Fallout 3

 PC
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 5318 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3,751 out of 5318
  2. Mixed: 987 out of 5318
  3. Negative: 580 out of 5318
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  1. ProbMad66
    Mar 13, 2013
    4
    Oh, dear, oh, dear... I tried to love this game so hard... I'm just going to say sorry for the guys that love this game. You have the right to love it, it's fair, but it seems that you either got spoiled by modern game industry or didn't know the beauty of TRUE Fallout universe. Bethesda needs to understand, that not every game that it does needs to be done in the same manner. In the endOh, dear, oh, dear... I tried to love this game so hard... I'm just going to say sorry for the guys that love this game. You have the right to love it, it's fair, but it seems that you either got spoiled by modern game industry or didn't know the beauty of TRUE Fallout universe. Bethesda needs to understand, that not every game that it does needs to be done in the same manner. In the end Fallout started to look like The Elder Scrolls after a while. Please, do not misunderstand me, I love TES, but it's design is unique and suitable only for itself. Bethesda seems to think otherwise. Fallout 3 turned out to be more of a shooter, than an RPG. And when I say that, I mean: 90% shooter, 10% RPG. And in the end: it's certainly isn't the best of both world, but a bad example of adapting a series. The game may be enjoyable for new gamers, but for the old school type of gamers this will be a huge disappointment. I'm still in shock trying to figure out why it's score is better than Fallout 2's...… Expand
  2. Sub-Human
    Aug 6, 2012
    4
    A horrible, flawed title with bugs, a poor storyline and little roleplaying options - an undeserving attempt at one of the greatest RPGs of all time - Fallout. You manage to defeat Vault security despite being a Level 1 wimp, then proceed to destroy supermutants and the Enclave with no particular hardship. On your journey, you meet boring, shallow and two-dimensional characters with poorA horrible, flawed title with bugs, a poor storyline and little roleplaying options - an undeserving attempt at one of the greatest RPGs of all time - Fallout. You manage to defeat Vault security despite being a Level 1 wimp, then proceed to destroy supermutants and the Enclave with no particular hardship. On your journey, you meet boring, shallow and two-dimensional characters with poor voice acting who give you just as boring and shallow quests. The UI can be a chore to use. The game has countless bugs and the animations do *not* resemble human beings. That's not to say, it contradicts the already established Fallout lore. It can be a fun game, but only for a little while.… Expand
  3. temps
    Nov 17, 2011
    2
    Fallout 3 is bland, lengthy, tedious, and repetitive. I often hear people say they like it because the world is so big. Honestly though, who cares if the world is "big"? It really is all just the same burning rubble copy-pasted all over a big map, so there isn't really a whole lot to explore because very little of it is new and you also can't interact with much of it anyway. The onlyFallout 3 is bland, lengthy, tedious, and repetitive. I often hear people say they like it because the world is so big. Honestly though, who cares if the world is "big"? It really is all just the same burning rubble copy-pasted all over a big map, so there isn't really a whole lot to explore because very little of it is new and you also can't interact with much of it anyway. The only things that break the repetition and boredom are the cities, but there aren't that many, and they are very few and far between in a HUGE wasteland. The world is definitely "big," but there also isn't much to do in it or interact with.

    The developer didn't provide any vehicles, so while "exploring," you get to have fun walking...everywhere... at a painfully slow pace. Imagine GTA, but without cars, with a lot of burning buildings that you can't really interact with the vast majority of the time, very few people, and it's populated by the same 5 kinds of bad guys all across 90% of the map. Despite the terrific art-style and interesting setting, the game does a terrible job of storytelling, and what little story-content there is is spread out throughout approximately 60 hours of mind-numbingly repetitive combat and "exploration." Soon, you realize that you are fighting the same bad-guys over and over, that the houses and assorted bits of rubble and trash you see lying all over the world all look more or less the same, and the whole experience is downhill from there.

    Repetitive combat + copy-pasted rubble + no significant story = boring waste of time.

