Variety.<blockquote>If the main story's plot twists are sometimes hokey, at least they fit with the '50s nostalgia that guides the design -- emblemized by an ever-cheery mascot. The style is rooted in the naive early days of the nuclear era, when optimism and the fear of annihilation went hand in hand. In "Fallout 3," the American Dream is a charred blueprint survivors are struggling to follow. But hope never dies, and the final stretch of the story includes a Strangelovian display of national power that's spectacular, ironic and heartfelt. The player leaves thinking America might just survive this war, right in time to start some new ones.</blockquote>360 Gamer, 9/10.<blockquote>As we’ve mentioned, though, it’s not just your character creation that makes Fallout 3 an incredibly personal experience – the choices you face in the wilderness are every bit as important. On the simplest level, these would be things like where to go and who to talk to but it runs far deeper than that, with some of the things you’ll be asked (or even forced) to do raising moral issues or just being downright wrong. Every choice naturally has repercussions but don’t go expecting to be able to simply pay a fine and wake up outside the jail when you do something wrong as you might in Oblivion. This wasteland makes its own justice and if you get caught robbing or killing the wrong person, you could lose access to an entire settlement, if not lose your life. Townsfolk tend to kick off and band together at the first sniff of trouble so unless your plan is to slay everyone you meet, you need to either play by the rules or keep your dirty deeds as covert as possible.
Another must-have title to make wallets weep and players rejoice, Fallout 3 live up to expectations and only seldom stumbles, even then in expected areas where scale and scope get the better of it slightly. Regardless, it’s an undeniable classic and if you only plan on buying one or two games this winter, we couldn’t name a title that could give you value for money in the way that Fallout manages.</blockquote>360 Rant Rave blog, 8.75.<blockquote>Unfortunately, the game suffers from several of the same flaws that plagued Oblivion. The characters sometimes seem to be animated like walking mannequins. Several of them will even stop whatever they are doing and talk to you if you walk up to them, even if you are already talking to someone else. Thus, it’s like trying to listen to two or three people talk at the same time. It can be very difficult. Their path finding is much better in this game, but when they run into each other they still look rather amusing.</blockquote>
Another must-have title to make wallets weep and players rejoice, Fallout 3 live up to expectations and only seldom stumbles, even then in expected areas where scale and scope get the better of it slightly. Regardless, it’s an undeniable classic and if you only plan on buying one or two games this winter, we couldn’t name a title that could give you value for money in the way that Fallout manages.</blockquote>360 Rant Rave blog, 8.75.<blockquote>Unfortunately, the game suffers from several of the same flaws that plagued Oblivion. The characters sometimes seem to be animated like walking mannequins. Several of them will even stop whatever they are doing and talk to you if you walk up to them, even if you are already talking to someone else. Thus, it’s like trying to listen to two or three people talk at the same time. It can be very difficult. Their path finding is much better in this game, but when they run into each other they still look rather amusing.</blockquote>
