TyloniusFunk
It Wandered In From the Wastes
This is my review of the graphically impressive yet soul crushingly shallow game: Fallout 3.
My uniquely articulated thoughts on the game:
1. Graphics. DC Mall and real world locations lovingly reproduced and rendered in impressive 3D engine. Seriously, if this game was only a simulated tour of the Mall, it would be an instant classic. Unfortunately...
2. Moral Ambiguity. Moral ambiguity is more like moral binary in Fallout 3. You do good things or you do bad things. You gain karma or you lose karma. This is not ambiguous at all. Real moral ambiguity is making hard (often uninformed) decisions and then living with the consequences. Failure #1.
3. Voice acting and writing for children's television/Sci-Fi channel. Seriously, no character in the game has depth. None. Bad voice acting can be overlooked when something interesting is being said, but that doesn't ever happen. Good writing means multiple meanings can be found on both the surface and in the subtext. Not only are dialogue options/NPC speech stark in meaning, but devoid of subtext, always. Failure #2.
4. Myriad inconsistencies/nonsensical facts/unrealistic and unfun mechanics. For exposition on this point, see most other forum posts. Failure #3.
5. Failure to live up to brand. I haven't mentioned the other games yet, seriously, check. But the above points do go a great distance toward explaining this point. The original two games, arguably, do not suffer from the above three failures.
Generally, Fallout 3 does a great job imitating the form of the originals, but fails to capture their essence. This is in spite of the near perfect graphics, which seems like quite a feet. Ultimately, Fallout 3 is Oblivion with a fresh coat of fallout paint, with the same failings and furniture of that game. Failure #4.
In summary, Bethesda dumbed down the game for the mass market and cashed in on a classic franchise they could scoop up cheap. This game is not for Fallout fans.
[Edit] For these reasons, no one should pay to play the game. [/Edit]
-TheFunk
My uniquely articulated thoughts on the game:
1. Graphics. DC Mall and real world locations lovingly reproduced and rendered in impressive 3D engine. Seriously, if this game was only a simulated tour of the Mall, it would be an instant classic. Unfortunately...
2. Moral Ambiguity. Moral ambiguity is more like moral binary in Fallout 3. You do good things or you do bad things. You gain karma or you lose karma. This is not ambiguous at all. Real moral ambiguity is making hard (often uninformed) decisions and then living with the consequences. Failure #1.
3. Voice acting and writing for children's television/Sci-Fi channel. Seriously, no character in the game has depth. None. Bad voice acting can be overlooked when something interesting is being said, but that doesn't ever happen. Good writing means multiple meanings can be found on both the surface and in the subtext. Not only are dialogue options/NPC speech stark in meaning, but devoid of subtext, always. Failure #2.
4. Myriad inconsistencies/nonsensical facts/unrealistic and unfun mechanics. For exposition on this point, see most other forum posts. Failure #3.
5. Failure to live up to brand. I haven't mentioned the other games yet, seriously, check. But the above points do go a great distance toward explaining this point. The original two games, arguably, do not suffer from the above three failures.
Generally, Fallout 3 does a great job imitating the form of the originals, but fails to capture their essence. This is in spite of the near perfect graphics, which seems like quite a feet. Ultimately, Fallout 3 is Oblivion with a fresh coat of fallout paint, with the same failings and furniture of that game. Failure #4.
In summary, Bethesda dumbed down the game for the mass market and cashed in on a classic franchise they could scoop up cheap. This game is not for Fallout fans.
[Edit] For these reasons, no one should pay to play the game. [/Edit]
-TheFunk
