!% with nukes and stuff. You wake up a screaming, gunk-covered (The reddish spots might hint at this) baby and go through the basic RPG setup of the person confused of your gender (Had to wait for the gunk to clear off … Maybe). You grow-up, do a lot of kid stuff that one would do locked up in a Vault, and eventually somehow leave the forsaken place to enter the Wasteland!

                Fallout 3 has been praised up and down, and for good reason. The game has a somewhat linear story-line, as most structured RPGs are, but with plenty of choices to craft certain select outcomes. Morals play somewhat of a role in the game, as you progress certain characters might react to you differently if you’re smattered in blood with a hunger for more blood burning bright in your eyes as you’re assailed by bullets after stuffing a live grenade into someone pants. But the world is forgiving sometimes … Sometimes. Wasteland justice enables a “eye-for-a-eye” concept. But if your crimes aren’t too hefty people might grow to not shoot you on sight over time.

                The game’s graphics are amazing. A beautiful, albeit desolate, world littered with remnants of items dating back to before the war and make-shift houses crafted with metal scraps.

                Mechanics are a plus. V.A.T.S over time eventually make you god-like, but in the beginning it’s your lifeline. The role-playing game elements of leveling and investing in stats enlists the RPGs typical addictive gameplay.

                The story is refreshing and a bit obvious from time to time with a few extremely surprising twists and surprises.

                Above all, the music and nostalgic feel caste over the entire game somehow twisted craftily with futuristic technology draws the most attention. Propaganda littered about reaps a story in itself without actually going in-depth into the game’s history through dialogue and recordings. It’s great when a game can tell a story with it’s environment almost single handedly. And the music fits amazingly. Almost nothing beats listening to 1940s music while blasting through waves of mutants, blood spraying to the mellow tones of ‘Let’s Go Sunning’.

                The Downloadable content isn’t a MUST have but it’s great to have, especially Broken Steel as it raises your level cap and progresses the story further.

                Overall this game is a must have. Go buy it. Play it to death. Do it.

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