Fallout 3

quarryman · 03-11-2008 09:59PM

Stercus Accidit wrote: »

I am ashamed to say I only got this game yesterday, I am proud to say I went to bed at 7.30 am last night, and barely made it up for 4pm this morning.

My impression went from, hmm, the vault is fun, the whole opening play is very slick, and sets the scene well, looking good so far.

Then I was delighted to fight a bit, realise I had some freedom to kill or talk my way out, I killed, fps mode in my brain kicked in
I noticed that normal shooting, as I had read, was a bit awkward, but not in such a way as to ruin the game, I have practised levelling a quick headshot with the combat shotgun to the extent I can save vats for another target.

I then emerged and felt a bit iffy about the whole game world. The music twanged of oblivion, I went into a mine, like oblivion, found items, much more fun to collect ammo and guns than, pff arrows.
I was attacked by a random animal, oblivion, I found a town and familiar speech options, oblivion, I roamed aimlessly a bit on a side quest, very boring, oblivion.
I was cynical for good reason and was proved wrong later on in the main quest.

My enemies did seem to range from pathetic to powerful, regardless of my level, mole rat to mini gun equipped super mutant. Thats different, I was pleased. I then realised when returning to a previously cleared area, the enemies were gone, they weren't a random spawn but were dotted about as proper obstacles to travel, I was pleased again, it felt more real.
Enemies were also sometimes scripted, popping out of a broken truck, rather than being aimlessly placed, they were properly placed.

I continued the main quest, and fought a great battle through dc to the radio building, initially I ran from an onslaught of super mutants, I thought oh sh1t, I'm too weak to take on these lads, then the BOS attacked the mutants, and fought with me through the ruins.

This felt like a properly scripted battle, it was fps with depth. The areas I explore are unique and interesting, not anonymous caves. Items are fun to collect, not just clutter, bar the odd .32 pistol.

It seems this is a game in its own right, some of the oblivion influence was painful to begin with, but none of the flaws seem to be there, the game works, and is great fun, it has a depth of design, not too random in its gameplay, not to prescriptive, it feels real, and I cant wait to play some more.

great mini review.

dreamers75 · 03-11-2008 10:01PM

joe123 wrote: »

Just wondering can people tell me if theres any scaling in it? I absolutely hate scaling and it ruined oblivion....I read reviews saying it was gone but came across a few more saying it was still there?

Quite the opposite, best way to describe is the scene in Terminator 1 when the T800 enters the rebel outpost and unleashes his cannon.

That would be you in game around level 11ish, you turn into an absolute killing machine, i went with big guns and walking around murdering every evil person i found and with the Tesla Armour and Gatling Cannon , im an unstoppable killing machine. Devilclaws and super mutants can be taken down with very easily with shotgun or AK at that level.

game of the year if it didnt crash every 5 minutes, i put quick save to an extra mouse button for ease of use , never a good sign.

Pyr0 · 03-11-2008 10:48PM

It never crashed for me once the whole time I was playing it ! There's a list of bugs on the Fallout wiki if any of ye are interested.

http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Fallout_3_bugs

Helix · 04-11-2008 12:05AM

im probably going to get crucified for this, but i dont like fallout 3

id never played either of its predecessors, so i didnt really know what to expect. all i was told was oblivion with guns, which sounds a wonderful proposition.

what i found however, was a fairly meh game that lacks something i just cant put my finger on

i want to like it, i really really really do, but theres something about it that has me reaching for the power button time after time. its just, uninteresting or something

not a patch on oblivion anyway

04-11-2008 04:51AM

Helix wrote: »

im probably going to get crucified for this, but i dont like fallout 3

id never played either of its predecessors, so i didnt really know what to expect. all i was told was oblivion with guns, which sounds a wonderful proposition.

what i found however, was a fairly meh game that lacks something i just cant put my finger on

i want to like it, i really really really do, but theres something about it that has me reaching for the power button time after time. its just, uninteresting or something

not a patch on oblivion anyway

someone knock up a crucifix quick, i'll get the nails

PogMoThoin · 04-11-2008 09:04AM

Helix wrote: »

im probably going to get crucified for this, but i dont like fallout 3

id never played either of its predecessors, so i didnt really know what to expect. all i was told was oblivion with guns, which sounds a wonderful proposition.

what i found however, was a fairly meh game that lacks something i just cant put my finger on

i want to like it, i really really really do, but theres something about it that has me reaching for the power button time after time. its just, uninteresting or something

not a patch on oblivion anyway

+1, you're not alone, bored me to tears also

04-11-2008 09:32AM

I was going to get this tomorrow for the pc ,is it really that bad or does it just not meet expectations?

wayne040576 · 04-11-2008 09:48AM

311 wrote: »

I was going to get this tomorrow for the pc ,is it really that bad or does it just not meet expectations?