    Don't buy into the hype about the game being "open-world." Open world games aren't that great when everything you come across in the game looks bland, lifeless, and identical to 80% or more of everything else you've already come across in the game.    … Expand
  4. deathbringer
    May 22, 2019
    3
    I thought it was a good game when I played it as a kid back in 2009. However, it really isn't good. It's a bad game in most aspects. Compare it to New Vegas and it's just pathetic in every way.
  5. superszuruburu
    Jun 10, 2020
    1
    Trash game, looks ugly, is nothing like original Fallout games, filled with bugs, stupid level design, putrid story, horribly quirky and plain dumb dialogues, dumbed down rpg system, I could go on but I really don't feel like it. The game doesn't deserve any attention. It's a walk in the amusement park with guns and **** baseball bats. A dull, stupid game.
  6. VictorGar
    Dec 22, 2012
    0
    I have read about the constant crashing of this game but I thought that since they released a GOTY version it would probably have already been fixed. WRONG!. The game crashes every minute (literally) even if I have followed the steps to fix it that were posted in most forums. Is is completely shameful that such an unstable game is out in the market YEARS after its release with no fix. ItI have read about the constant crashing of this game but I thought that since they released a GOTY version it would probably have already been fixed. WRONG!. The game crashes every minute (literally) even if I have followed the steps to fix it that were posted in most forums. Is is completely shameful that such an unstable game is out in the market YEARS after its release with no fix. It only cost me 2.5 euros in GamersGate but I am still really angry that I have spent hours trying to fix it to no avail.

    Shame on you Bethesda    … Expand
  7. Diplod-Opus
    Sep 19, 2012
    1
    I cant remember playing a more tedious and broken game. the interactions with enemies is neither FPS like nor RPG like and the game runs terribly slow for something that has ancient graphics.
  8. faceless-1
    Sep 9, 2012
    4
    When Bethesda announced new Fallout game i was really excited. In the end fallout 3 was one of the biggest disappointments. Game play is inferior to both Oblivion and original fallout. The main story line is short and boring. I expected much more from Bethesda.
  9. butcher23411
    Sep 16, 2017
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game should not be called fallout. Fallout is entirely different, than what this game is. This is just a shooter, "glorified" with a terrible story, awkward voice acting, AND you have to buy a dlc to continue playing after you finished the main story. Not to mention, the game is really easy due to the fact that the player could just rush the story. Also, in the last mission, you can't even really kill anybody, and you actively have to hunt enemies so maybe you can get the kill. The only reason it's even playable is the atmosphere of a post apocalyptic DC, and wandering in the totally unbalanced wastes. If you want to play a fallout game, just go play FNV, you won't regret it.… Expand
  10. iseeall
    Jul 29, 2013
    3
    Trash and disgrace to the name. It's a mediocre shooter game, except that you will miss even if your cursor is exactly on the target since your skill with guns isn't high enough. Nice graphics, sure, but the gameplay is way out of anything related to Fallout. I didn't play it past the starting location and I am sure there is nothing more to see in this game. The developers are just anotherTrash and disgrace to the name. It's a mediocre shooter game, except that you will miss even if your cursor is exactly on the target since your skill with guns isn't high enough. Nice graphics, sure, but the gameplay is way out of anything related to Fallout. I didn't play it past the starting location and I am sure there is nothing more to see in this game. The developers are just another league compared to the creators of the original Fallout 1 and 2 games. If you want to make a shooter game, name it different, why take "Fallout" and anger the fans?… Expand
  11. Onholyservicebo
    Feb 28, 2014
    4
    This is definitely a game where the user reviews reflect the quality far better than the critic reviews. As an FPS the game is slow and clunky, the weapons lack iron sights, and the enemies are hp sponges.(Human enemies can survive point blank headshots.) Vats is what you'll be using, a boring slow mo action sequence that's buggy and unreliable. As an RPG there is decent c&c, but characterThis is definitely a game where the user reviews reflect the quality far better than the critic reviews. As an FPS the game is slow and clunky, the weapons lack iron sights, and the enemies are hp sponges.(Human enemies can survive point blank headshots.) Vats is what you'll be using, a boring slow mo action sequence that's buggy and unreliable. As an RPG there is decent c&c, but character building is uninspired and many of the perks and stats have little to no effect on how you play the game.

