Dutch-language magazine PC Gameplay offers their impressions in issue #148, penned by Stefan Wenmaekers. The Dutch Ghost offers a translation of bits dealing with gameplay, noting the article is full of praise of Fallout 3.<blockquote>On every press conference where multiple games will be presented, there is always one game that is handled in such secrecy that you get the impression that it involves the launch codes for nuclear missile launch facilities.
During the Ubidays 08 this honor fell clearly to Fallout 3, the post nuclear RPG from Bethesda (Oblivion) and long awaited sequel to the successful Fallout-series of the 90’s.
For Fallout there was no flashy stand, no large bill boards or invited booth babes but a small forgotten room in the Louvres where you could only enter with four people at once after you had undergone a thorough bodycheck en had surrender all cameras and other high tech recording equipment.
(...)
During each life phase you learn something new. From crawling in your box you learn movements, and during which you find the children’s book ‘S.P.E.C.I.A.L.’ which immediately sets basic skills (Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility, and Luck).
(...)
The real turn based game play of the originals is gone but through VATS (Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System) you can stop the time to choose your actions.
This is where your perception and Agility choices come into play.
With a high Perception you will be better in discovering the weak points of your opponents and will increase the chances (expressed in percentages) to hit your target.
Each creature has six target zones with each zone reading your hit chance.
A shot in the leg can cripple him and a hit in the arm can disarm him or reduce the effectiveness of using his own weapon. A headshot can be fatal in one blow, cause blindness or can confuse the opponent for a long time.
How many actions you can undertake during such a VATS pauze is the number of Action Points which on their turn depend on your agility skill, the higher the skill the more Action Points.
These Action Points can be focussed on one opponent or spread over many, Action Points will regenerate after a while by resting or talking a walk.
(...)
Several bullies harass a girl, what will you do? The moral choices you make here will be the first example what await you during the rest of the game.
If you help the harassed girl you lean towards the path of ‘righteousness’, but you could also choose the side of the bullies in order to get in favor with them.
This black and white situation is a simple first test but later it will become more complex.
There will be many grey areas for you to choose from in which the consequences won’t be immediately clear.
(...)
As expected it will always come to a fight when you confront ‘creatures’ such as mutants, caverats, molerats, deathclaws or scorpions, but when facing ‘human’ opponents you don’t always have to solve everything with violence.
During conversations you can boast, threat, and deceive to get out of problems.
Your Charisma and Luck will determine the chance to talk yourself out of a threatening situation.
(...)
We saw a nice example of the AI when our hero had to cross a camp of enemy raiders.
Confronting these openly would be equal to suicide so that was not an option.
As long as it was daytime the camp would be well guarded, but as soon as the night fell most of the raiders were snoring loudly and our hero could sneak past the guards to continue his journey.</blockquote>
During the Ubidays 08 this honor fell clearly to Fallout 3, the post nuclear RPG from Bethesda (Oblivion) and long awaited sequel to the successful Fallout-series of the 90’s.
For Fallout there was no flashy stand, no large bill boards or invited booth babes but a small forgotten room in the Louvres where you could only enter with four people at once after you had undergone a thorough bodycheck en had surrender all cameras and other high tech recording equipment.
(...)
During each life phase you learn something new. From crawling in your box you learn movements, and during which you find the children’s book ‘S.P.E.C.I.A.L.’ which immediately sets basic skills (Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility, and Luck).
(...)
The real turn based game play of the originals is gone but through VATS (Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System) you can stop the time to choose your actions.
This is where your perception and Agility choices come into play.
With a high Perception you will be better in discovering the weak points of your opponents and will increase the chances (expressed in percentages) to hit your target.
Each creature has six target zones with each zone reading your hit chance.
A shot in the leg can cripple him and a hit in the arm can disarm him or reduce the effectiveness of using his own weapon. A headshot can be fatal in one blow, cause blindness or can confuse the opponent for a long time.
How many actions you can undertake during such a VATS pauze is the number of Action Points which on their turn depend on your agility skill, the higher the skill the more Action Points.
These Action Points can be focussed on one opponent or spread over many, Action Points will regenerate after a while by resting or talking a walk.
(...)
Several bullies harass a girl, what will you do? The moral choices you make here will be the first example what await you during the rest of the game.
If you help the harassed girl you lean towards the path of ‘righteousness’, but you could also choose the side of the bullies in order to get in favor with them.
This black and white situation is a simple first test but later it will become more complex.
There will be many grey areas for you to choose from in which the consequences won’t be immediately clear.
(...)
As expected it will always come to a fight when you confront ‘creatures’ such as mutants, caverats, molerats, deathclaws or scorpions, but when facing ‘human’ opponents you don’t always have to solve everything with violence.
During conversations you can boast, threat, and deceive to get out of problems.
Your Charisma and Luck will determine the chance to talk yourself out of a threatening situation.
(...)
We saw a nice example of the AI when our hero had to cross a camp of enemy raiders.
Confronting these openly would be equal to suicide so that was not an option.
As long as it was daytime the camp would be well guarded, but as soon as the night fell most of the raiders were snoring loudly and our hero could sneak past the guards to continue his journey.</blockquote>
