Aggregated Parent and Gamer opinions on Fallout3

What is “Fallout 3” all about?
Fallout 3 is an action role-playing game released by Bethesda Game Studios. It is the third major game in the Fallout series, which has also spawned the spin-offs Fallout Tactics and Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel.

Fallout 3 takes place in a post-apocalyptic United States in the fallout 3 gun year 2277. The player character is a member of Vault 101, a fallout shelter serving Washington, D.C. now known as the Capital Wasteland.
Though the global atomic war of 2077 left the US all but destroyed, the residents of Vault 101 enjoy a life free from Giant Insects, Raiders, Slavers, and yes, even Super Mutants. Yet one morning, you awake to find that your father has left the comfort and security afforded by Vault 101 for reasons unknown. Leaving the only home you’ve ever known, you emerge from the Vault into the harsh Wasteland sun to search for your father. Fallout 3 is a singleplayer action role-playing game (RPG) that combines the horrific insanity of the Cold War era theory of mutually assured destruction gone terribly wrong with the kitschy naivety of American 1950s nuclear propaganda.

Early Controversy in Australia:
On July 4, 2008, Fallout 3 was refused classification by the OFLC in Australia, thus making it illegal to distribute or purchase the game in the country. In order for the game to be reclassified, the offending content in the Australian version of the game would have had to be removed by Bethesda Softworks and the game resubmitted to the OFLC. According to the OFLC board report, the game was refused classification due to the “realistic visual representations of drugs and their delivery method [bringing] the ’science-fiction’ drugs in line with ‘real-world’ drugs.” A revised version of the game was resubmitted to the OFLC and reclassified as MA 15+ on August 7, 2008, or not suitable for people under the age of 15; this new rating ensured that the game could retail legally in Australia.

“Fallout3″ Review Summary from Family Oriented Media Sites:

Family Media Websites

Whattheyplay commented: “When you’re not talking to characters, much of the game will be spent in combat. Fighting in the game resembles a first-person shooter like Halo 3 or Call of Duty 4, but in actuality, it’s a bit slower and more strategic.” Whattheyplay concludes with an advisory and explanation for the M rated content: “Unsurprisingly, the extreme violence in the game has earned Fallout 3 an “M for Mature” rating from the ESRB, with notes of “Blood and Gore” and “Intense Violence.” The ESRB also mentions “Sexual Themes,” because you can flirt with members of the opposite sex and even hire prostitutes in the game. “Strong Language” is a concern due to frequent use of swear words in conversation, including “sh*t,” “f*ck,” and “d*mn.” The game also has a descriptor for “Use of Drugs.” CommonSense Media raised several red flags by advising: “Parents need to know this game is extremely graphic in nature, particularly when it comes to violence, blood, and gore – and there are ample examples of each. Players can decapitate or dismember enemies with precision, resulting in a gruesome blood spray and chunks – even witnessed in slow motion. Language might also offend with many instances of cussing. Less controversial but still in the game is the ability to take drugs called Chems (though you don’t see the act) and some sexual scenes including some risqué dialogue and mannequins in a sexual position.” However even CommonSense reviewer Marc Saltzman can’t deny the outstanding quality of the game and concludes “Whether or not you played the original Fallout games, this sequel is one of the finest – yet quite mature – video games of the year”.

“Fallout3″ Review Summary from Hardcore Gamer and Gaming Enthusiast Media Sites:

hardcore gamer media

In a review from 1UP.com, Fallout 3 was praised for its open-ended gameplay and flexible character-levelling system. Its memorable setting prompted a favorable comparison to the 2007 game BioShock. While the V.A.T.S. system was called “fun,” enemy encounters were said to suffer from a lack of precision in real-time combat and little variety in enemy types. The review concluded that despite the game’s shortcomings, Fallout 3 is a “hugely ambitious game that doesn’t come around very often,” and one would “be a fool not to play it and enjoy the hell out of it. IGN calls the game “bleak, twisted, yet utterly wonderful game”. Erik Brudvig closes his review by saying “Fallout3 delivers fantastic combat without forgoing a deep role-playing system. The characters you meet are engaging and oftentimes hilarious without feeling out of place in this harsh world. The game has a few flaws — most of them technical — but it’s a case where the whole is greater than the sum. It’s a fantastic game with incredible atmosphere that offers fun in so many different ways that you’re almost sure to get hooked. This is one of the best games you’ll play this year.” Gamespot offers a similar enthusiastic review by writing “Fallout 3 is a profoundly engrossing role-playing game just waiting to reveal its deep, dark mysteries, but calls the combat “mildly clunky”.
Fallout 3 won several awards following its showcasing at E3 2007. IGN gave it the Game of E3 2007 award, and GameSpot gave it the Best Role-Playing Game of E3 2007 award. Following the game’s demonstration at E3 2008, IGN also gave it Best Overall RPG, Best Overall Console Game, and Overall Game of the Show for E3 2008. Game Critics Awards gave the game Best Role-Playing Game and Best of Show for E3 2008.

Fallout3 Aggregated Review Score:

review aggregator