It's a good game. Just quite a few crashing bugs on the PC version.

pixelburp · 04-11-2008 10:17AM

Well having received it yesterday in the post, I installed and played it for what was supposed to be an hour or two, but was in fact the whole evening. So right there is an indication of how I felt about it.

I thought it was a wonderful experience - and that's the key word here, experience. Even the little elements like the Karma system have a profound effect on how you react to the game and this world of radiation & survival. It seems like *everything* is irradiated & after bruising encounters against Raiders I found myself stealing someone's supplies of Stimpacks rather than chowing down on some irradiated steak ... ... and feeling bad about. Outside of the HL2:Ep2 ending, I have never once found myself empathising with a game or its characters, ever.

This game is only a few hours old and it can illicit emotional reactions from me. That's not a bad claim for any game to make. Bethesda must really take some props for putting together a coherent and believable blasted world of Fallout. There are still the little bits of dark humour here and there, but the moribund atmosphere really starts to shape your own decisions & reactions to those decisions (see the above example) after a few hours play.

I love the VATS system; I wasn't sure how I would feel about it, but it's a great way of fighting & introduces a little more tactic into the scuffles. The natural inclination is to run & gun, FPS style, but that just isn't do-able in this scenario & you'll soon find VATS far more useful & ultimately satisfying. Sure the AI's a bit ropey (no change since Oblivion there really), but it's forgiveable.

My only real bone of contention is that the stealth system still sucks; Oblivion's was a weak toggle between "seen" and "unseen", regardless of the environment. This continues & being a player who likes to sneak about and subvert the enemy, it's hard to play the game with this somewhat arbitrary system.

Vegeta · 04-11-2008 12:43PM

After seeing this being played/playing it for 2-3 hours last night, I do like it.

Don't like the Karma system implementation though. Even if you steal something and no one sees you it has a negative impact on their opinion of you. That makes no fcuking sense. Fair enough if people see you stealing or killing people and their opinion of you goes down. Basing their opinions on something that no one even knows about doesn't sit right with me.

The game does a lot of things right though.

Might be an xmas purchase to get me through the holidays.

Krieg · 04-11-2008 12:47PM

Very likely to be game of the year.

I wasn't very impressed in the first couple of hours, but really enjoying it now.

Mantel · 04-11-2008 02:25PM

Vegeta wrote: »

After seeing this being played/playing it for 2-3 hours last night, I do like it.

Don't like the Karma system implementation though. Even if you steal something and no one sees you it has a negative impact on their opinion of you. That makes no fcuking sense. Fair enough if people see you stealing or killing people and their opinion of you goes down. Basing their opinions on something that no one even knows about doesn't sit right with me.

Think of Karma as how you act

The more of an asshole you are the more you'll act like one. If karma was based on peoples opinions of you then you'd be netural in every new place you visited.

Krieg · 04-11-2008 02:41PM

Whats the consequence of Karma? Is it relevant to the ending?

I think the next time I play, Im going to be strictly an asshole, Killing npc's, robbing everything i can

TomCo · 04-11-2008 02:47PM

Vegeta wrote: »

Even if you steal something and no one sees you it has a negative impact on their opinion of you. That makes no fcuking sense. Fair enough if people see you stealing or killing people and their opinion of you goes down.

Thats because its Karma.

TomCo · 04-11-2008 02:49PM

Krieg wrote: »

Whats the consequence of Karma? Is it relevant to the ending?

I think the next time I play, Im going to be strictly an asshole, Killing npc's, robbing everything i can

Im playing as a good guy,

I have a contract out on my head (literally) for being a goody two shoes so I get harrassed by roving bands of merc's.

Krieg · 04-11-2008 03:22PM

TomCo wrote: »

Im playing as a good guy,
I have a contract out on my head (literally) for being a goody two shoes so I get harrassed by roving bands of merc's.

Aye, same here.
Bastards were tough the first couple of encounters but easily handled now

Vegeta · 04-11-2008 03:46PM

TomCo wrote: »

Thats because its Karma.

That doesn't make it any better. I still don't like its implementation.

If it was truly to stick to the Karma ideal, wouldn't you get negative karma points for killing things.

Mantel · 04-11-2008 03:58PM

Vegeta wrote: »

That doesn't make it any better. I still don't like its implementation.

If it was truly to stick to the Karma ideal, wouldn't you get negative karma points for killing things.

You do, except for the Evil npc's

http://planetfallout.gamespy.com/wiki/Fallout_3_Karma

I suppose most of the bandits/raiders would be just Evil instead of Very evil or netural.

Maximilian · 04-11-2008 05:08PM

I haven't played it all that long but I think it's great so far. Even the side quests feel like thought has gone into them. It has lots of little moments that make the game seem alive.

