Game Revolution previews Fallout 3

Game Revolution has previewed Fallout 3, using the same standard screenshots as GI did, but noting a few bits of information GI didn't provide:<blockquote>In all that time, there was one vault in particular, vault number 101, which after bolting its door, kept it shut. No one from the outside ever entered. And no one within the vault ever left. Including you, a child born to Vault 101's head scientist, voiced by Liam Neeson.
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At about 20 years old, you discover that your father has either been taken from or escaped Vault 101.
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The frequency of combat is tuned down far below a typical First Person Shooter's fragfest to let the game's pacing introduce a unique sense of desolation set right into the pit of your psyche as you roam through the rubble
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During any encounter you can toggle to this Vault-tec Assisted Targeting System with the push of a button, which will freeze time and let you switch between multiple enemies and their body parts, helping you plan out your attack. Any piece of anatomy, such as a mutant's arms, legs, torso, head, or weapon can be targeted, each displaying a hit percentage dependent upon the enemy's distance, position, and stats. If you target his leg and get a critical hit, it'll blow off in gory Fallout glory, and the mutant will fall to the ground, painfully crawling in pursuit if it's still alive. If you didn't blow his weapon out of his hand, you can pick it up and use it yourself. Or if you already have a weapon of the same type, you can bust out some engineering skills, break it down into parts, and use them to beef up the strength, precision, and firing rate of your own weapon. As weapons get worn with use, this is smart option if you're skilled at it.

The same combat engine (minus the stopping time) is available to enemies too, for they can also target your body parts to hinder your aim or movement. It is both eye and brain-catching, for while being treated to the graphically impressive Robocop-ian target scan, you'll have to decide which is the way to eliminate the biggest threats fast, because the V.A.T.S. runs out of action points. Once they're gone, you'll be fighting in real time and without assistance while your action points regenerate.</blockquote>Still unclear on how VATS works, but "plan out your attacks" sounds like it cues actions, like traditional RTwP.<blockquote>You'll also be struggling with moral dilemmas through voiced NPC dialogue choices. The number of NPCs in Fallout 3 is about 300 (as opposed to Oblivion's 1000), so Bethesda has put alot more alcohol and devtime into making their individual A.I. more realistic and natural. Instead of NPCs walking around doing very simple tasks talking basic gibberish, they will roam with more personalized agendas and socialize with other people about topics that interest them.
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As your choices change and quests are knocked out, news of your fame (or infamy) will spread to. NPC reactions to you will also change as your title shifts from "Noob Vault Dweller" to "HaXXor - Nuker of Cities".

With these lasting consequences, Fallout 3 is still designed to have a definite ending -- anywhere from nine to a dozen different ones are planned to net all your possible decision paths and personal insecurities. Although it is running off a shiny Oblivion engine with a few more notches on its armor, Fallout 3 is definitely its own game, so don't be confused by some of the screenshots. The camera defaults as first person view so you can be swallowed by all the little details of the blasted world, but it can be toggled with a flick of a switch to a Resident Evil 4 over-the-shoulder cam. Then you can zoom out even further to get to the franchise-beloved 3rd person perspective.

After the hour long gameplay presentation, we were all equally surprised how far in development Fallout 3 was, even with more than a year left to finish it. It has all the makings of being the first solid bridge between the rapidly growing RPG genre and the immensely pop FPS category, with play options, paths, and ironic wit galore.</blockquote>Again, blowing up Megaton meaning there are no more quests in it stand as the only solid example of choice and consequence in the article. The "pulling back camera far enough for 3rd person perspective" is new.

Link: Game Revolution Fallout 3 preview.

Thanks sjvan0.

 

I'm not reading what you're reading, Sander, that's not a definitive description that reads "VATS depletes action points with time," especially not since GI was so specific on shooting stopping regeneration of action points.

The real news here is;
Bird's eye view/isometric-esque is available.

VATS can only be interpreted as cuing actions, which is standard RTwP. Innovative my ass.

 

Clear that action points run out, unclear on what makes them run out.

Yes, perhaps/probably.

 

So taking actions inside paused mode? No, the article doesn't read like that, it says you *plan* your attacks, not take them in paused mode.

 

I was, but no, not anymore. It sounds more like it's extremely far-away over-the-shoulder view, and that the Game Revolution people somehow think that's isometric.