    It's bug riddled, even with the patches, the ending is shoddy, and it isn't much better with DLC. All in all fairly mediocre, it does have scale on it's side, it's one of the larger games I've played, and the atmosphere is rather nice, otherwise don't bother with this game, it certainly doesn't stand the test of time, and likely only garnered universal acclaim because of it's sheer scale at the time of it's release.    … Expand
  12. Bigm0nkey
    Dec 10, 2015
    0
    the worst game in the fallout franchise, everything except combat is worse and dumbed down. good thing the combat system is improved from previous games because combat is what you will be doing 90 percent of this game. very little unique side quests, most are just repeatable dungeons, and the main story has atrocious writing and none of the factions make a lick of **** sense. the lore hasthe worst game in the fallout franchise, everything except combat is worse and dumbed down. good thing the combat system is improved from previous games because combat is what you will be doing 90 percent of this game. very little unique side quests, most are just repeatable dungeons, and the main story has atrocious writing and none of the factions make a lick of **** sense. the lore has been absolutely destroyed with the institute and the entire story. such a disappointment, fallout 3 was a great game even though it had many flaws but fallout 4 is a huge step backward. please just give the fallout franchise to obsidian and don't **** it up anymore Bethesda.… Expand
  13. lutan1
    Apr 16, 2011
    2
    I don't get it. What's all the hype about this game? Same thing over and over and over- just in different parts of the map/world.

    Seriously overhyped. This is boring.
  14. Tshober
    Sep 11, 2015
    4
    Meh.

    I loved F1 and F2, and was really looking forward to F3. I played for about 10 hours, but ended up uninstalling it. I couldn't put my finger on it. It just wasn't compelling enough to continue. It felt very slow paced and uninteresting. Borderlands filled the void *really* well. :)
  15. Bernkastel12
    Jun 9, 2017
    0
    FALLOUT 3 EXE HAS STOPPED WORKING!! After countless hours trying to fix this miserable pile of feces,and reading at least 3 trillion ''solutions'' to stop the ungodly amounts of crashes, this piece of badly programmed garbage just refuses to work. I truly believe (and im not even exaggerating in the slightest when i say this) that a **** armless and mentally challenged bonobo could haveFALLOUT 3 EXE HAS STOPPED WORKING!! After countless hours trying to fix this miserable pile of feces,and reading at least 3 trillion ''solutions'' to stop the ungodly amounts of crashes, this piece of badly programmed garbage just refuses to work. I truly believe (and im not even exaggerating in the slightest when i say this) that a **** armless and mentally challenged bonobo could have done a MUCH BETTER JOB optimizing this gonorrhea than the reincarnations of Alan Turing that work at Bethesda.… Expand
  16. Perelie
    Jun 29, 2011
    0
    It wasn't a real Fallout game, nor was it an RPG.
    Everything imaginable was done wrong, Bethesda have proved that they can't make a real Fallout game.
    It was just dumbed down into a shooter with stats slapped on.
  17. pepikJS
    May 13, 2014
    2
    When I've had Vista on my computer, I played this game, but it was so boring I wasn't able to finish it. It's some sort of pseudo-open world, it's repetitive, every location looks the same. Now I decided to play it again, but NOW I have Windows 7 on my computer and guess what? This piece of flip is crashing because of 2 two things - Windows 7 and Windows live. Windows live is lame as flipWhen I've had Vista on my computer, I played this game, but it was so boring I wasn't able to finish it. It's some sort of pseudo-open world, it's repetitive, every location looks the same. Now I decided to play it again, but NOW I have Windows 7 on my computer and guess what? This piece of flip is crashing because of 2 two things - Windows 7 and Windows live. Windows live is lame as flip and not workin', and Windows 7? This game has compatibility of hamster. 10 year old games are perfectly playable even now on modern systems, but game made in times of Windows Vista has issues on Windows 7! So, basically, this (s)flip is crashing, playing it is a pure deprival. I destroyed my DVD and buried that crap in a sewer.… Expand
  18. nono5551212
    Jun 27, 2015
    2
    I know this is an old game but boy was it terrible. Go here do this... go here get that... I hate fetch quests and this game seems like one big fetch quest... I bet the story is horrible... I gave up...
  19. ns0l
    Nov 22, 2015
    4
    I decided to play this game once more, so I did. And what a surprise, I found out how stupid I was. How can I ever like that kind of crap. No I'm no longer an idiot.
  20. Bjorik
    Jul 17, 2011
    3
    As a stand alone its a great game, just by being plain fun to play. Boring main quest and, unkillable children (dont put them there if i cant shoot them in the face) and other idiotic flaws like that drags it down but overall its a good game.