For example, I was kind of low on health and being chased by a super mutant and some Centaur I think. Both were injured but I was low on ammo and health. I ran over a bridge trying to get some distance and when I looked back suddenly, the SM falls over dead. Some raiders had arrived on the scene and finished them off. I repayed their kindness with lead.

Its stuff like that I appreciate. The comparisons to Oblivion can be made but this is a much better game than Oblivion. I think Bethesda recognised the flaws in their earlier game and set out to fix them. Plus it feels like Fallout. They nailed that part.

Vegeta · 04-11-2008 05:25PM

Mantel wrote: »

You do, except for the Evil npc's

http://planetfallout.gamespy.com/wiki/Fallout_3_Karma

I suppose most of the bandits/raiders would be just Evil instead of Very evil or netural.

All things not just what the game considers to be evil. Killing is killing in the eyes of karma I'd imagine

Don't get me wrong now, I like the game but I think the bastardised version of karma is just not needed in the game.

Maximilian · 04-11-2008 05:30PM

I don't really worry about Karma. Whatever happens happens. Sometimes, you just want to shoot somebody in the head because they annoyed you. Sometimes, you just want to set a nuke off.

I don't see the problem with the system. Just because nobody saw you steal that item doesn't mean you didn't do wrong.

Vegeta · 04-11-2008 05:58PM

Maximilian wrote: »

I don't see the problem with the system. Just because nobody saw you steal that item doesn't mean you didn't do wrong.

I don't really have a problem with that bit, if you're play it evil, well then let the story take some turns based on that or your luck suffers or you are reborn as a rad roach when you die.

My issue arises with people, NPCs, judging you on Karma level (haven't seen it happen but guys above talking bout it). Can they see your karmic aura or something?

Lets say you ate a baby for breakfast. I meet you for the first time a few hours later and I know, somehow, through cosmic channels, that you're a baby eater. Just seems......wrong. It doesn't sit right with me.

Now I may be wrong in my assumptions of how the system works, I'm just going on what others have said above, have not encountered it first hand.

If you play a thief, the goal is to rob things without getting caught, with this system you always get caught just a little bit (unless there is some perk to prevent negative karma got from using a five finger discount)

I just know I would not have put that in if it were me or changed the way it works

Again it will not stop me playing the game but its just an aspect I don't like and would change if possible

Climate Expert · 04-11-2008 06:01PM

Lets say you ate a baby for breakfast. I meet you for the first time a few hours later and I know, somehow, through cosmic channels, that you're a baby eater. Just seems......wrong. It doesn't sit right with me.

It's a game man, not a real life simulator. Just assume that they can sense your badness.

Vegeta · 04-11-2008 06:07PM

Climate Expert wrote: »

It's a game man, not a real life simulator. Just assume that they can sense your badness.

:rolleyes:

Maximilian · 04-11-2008 06:09PM

Intuition if you will. Shiftyness. Evil smirk. Hex editor.

pwd · 04-11-2008 06:11PM

How resource hungry is it? Compared to bioshock, the witcher, orange box games, quake 4?
I've an xps with a 2.4ghz dual core processor, 4 gig ram (32-bit os though), good version of nvidia 8600m gpu.
The game sounds superb.

edit: i see others have asked the same thing... http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/fallout3/show_msgs.php?topic_id=m-1-46266756&pid=918428

Vegeta · 04-11-2008 06:19PM

Maximilian wrote: »

Intuition if you will. Shiftyness. Evil smirk. Hex editor.

or "a wizard did it"

Well I could come back with an argument like, how did

Mr. Burke, who is pure evil,

slip through their highly tuned intuition filters but I feel I am on my own here so will let it be

ShiverinEskimo · 04-11-2008 06:26PM

pwd wrote: »

How resource hungry is it? Compared to bioshock, the witcher, orange box games, quake 4?
I've an xps with a 2.4ghz dual core processor, 4 gig ram (32-bit os though), good version of nvidia 8600m gpu.
The game sounds superb.

edit: i see others have asked the same thing... http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/fallout3/show_msgs.php?topic_id=m-1-46266756&pid=918428

Similar spec to mine and I'm running everything on high at 1280z1024 and it's running about 45/50 fps. You should be fine.

dreamers75 · 04-11-2008 08:10PM

The contract Talon guys:mad:, one of my favourite moments was stumbling

upon their base in Fort Bannister, they died....they all died horrible horible deaths, their leader got fistod!!!

Question regards Mr Burke ,i killed him by accident just after he asked to do his quest. Is there any more quests from him if you do the original one?

ShaneU · 04-11-2008 09:02PM

dreamers75 wrote: »

The contract Talon guys:mad:, one of my favourite moments was stumbling
upon their base in Fort Bannister, they died....they all died horrible horible deaths, their leader got fistod!!!

Is killing their leader the only way to stop them from hunting you?

Fallout 3

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