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.