NMA: Fallout 3 impressions

Brother None

Brother None

This ghoul has seen it all
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The review is still a bit off (but coming) and in the meantime we've constructed a construction piece, with some quick thoughts and impressions shared by our staffers Sander, Pope Viper, Mikael Grizzly and Makagulfazel. As we all wait for the NMA review (I'm curious to read it myself), hold on with the NMA impressions piece.

Speaking of Makagulfazel, we have him to thank for our detailed Fallout 3 items page, which has now been expanded with an armor page.
 
Nice. I like the way Mikael Grizzly writes and how he structured his text. He should do a full review.

Seriously.
 
Sander

Bethesda's design shines [.] There's always something around the corner [,] most of which are good concepts and interesting [. The game is] very entertaining [and there are] absolutely brilliant quests in this game [. Did I mention the] good quests [? Bethesda] excel at storytelling [and] your character feels like a truly unique person [.]

Pope Viper

[I would say] the wasteland is nice [,] quests are interesting [and] I found myself laughing [because] they did get it right [.] I enjoyed Fort Constantine immensely [, the rest is also] very engaging [and I] love this game [. Let me say] the story/dialog/voice acting were up to par [and make for] an enjoyable gaming experience [.]

Mikael Grizzly

[This is a] true sequel to the Fallout series [,] it's able to live up to its legacy [with] a great atmosphere [in which] I enjoyed simply wandering [. I think not only] it was good [, but] it is Fallout [and it's] giving room to my Fallout memories [with] great environmental art and atmosphere [,] brilliant elements and design [. Is it] a good game? Yes [, in fact it is] the best post-apocalyptic simulator on the market [in addition to being] a good Fallout game [and] a proper sequel [.]

Malkagulpabafaza

Fallout has evolved [and] I will admit that I love [it. Changes are] implemented well [and are] more useful [; it is] this kind of change that helped [the franchise.] Bethesda did a good job [and] have had the ability to make skills and stats retain their importance [, which is] what Fallout is about [.] I do enjoy how enemies take dozens of shots to kill [because it provides a] decent amount of action [and] Bethesda did a good job [. Also] they did a good job polishing the system [because] dialogue in the Fallout 3 is outstanding [, NPCs are] unique and interesting [, in fact] all of the writing was good [and there are] many instances to remember [making the game] more enjoyable [.] Fallout 3 wins hands down [and has] beaten every other recent game [.] Good job Bethesda [!]
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OH COME ON YOU PEOPLE
 
Per said:
Sander

Bethesda's design shines [.] There's always something around the corner [,] most of which are good concepts and interesting [. The game is] very entertaining [and there are] absolutely brilliant quests in this game [. Did I mention the] good quests [? Bethesda] excel at storytelling [and] your character feels like a truly unique person [.]

Pope Viper

[I would say] the wasteland is nice [,] quests are interesting [and] I found myself laughing [because] they did get it right [.] I enjoyed Fort Constantine immensely [, the rest is also] very engaging [and I] love this game [. Let me say] the story/dialog/voice acting were up to par [and make for] an enjoyable gaming experience [.]

Mikael Grizzly

[This is a] true sequel to the Fallout series [,] it's able to live up to its legacy [with] a great atmosphere [in which] I enjoyed simply wandering [. I think not only] it was good [, but] it is Fallout [and it's] giving room to my Fallout memories [with] great environmental art and atmosphere [,] brilliant elements and design [. Is it] a good game? Yes [, in fact it is] the best post-apocalyptic simulator on the market [in addition to being] a good Fallout game [and] a proper sequel [.]

Malkagulpabafaza

Fallout has evolved [and] I will admit that I love [it. Changes are] implemented well [and are] more useful [; it is] this kind of change that helped [the franchise.] Bethesda did a good job [and] have had the ability to make skills and stats retain their importance [, which is] what Fallout is about [.] I do enjoy how enemies take dozens of shots to kill [because it provides a] decent amount of action [and] Bethesda did a good job [. Also] they did a good job polishing the system [because] dialogue in the Fallout 3 is outstanding [, NPCs are] unique and interesting [, in fact] all of the writing was good [and there are] many instances to remember [making the game] more enjoyable [.] Fallout 3 wins hands down [and has] beaten every other recent game [.] Good job Bethesda [!]
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OH COME ON YOU PEOPLE
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Hey, there's plenty of negative stuff mixed in there too. All in all, I think they made some very good points, and they were very well written.
 