    As a sequel it fails miserably, at least according to my personal definition of what a sequel is. This is a first person real time action/rpg with    As a stand alone its a great game, just by being plain fun to play. Boring main quest and, unkillable children (dont put them there if i cant shoot them in the face) and other idiotic flaws like that drags it down but overall its a good game.

    As a sequel it fails miserably, at least according to my personal definition of what a sequel is.
    This is a first person real time action/rpg with pause bullet time. (NO GROIN SHOTS WTF)
    It fails to capture the spirit of its predecessor, not saying Fallout 2 is a better game, but fallout 3 is a horrible sequel.    … Expand
  21. Rivethead
    Feb 7, 2014
    0
    This game is **** Starting since player born till the player death at the end it looks like The Elder Scrolls Spin-off. The storyline is boring, game has some quests but they are crappy. When you want to buy the REAL FALLOUT you must buy Fallout: New-Vegas.
  22. phildog
    Sep 10, 2010
    2
    This game sucks ass. If it weren't for the awesome user made mods I never would have bought the game. In no way is it anywhere near as great as the originals. **** writing, **** storytelling, **** graphics, **** fps integration. Just a horrible, horrible game.
  23. Pitonas
    Apr 22, 2017
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Fallout 3 is not really a fallout.... It's just a pitiful spin off in same world.... Main char sacrificing himself for free clean water.... Yeah right.... creators of this should have tried playing originals....… Expand
  24. AnonymousMC
    Nov 3, 2008
    1
    Oh dear oh dear. A risible runner shooter. RPG elements all but destroyed.

    Thje music sounds like a remix of Oblivions (esspecially the "plonk plonk plonk" slow morose piano intro followed by low key strings and wind. It might as well be a remix. The game feels and plays like a poor mans Oblivion..and all the text and menu's are in VERY low resolution -showing to be the poor    Oh dear oh dear. A risible runner shooter. RPG elements all but destroyed.

    Thje music sounds like a remix of Oblivions (esspecially the "plonk plonk plonk" slow morose piano intro followed by low key strings and wind. It might as well be a remix. The game feels and plays like a poor mans Oblivion..and all the text and menu's are in VERY low resolution -showing to be the poor console port that it is.

    Maybe it's not awful, but in comparison with 1&2 (and tactics) it's pretty close    … Expand
  25. AnonymousMC
    Dec 9, 2008
    0
    I would have given this game a 10, IF I COULD PLAY IT!!! This game is so buggy you can breath without it crashing. See for yourself go tot he official website, forums and PC issues, You will find page, after page after page after page of glitches, bugs, hardware issues, Software issues, and all around bad programming on Bethesda's part. Seriously, Bethesda makes awesome games if youI would have given this game a 10, IF I COULD PLAY IT!!! This game is so buggy you can breath without it crashing. See for yourself go tot he official website, forums and PC issues, You will find page, after page after page after page of glitches, bugs, hardware issues, Software issues, and all around bad programming on Bethesda's part. Seriously, Bethesda makes awesome games if you could actually play ANY of them, all of their games are so buggy and they never even bother to fix any of it, they just release one or two patches to fix small problems like a particle of dust going in the wrong direction on some obscure level you have never been to and will probably never find, and just forgets that game exists, moves on to their next horrible game and make more money. Bethesda should get off their butts and fix this game, or give it to someone who knows what the hell they are doing! They really are AWESOME games during the 10 minutes you can actually play them before it decides that you're stepping on too many cracks in the pavement and kicks you back to your desktop.… Expand
  26. AnonymousMC
    Nov 20, 2008
    4
    This game is pretty and all but, buggy, buggy, buggy. It is completely infuriating. Load, take two steps, crash. Repeat over and over again. patching that they came out with makes it worse. everyone says wait for the real patch? They should have fixed it before they released it. Last game I buy from Bethesda.
  27. DerekT.
    Nov 9, 2008
    2
    So, I just tried this game on the 360(too bad i couldn't get to try the pc version.) and at first, I was interested in the story, gameplay, graphics ect. but I must say, pretty much everything people say that is flawed about this game is true sadly. It would seem that Bestheda Studios really doesn't A) Care all that much about the franchise, or B) They can't make games So, I just tried this game on the 360(too bad i couldn't get to try the pc version.) and at first, I was interested in the story, gameplay, graphics ect. but I must say, pretty much everything people say that is flawed about this game is true sadly. It would seem that Bestheda Studios really doesn't A) Care all that much about the franchise, or B) They can't make games worth shit. I did play Oblivion(on the 360) and noticed that all this game really is, is a poorly made mod of the oblivion engine. Characters, boring and forgettable. Movements and animations, total shit. All around, this game resembles nothing of the Fallout franchise. And if the pc version is the same as the 360, i would never even pay $20 for it.… Expand
  28. AnonymousMC
    Oct 28, 2008
    3
    i thought this was going to be a rpg. i was apparently mistaken. i am 2 hours after the intro, in the game. have still not met anyone i could talk to. just random shooting. gush the genre tag is a major lie. this does really not deserve to be part of the fallout franchise.
  29. AnonymousMC
    Jan 13, 2009
    4
    horrible buggy game. Does not work on Windows Vista 64bit at all. Constant crashes and no support from software developer. They told me to install it on Windows XP. I asked if it was suppored under Windows Vista and they said yes but then told me to install it on Windows XP.

