Fallout 3 Hands-On #9

[Forhekset]

During that half hour, not only did the first or third-person perspective increase immersion into the Fallout universe, it also gave the new combat system a much more approachable interface.

Yes, we all know that perspective is the most important factor pertaining to "immersion". Though I'm not quite sure how the perspective made the new combat system "more approachable". It plays like a FPS with a hefty dose of optional real-time with pause, or bullet time, thrown in.

Since time was running short we started flipping through the pages of the PIP-Boy 3000, which contains your inventory, map, quest journal, status, skills, perks, all the things associated with Fallout role-playing. Just as we had hoped these screens look and sound like classic Fallout made new, and that's the most important thing I took away from the demo. It isn't a top-down perspective and it isn't 2D sprites but it still looks and feels like Fallout.

Well, thank God the menu looks and feels like Fallout (aside from being in a tiny window located on the PC's wrist). All's right with the world.

The green text is great for holodiscs, but for everything I can imagine it starting to annoy the eyes. Also it's hard to imagine a futuristic explanation for having your inventory in the PIP-Boy. Do you put RFID tags on everything before you throw it in your backpack?

Didn't they also say (a while back) that you can change the textcolor in the pipboy? It just comes into my mind again, after reading this.

I hope you're right, because so far it looks like you'd go blind after staring at the PIP-Boy for more than a couple of minutes.

 

[Brother None]

The accuracy problem the first guy mentioned is, I imagine, has to do with your skill in whatever weapon you're using.

I hope so. And while it is discouraging to FPS fans, that kind of skill-to-aim thing can work well, see Deus Ex.

But Bethesda has stated they had tuned down the aiming-cripple in favour of a damage-cripple, just like they did with Oblivion, so I don't know if it should be that noticeable.

 

[Makagulfazel]

I've played about 8 hours of Mass Effect in the last 3 days. Hopefully Bethesda adopts a system like that game, where accuracy has to slowly "regenerate." Basically, if you try to go gung-ho your reticle becomes extremely large. You then have to find cover to let your accuracy settle down to where you can aim accurately again.

Although that system is unrealistic, it proves to add a little more challenge than the typical FPS. Instead of being able to burst fire your way past everything, you have to actually take time to kill your opponents. Well, until you get an extremely high level in your weapon and spectre training.

Anyway, Fallout 3 and Mass Effect already have almost the same exact damn gameplay - why not completely copy them?

 

[uncreative]

At least mass effect isn't advertising itself as a sequel to something....

Fallout 3 is going to be a mediocre RPG and a mediocre FPS. It saddens me that Bethesda has done this to the license.

It makes me feel like there will never actually be a sequel to Fallout 1/2.

 

[terebikun]

I love when someone's username exactly matches the content of their message.

 

[Brother None]

I love when someone's username exactly matches the content of their message.

Don't troll.

I've played about 8 hours of Mass Effect in the last 3 days. Hopefully Bethesda adopts a system like that game, where accuracy has to slowly "regenerate." Basically, if you try to go gung-ho your reticle becomes extremely large. You then have to find cover to let your accuracy settle down to where you can aim accurately again.

Slowly-contracting-reticle is a staple system for FPSRPGs, no need to drop it for this one.