Edge.<blockquote>The next encounter, which saw Hines beset by two staggering radiation-zombies, known as ghouls, was dealt with using the Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System (or VATS) – Bethesda’s solution to the lack of pure turn-based combat. Freezing time, Hines was able to flick through the various enemies, queuing up shots on multiple ghouls. Having selected your targets, the view switches to an external camera, swooping in on the bullet-riddled bodies as they fly back in slow motion. A later encounter against some super-mutants, fought in a warren of dugouts lying between the shattered remnants of the Washington Monument and the Capitol building, illustrated how useful VATS can be, tipping off Hines to the presence of an enemy sneaking up behind,
While its combat credentials are fairly secure, previous demonstrations have done little to assure us that the writing is also up to the standard of previous Fallout games. Although this viewing focused largely on combat, we were shown developments to the opening section of the game, which sees the player growing up in a nuclear shelter, this time witnessing the protagonist’s surprise tenth birthday party. It’s a section designed to introduce the player to the kind of social interactions, depth of conversation, dialogue and consequences that Hines tells us persist throughout the later game.
Talking to a girl of the same age, the player has the opportunity to lie about just how surprising the surprise party was, along with a number of other options ranging from complimentary to ungraciously hostile.</blockquote>Also, the usual.<blockquote>"War never changes,” grumbles ubiquitous voiceover favorite Ron Perlman in Fallout 3’s opening cinematic. Of course, the one major bugbear among diehard fans of previous turn-based Fallout games is that war has actually changed rather substantially with the coming sequel. Thankfully, as we see more and more of the game, it seems like these detractors are misguided.</blockquote>Good thing Bethesda never has to defend itself. The protractors are legion.
Link: Edge Fallout 3 preview on Next Generation.
Spotted on GameBanshee.
While its combat credentials are fairly secure, previous demonstrations have done little to assure us that the writing is also up to the standard of previous Fallout games. Although this viewing focused largely on combat, we were shown developments to the opening section of the game, which sees the player growing up in a nuclear shelter, this time witnessing the protagonist’s surprise tenth birthday party. It’s a section designed to introduce the player to the kind of social interactions, depth of conversation, dialogue and consequences that Hines tells us persist throughout the later game.
Talking to a girl of the same age, the player has the opportunity to lie about just how surprising the surprise party was, along with a number of other options ranging from complimentary to ungraciously hostile.</blockquote>Also, the usual.<blockquote>"War never changes,” grumbles ubiquitous voiceover favorite Ron Perlman in Fallout 3’s opening cinematic. Of course, the one major bugbear among diehard fans of previous turn-based Fallout games is that war has actually changed rather substantially with the coming sequel. Thankfully, as we see more and more of the game, it seems like these detractors are misguided.</blockquote>Good thing Bethesda never has to defend itself. The protractors are legion.
Link: Edge Fallout 3 preview on Next Generation.
Spotted on GameBanshee.
