Fallout 3

i loved it. that’s about as straightforward i can get. i can’t help but come clean as direct as possible after playing a game that judges every decision you make. from the opening lines sung by the inkblots, “i don’t want to set the world on fire,” to the last words voiced by ron perlman, “war never changes,” i felt an incredible level of immersion very rare in video games thanks in part to a development team obsessed with details.

when it comes to judging works of art, critics usually question the why and how. in film, the quest is to find the voice — the echo presence of the director or screenwriter on their work. take for example, michael bay’s transformers. in a pivotal scene, while the autobots scramble to evade government forces, optimus carries sam and mikaela to a bridge. as dramatic music plays over quick edits emphasizing artificial urgency, bumblee races towards the pursuing helicopters. just when he reaches optimus’ position, the humans slip from optimus’ hold forcing bumblebee to transform and reveal that he’s actually a giant robot and not concept car racing alone along the concrete half pipes. helicopters that could double as airborne whaling vessels subdue bumblebee, and everyone goes to the secret dam where the allspark is held.

in transformers, the why can be explained as an attempt to load as much action into a movie based on the premise that aliens want to come to earth and be general motors’ cars. things happen because the writers had end/purpose in mind — an action packed fight between the smarter decepticons (an airforce fighter, a tank, a helicopter war bird and a futuristic jet who also doubles as a cannon) and the weaker autobots (a semi truck, a rescue vehicle, a camaro with no legs, a coupe, and a humvee). action movies tend to move on rails. the audience knows what to expect and the writers know how to take them there — with mixed results. action movies are a means and an end in themselves.

but the fallout series and its spiritual predecessor wasteland have kept themselves open ended. sure, there’s a main thread that can be followed, but the method is yours to decide. with f3, flashback ending, a montage of your deeds, is yours to create.

enter megaton, a shack town built around a live nuclear bomb, and you’re given one of your first and heavier decision: detonate the bomb and destroy the city, or give the citizens peace by deactivating it. save the city, and you’ll collect your dues. burn it down, and one of your quest chains will come from the radiated ghoul in underworld who used to run a store before you bbq’d her. while most games are essentially elaborate mazes with a story to keep you interested, fallout 3 is so much more. each decision affects your standing within the game’s world. act like a hero, and people will lavish you with praise. play the villain, and the slavers at paradise falls will welcome you as one of their own. morals add another dimension giving you the choice of playing mass murder, savior, or average joe looking his father. it’s an interesting notion explored in the previous fallout games, knights of the old republic, and most recently with mass effect and the fable series.

what separates the latest installment to the series from the rest of its genre is an especially strong attention to detail. f3’s soundtrack consists of actual recordings from 1940s artists like ella fitzgerald and billie holiday. loading screens show slides with artwork inspired by american world war ii propaganda. every bit of dialogue is recorded — liam neeson plays your father — and audio notes add suspense to quest story lines. not so subtle touches like bodies hanging from meat hooks show how brutal life is like out in the wasteland, and radio stations encourage the “good fight” or keep hope in a distant american government alive. it’s post-war washington dc fraught with peril over peril with different sides and agendas fighting for your attention.

focusing on the main story only, a player can get through the game pretty quickly. it’s hard for me to imagine anyone would want to skim through this game knowing every action is another piece of silk on a web. is this the next step in video games? it started with two bars and a ball, and then mario. after several decades of self entertainment, players find themselves thinking about big life questions in a medium that, for the most part, still hasn’t been taken seriously by serious intellectuals. a player in f3 can do more than just contemplate the reason for being — theirs is a loaded question: to be or not to be evil/good.

graphics:
stunning. the sun shines on a wasteland full of burnt homes and giant insects that spray juice if you hit them in the right place. the landscape is barren, bleak and it feels perfectly hopeless. there’s detail, detail and more detail. have fun, and remember: it’s not real.

soundtrack:
the environment soundtrack is sparse and ominous until you turn on the radio. then it’s 1940s all over again. “i don’t want to set the world on fire/i just want to start a flame in your heart.”

playability:
after i finished the game as a very moral character, i started it up again. it was only a matter of time before i started feeling really guilty about killing people.

overall:
the game keeps you occupied. inventory is limited, weapons degrade and you have to collect parts for some of the best weapons in the game. just like real life, some of your choices have permanent results, so save frequently. there are a good number of bugs, but that’s expected in a game that runs “real time.” non-playable characters walk, talk and react to what you do. see the traveling salesman being attacked by a super mutant? you should save him because once he’s dead, he won’t be coming back.

rating:
4.5/5