It's the end of the world... bring on the mutants (Fallout 3 (PS3))

Member Name: DaveAshton

Product:	Fallout 3 (PS3)
Date:	10/11/09 (56 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great storyline, varied ... things... to kill, hundreds of non-essential quests.

Disadvantages: A bit buggy, game ends after main plot complete.

Fallout 3 is one of must-have games for the PS3. A combination of RPG and First- (or Third-, if you prefer to play that way) shooter, Fallout 3 throws you into a post-Nuclear war America. The desolation surrounding you isn't just to look impressive though, it's a very real danger, as nearly all of the water in the game is radioactive to some degree or other, and will kill your character if you stay in it long enough. Assuming the mutants don't get you first...

Without going into the plot too much, the first hour or so of the game will cover your character growing up in an underground facility known as Vault 101, which is basically a tutorial bit showing you how the various controls work, and also guiding you through the character creation process, from what sex your character is and how they look, to whether they prefer Big Guns (rocket launchers, flamethrowers etc) or Small Guns (rifles, pistols, shotguns...). After this is over, you'll be able to explore the wide world and make your story...

The main plot is very well written, and there are several decent twists in it (not least at the very end... hard choices to be made there). The only problem is that once the main story's complete, that's it (unless you buy the expansion packs separately, or the Game of the Year edition of the game, which has them in it). If you want to play more Fallout 3, you'll have to start again. It's definitely worth spending time away from the main plotline, not just to make your game last longer, but because there are hundreds of mini-quests to do, and the rewards are many and varied, from money and unique weapons, to skill upgrades.

However, as with any game like this, there are bugs. Sometimes building textures don't load correctly, so things disappear when you walk by them. The building itself stays there, but posters and things just random vanish, then come back if you retrace your steps. Also, a lot of the bodies (not things you've killed, ones that are scenery) get stuck if you try to move them. I decided to live in a caravan in the wilderness, but the skeleton of the previous owner wouldn't move properly. I ended up with it's leg poking out of the floor, and swinging like an upside down pendulum. It didn't affect the game in any way, but it's not very realistic to have something perpetually moving for no reason...

Another big problem with Fallout 3 is that there are a couple of game-breaking bugs (ones you can't come back from, and leave you stuck somewhere). In one of the areas you'll find on your explorations, if you close the door behind you when you enter, there's no way to get back out. The switch is on the other side of the door, and you can't access it. It's because of these bugs I can't give it 5 stars.

All in all, Fallout 3 is a good game, and any fan of exploration-y games should buy it.

Summary: Worth buying despite the flaws