The German magazine Gamestar previewed Fallout 3. Our German users were kind enough to supply some choice quotes:<blockquote>That's tradition:
-The character system called S.P.E.C.I.A.L. is taken in without changes.
-The 50s style including the music.
-The talent and dialog system.
-The Pip Boy is back, with new additional functions.
-A lot of enemies (for example the Rad-Scorpions), known fractions (like Enclave, Brotherhood of Steel), weapons (for example laser and plasma guns).
-Player can be good or evil. This decision will influence the end of the game.
That's new:
-Fallout 3 will be played in first person or third person view.
-The fight system is action oriented. As alternative there is the tactical V.A.T.S variant.
-The whole world is continuous. The map of the predecessors is gone.
-There are no controllable vehicles like in Fallout2.
(...)
Fallout 3 works on two clear examples, on which this new episode will orientate in content and atmosphe, the original Fallout-series and Beth's previous game Oblivion, which is the base for most of the innovations. On the positive sides, this means that strengths of Oblivion, like a huge coherent environment will be transferred onto Fallout. Also the 'Radiant AI' interaction system between the city inhabitants will be used again, though improved, so that the dialogue of pedestrians will correlate more with what is happening in the world. The visual presentation of the faces has already been drastically improved; instead of puffy visages of Oblivion the Fallout-people will now have clearly drawn, realistically appearing visages. However the Oblivion engine is still suffering from it's old weaknesses. Buildings are still not seamlessly integrated into the world; when moving from a exterior into an interior, there's still a reloading [of data]. The greatness of it's long visibility is still paid by the textures quickly becoming muddy, at least on the version shown at E3. Bethesda is planing on alleviating the autoscaling of the enemies, which made all enemies in Oblivion equally strong. According to plans each region in Fallout 3 will have a certain degree of difficulty. If someone goes into certain regions too early, which are not destined for him, he will stand no chance.
Avoid the Radiation!
By all appearances Bethesda is managing fine building up the atmosphere of the game. The darkly humorous 50s style can be found, transferred into Fallout 3 with love for the detail. Onto dilapidated streets are wrecked nuclear-powered classic cars standing, which will explode into mini mushroom clouds when coming under fire and then radiate the it surroundings. Attached on your left arm is the PipBoy3000, the legendary computer of the series, of which Todd Howard, lead designer of the game claimed it has "more graphic shaders, than in the whole Oblivion". The assistant will show information about your surroundings and information about your character.
The dialogue system matches the original one; your talents still affect which dialogue options you can choose. For every quest there will be a good and a bad solution. Matching the tradition the new Fallout will be very brutal. Enemies can be mutilated, at headshots, heads will explode into a shower of blood. It's more then questionable if this will make into the German version. - CS
(...)
>Viewed >Genre: RPG >Date: 3 quarter 2008
>Developer Bethesda >Status: 50% done
Christian Schmidt: I came out of the E3 presentation with mixed feelings. Will Fallout 3 be a good game? Yes, it seems it will be, at least if you liked Oblivion. Will it become a good game for fallout fans? I don't know. I don't care about the FPP, the loss of turn-based combat and companions however hurts a lot. But still I'm full of hope, because the atmosphere is fantastic.
Christian@gamestar.de </blockquote>Thanks deckard and Bad_Karma.
-The character system called S.P.E.C.I.A.L. is taken in without changes.
-The 50s style including the music.
-The talent and dialog system.
-The Pip Boy is back, with new additional functions.
-A lot of enemies (for example the Rad-Scorpions), known fractions (like Enclave, Brotherhood of Steel), weapons (for example laser and plasma guns).
-Player can be good or evil. This decision will influence the end of the game.
That's new:
-Fallout 3 will be played in first person or third person view.
-The fight system is action oriented. As alternative there is the tactical V.A.T.S variant.
-The whole world is continuous. The map of the predecessors is gone.
-There are no controllable vehicles like in Fallout2.
(...)
Fallout 3 works on two clear examples, on which this new episode will orientate in content and atmosphe, the original Fallout-series and Beth's previous game Oblivion, which is the base for most of the innovations. On the positive sides, this means that strengths of Oblivion, like a huge coherent environment will be transferred onto Fallout. Also the 'Radiant AI' interaction system between the city inhabitants will be used again, though improved, so that the dialogue of pedestrians will correlate more with what is happening in the world. The visual presentation of the faces has already been drastically improved; instead of puffy visages of Oblivion the Fallout-people will now have clearly drawn, realistically appearing visages. However the Oblivion engine is still suffering from it's old weaknesses. Buildings are still not seamlessly integrated into the world; when moving from a exterior into an interior, there's still a reloading [of data]. The greatness of it's long visibility is still paid by the textures quickly becoming muddy, at least on the version shown at E3. Bethesda is planing on alleviating the autoscaling of the enemies, which made all enemies in Oblivion equally strong. According to plans each region in Fallout 3 will have a certain degree of difficulty. If someone goes into certain regions too early, which are not destined for him, he will stand no chance.
Avoid the Radiation!
By all appearances Bethesda is managing fine building up the atmosphere of the game. The darkly humorous 50s style can be found, transferred into Fallout 3 with love for the detail. Onto dilapidated streets are wrecked nuclear-powered classic cars standing, which will explode into mini mushroom clouds when coming under fire and then radiate the it surroundings. Attached on your left arm is the PipBoy3000, the legendary computer of the series, of which Todd Howard, lead designer of the game claimed it has "more graphic shaders, than in the whole Oblivion". The assistant will show information about your surroundings and information about your character.
The dialogue system matches the original one; your talents still affect which dialogue options you can choose. For every quest there will be a good and a bad solution. Matching the tradition the new Fallout will be very brutal. Enemies can be mutilated, at headshots, heads will explode into a shower of blood. It's more then questionable if this will make into the German version. - CS
(...)
>Viewed >Genre: RPG >Date: 3 quarter 2008
>Developer Bethesda >Status: 50% done
Christian Schmidt: I came out of the E3 presentation with mixed feelings. Will Fallout 3 be a good game? Yes, it seems it will be, at least if you liked Oblivion. Will it become a good game for fallout fans? I don't know. I don't care about the FPP, the loss of turn-based combat and companions however hurts a lot. But still I'm full of hope, because the atmosphere is fantastic.
Christian@gamestar.de </blockquote>Thanks deckard and Bad_Karma.
I friggin give up. 
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shaped like a telephone booth from the 1950's ? What's next - exploding cars?