Per, that was a very very evil thing you just did... :D

Isn't Dialog spelled Dialogue though or am I not being American enough?
 
Thank you, this made for very interesting reading.

Alphadrop said:
Isn't Dialog spelled Dialogue though or am I not being American enough?
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Either. Doesn't/shouldn't matter.

@Per:
You're a sick, sick man.
 
Per said:
Sander

Bethesda's design shines [.] There's always something around the corner [,] most of which are good concepts and interesting [. The game is] very entertaining [and there are] absolutely brilliant quests in this game [. Did I mention the] good quests [? Bethesda] excel at storytelling [and] your character feels like a truly unique person [.]

Pope Viper

[I would say] the wasteland is nice [,] quests are interesting [and] I found myself laughing [because] they did get it right [.] I enjoyed Fort Constantine immensely [, the rest is also] very engaging [and I] love this game [. Let me say] the story/dialog/voice acting were up to par [and make for] an enjoyable gaming experience [.]

Mikael Grizzly

[This is a] true sequel to the Fallout series [,] it's able to live up to its legacy [with] a great atmosphere [in which] I enjoyed simply wandering [. I think not only] it was good [, but] it is Fallout [and it's] giving room to my Fallout memories [with] great environmental art and atmosphere [,] brilliant elements and design [. Is it] a good game? Yes [, in fact it is] the best post-apocalyptic simulator on the market [in addition to being] a good Fallout game [and] a proper sequel [.]

Malkagulpabafaza

Fallout has evolved [and] I will admit that I love [it. Changes are] implemented well [and are] more useful [; it is] this kind of change that helped [the franchise.] Bethesda did a good job [and] have had the ability to make skills and stats retain their importance [, which is] what Fallout is about [.] I do enjoy how enemies take dozens of shots to kill [because it provides a] decent amount of action [and] Bethesda did a good job [. Also] they did a good job polishing the system [because] dialogue in the Fallout 3 is outstanding [, NPCs are] unique and interesting [, in fact] all of the writing was good [and there are] many instances to remember [making the game] more enjoyable [.] Fallout 3 wins hands down [and has] beaten every other recent game [.] Good job Bethesda [!]
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OH COME ON YOU PEOPLE
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Damn your editing, Lizard.

Shakes fist.
 
"Item descriptions were enjoyable to me in the first games in the series, yet are lacking here. Fortunately, a modder is working to add these back in."

Best news Ive read in a long while. God Speed.
 
I think modders might turn this into a decent Fallout yet. I still refuse to play it until then.
 
That's a very interesting read. I can't wait for the full review.
While the game is a C+ for me, I agree that Fallout 3 represents quite a few steps in the right direction for Bethesda.
Let's hope they will be able to focus on the good things and cut the crap out for their future titles.
 
My impressions : no better than FOPOS. FOPOS was basically trolling the licence, Fallout 3 is an epically failed attempt at a sequel. Can't see how this is the best game from Bethsoft since Daggerfall...
 
Where exactly can I find a synopsis of why everyone hates Oblivion so much? I loved Daggerfall, but I think Morrowind was the peak of Bethesda's creativity. It was original, innovative, and had a great main story.

Fallout 3 is a fine game, and an especially fine sequel. I would rather have this game than nothing at all, which was the other option.

It isn't perfect, it is an 8.5 - 9. I loved the wasteland, but it is cramped. Thats primarily a hardware issue, not so much Bethesdas fault. They are limited by technology.

The interaction with characters is iffy, not nearly as good as it could be, but I honestly don't recall more than a couple characters from the first two games as being overly interesting.
 
MrBumble said:
My impressions : no better than FOPOS. FOPOS was basically trolling the licence, Fallout 3 is an epically failed attempt at a sequel. Can't see how this is the best game from Bethsoft since Daggerfall...
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I can't see that either. It's better than Daggerfall.

Anyway, I tend to agree with Makagulfazel. It's obviously not and orthodox sequel. It isn't even a terribly faithful spin-off due to some deviations in theme. But it's a great action RPG.
 
Thank you. Very honest and respectable write-ups. I think this helps show NMA is not simply bitter old Fallout fans, but rather die-hard Fallout fans that have high standards for their Fallout games.

