8 hours in and Fallout 3 is doing me right. I had some unchecked hopes for the outdoor environmental graphics that I feel a bit let down about (I'm playing the 360 version), but nothing that Oblivion did not suffer from. On the flip side, the character models and their textures are really nice. Haters be damned, my old turn-based ass likes the VATS system. Unlike Oblivion, there is a sense of potential threat about the world -- the knowledge that a far-too-powerful enemy might be over that next ridge.
I think we are incredibly spoiled when it comes to our games and entertainment these days. We take for granted these amazingly rendered 3D worlds that have characters that engage and react to us. While I do enjoy shooters and frantic fights, I've never been a big twitch gamer and have always preferred slower, thoughtful turn-based strategy titles -- or games that encourage exploration of an environment and its little quirks and touches. I'm the type of dork who actually read a bunch of those books in Oblivion. I want to get lost in the universe provided. After over 140 hours played, I still pick up Oblivion from time to time because I know there is stuff I still have not seen. But it seems to me that in the constant march forward to have a title embody the latest technology or gripping gameplay, we've lost that sense of awe that comes with immersing oneself in a fully realized fictional world. We are spoiled. Game journalists: doubly so. The old Fallout titles hold a special place in my mind because even without 3D graphics, they were the embodiment of all of these traits I enjoy. Deep world, deep customization, engaging gameply and NO RUSH. This new iteration of Fallout is no different and lives up to its pedigree very well. If you are an RPG gamer, an old Fallout fan or someone who likes to take their time, here's your Game of the Year.
Last night I found a SEVA suit in Yantar that totally rocks. Ain't no fire, lightening or radiation that's gonna kill me. I love how there were many spots that I could not get past in the early stages of the game that are now going to be accessible to me... it's an awesome Metroid style of game design that keeps me coming back for more and more. Add in my multiple Endurance artifacts and I can now run non-stop forever through the zombie wastelands. Take THAT Pseudodog!
I have been playing S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl for the past two weeks now... at the typical KC rate of a few hours each week -- and hot damn if it's not the most immersive title I've played in a long time. This is my second time taking a whack at this title -- I tried last year when it first came out, but both my video card and my patience were not up to par. After getting the new GeForce 9800 GX2 last month, I decided to return for a second run (needless to say, it looks fantastic all cranked up at 1920 x 1200).
It takes a few hours to get some decent armor and weaponry and as such, the first few stretches of the game are very hard -- but once you get into the flow, it's kind of insane how deep and alive the game world is.Animals and NPCs migrate and do their own thing in realtime, mission critical characters can get just as easily whacked as random riff-raff, and mission windows come and go based on the clock, which means making choices feels very weighted. It's easy to die (I like keeping multiple save files in rotation to experience the parallel universe paths), but that again adds a sense of danger and investment in your choices. The use of artifacts for powers and their radioactive effects is unique, though the inventory system is pretty clunky. The weather systems are impressive and the sound design is appropriately dark and gritty (headphones are a must for this one). When I'm in this world, I am in there.I have been incredibly spooked at times, having to stop playing for a spell when things get too intense -- and I have also been quite startled, jumping high into the air, when my girlfriend has tapped me on the shoulder while playing. It's been a loooong time since I have been this affected by a shooter. You are not going to get to see everything in this game, but the result is a world that feels very alive regardless of your involvement. That's creepy. I love how after you are killed you are free to watch the world continue going on around you... do my buddies survive the raid without me? Do those mutant dogs start fighting over my body?
In looking at the screenshots and reviews here on GiantBomb, it seems I have quite a ways to go (there are underground tunnels?!) It's certainly not a title for FPS twitch fanatics... it takes patience, both as a player and also to just deal with the game's interface quirks, but if you're someone who's into RPGs and thoughtful shooting titles, this one is worth the time spent. All I want to do is go back into this world and see where it all ends up... just in time for the prequel title later this month! ;)
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