    Now that that is out of the way, the story line, graphics and sound are outstanding. The game really    horrible buggy game. Does not work on Windows Vista 64bit at all. Constant crashes and no support from software developer. They told me to install it on Windows XP. I asked if it was suppored under Windows Vista and they said yes but then told me to install it on Windows XP.

    Now that that is out of the way, the story line, graphics and sound are outstanding. The game really captures you attention and doesnt let go. Watching the nuke detonate in the story line was fantastic and a little scarry. As with all Bethesda games, the voice acting and NPC interaction is excellent. However the story was too short. I finished the game in just under 12 hours of total play time. I wish it could have been longer as I was totally immersed in the post war world.

    My recommendation would be NOT to buy this game, at least until they manage to work out the bugs.    … Expand
  30. GordonF
    Apr 19, 2009
    4
    I was eagerly waiting for this game, in fact it was one of the main reasons that I bought a new PC. I love fallout 1 and 2 because of the at(o)mosphere of the game. F3 has got great graphics, but it contains only a small part of the prevoius games' goosebump effect. Combats are quite boring, and in my opinion there is way too much grinding in it. If you know F1 and F2, you know that I was eagerly waiting for this game, in fact it was one of the main reasons that I bought a new PC. I love fallout 1 and 2 because of the at(o)mosphere of the game. F3 has got great graphics, but it contains only a small part of the prevoius games' goosebump effect. Combats are quite boring, and in my opinion there is way too much grinding in it. If you know F1 and F2, you know that you could complete it with talking. I miss this now. So F3 is the perfect example that graphics are not the main importance. I give this game a 4 because it has ruined the original and incomparable fallout-feeling. Sad.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

3
#3 Best PC Game of 2008
1
#1 Most Discussed PC Game of 2008
1
#1 Most Shared PC Game of 2008

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
91

Universal acclaim - based on 48 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 45 out of 48
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 48
  3. Negative: 0 out of 48
  1. PC PowerPlay
    90
    Minor niggles aside, Fallout 3 is almost entirely spectacular. Everything from the graphics, to the sound, to the plot is first-rate. The VATS system worlds like a charm, and it’s so easy to get the hang of, you’ll be cracking skulls like there’s no tomorrow. [Dec 2008, p.55]
  2. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    100
    A vast and open world of unimaginable possibilities opens in front of you in Fallout 3. Great story, flawless combat system, and the option to choose your own way makes it a hot candidate for game of the year. [Nov 2008]
  3. Meristation
    95
    Fallout 3 is one of this year's best games. It's an unforgettable journey that lives up to the series. You are an ex-vault 101 inhabitant, and you discover a whole new world, full of zombies, mutants, raiders, aliens and all kinds of creatures. Welcome to this post-apocaliptic reality, where you are going to spend hundreds of hours.
    Read full review
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