Personally I think Bethesda did an excellent job, and agree with some quest brilliance mixed with some quest 'meh'. If they release an official construction set I'll be in heaven as I am eager to tweak the importance of stats and modify a few things regarding combat.

Is the modder that is adding text descriptions simply manipulating the code behind the scenes? Has there been any word regarding a CS at all?
 
PhillyT said:
Where exactly can I find a synopsis of why everyone hates Oblivion so much?
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These two are decent:
http://forums.vault9.net/blog/yakman/index.php?showentry=1125
http://damicat.googlepages.com/whyoblivionsucks

Fallout 3 is a fine game, and an especially fine sequel.
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It's hardly anything like its predecessors, so how is it even a sequel? It's a decent, if flawed game, but it is only Fallout in name.

I would rather have this game than nothing at all, which was the other option.
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Frankly, I would have preferred nothing at all instead of the homogenized, pandering mess of a Fallout sequel that I did get, especially since:
1] I could still hope that I would eventually get a turn-based and isometric Fallout, or...
2] Failing that, the series would at least be left unchanged.

Fallout 3 has drastically altered the course of future entries in the Fallout franchise, and as long as Bethesda owns the rights to it, it's doubtful that I'll ever see another in the spirit and style of the originals.

I loved the wasteland, but it is cramped. Thats primarily a hardware issue, not so much Bethesdas fault. They are limited by technology.
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No, not really. They could have simply made the D.C. Wasteland bigger and/or more sparse. As with the reason that the originals were turn-based and isometric, "technology" has little to do with it. It was a conscious design choice.

One good idea to make the D.C. Wasteland less crowded would be to get rid of all those inexplicably standing wooden buildings.

The interaction with characters is iffy, not nearly as good as it could be
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True.

but I honestly don't recall more than a couple characters from the first two games as being overly interesting.
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I disagree, but that's your opinion and you are entitled to it. But, so what? Does that excuse Fallout 3? Does "the originals had issues" excuse any other issue in Fallout 3?

No.
 
PhillyT said:
I loved the wasteland, but it is cramped. Thats primarily a hardware issue, not so much Bethesdas fault. They are limited by technology.
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Then they have chosen a wrong technology, which is Bethesda's fault.
 
Leon said:
I disagree, but that's your opinion and you are entitled to it. But, so what? Does that excuse Fallout 3? Does "the originals had issues" excuse any other issue in Fallout 3?

No.
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I've seen this sort of reasoning a lot, and while I don't want to put words in anyone's mouth, I think you are missing Philly's point. It's not that FO3's failings should be ignored, but the importance of the failings should be recognized. If I think FO was a great game even though it only had one interesting character, then the quality of the characters must not be very important to me.

Personally, I don't think that FO had great writing or dialog. I don't think videogames in general have great writing or dialog. I see plays or read books for that sort of thing. I play games for their interactive content. So while a game might have bad writing or even a complete absence of characters, it can still be great based on its gameplay. In my mind, FO3 just needs enough story and dialog to support the gameplay. After that, it's all icing on the cake.
 
Dionysus said:
Personally, I don't think that FO had great writing or dialog. I don't think videogames in general have great writing or dialog. I see plays or read books for that sort of thing. I play games for their interactive content. So while a game might have bad writing or even a complete absence of characters, it can still be great based on its gameplay. In my mind, FO3 just needs enough story and dialog to support the gameplay. After that, it's all icing on the cake.
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ech. and i've seen this kind of reasoning a lot as well.

are we not discussing dialogue as it stands in RPG's? not in the context of meaningful literature. right? so by that very token, when comparing the dialogue of Fallout 3 to the dialogue in the originals, nothing else is under the microscope. not plays. not books. just games.

by that token, i think we have to hold Planescape as the pinnacle of writing in an RPG and the catalyst to which we judge. i'd certainly feel more confident in putting the original Fallouts near the pedestal than i would bethesda's version. and hell, i like the game decently enough and strongly disagree with Bumble's sentiments, but i will NOT concede that the writing is worth a good goddamn.

EDIT: also, now that i read all the impression pieces, i'd say i'm nearly in 100% agreement with Makagaguliafuzziewuzlle. i am not impressed with the dialogue per se, but i am impressed that they even implemented "supposedly" meaningful dialogue trees since i turned Morrowind off after about 20 minutes of playing years ago solely because the wiki-dialogue made me want to slit my mind's wrists.
 
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