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. xxjerm70xx
    Sep 23, 2014
    9
    War....War never changes but Gameplay does with excellent mods. Fallout 3 is one of the greater games of last gen. and is still fun to play. Its a FPS/TPS that sends you into a vast world of The Capital Wasteland to explore its chilling environment that can look excellent in today's standard with textures pack. But the game needs mods to add in that extra 100 hours.
  2. mclure
    Aug 23, 2014
    10
    Good game with lots of places to explore and quests to complete, it's a post-apocalyptic world where you carve your own path and choose to be good, evil or neutral.
  3. koval321
    Aug 18, 2014
    0
    Real time combat in this game is not existing I cant find way to play it as FPP game for example Half Life. Ok I understand there may be boss as deathclaw but in Fallout2 I was able to kill one by machine gun survive where here am climb on rock and do some else dirty trick to jam monster on obstacle which looks so stupid cheating but I just cand do it normally am shoot monster in head fromReal time combat in this game is not existing I cant find way to play it as FPP game for example Half Life. Ok I understand there may be boss as deathclaw but in Fallout2 I was able to kill one by machine gun survive where here am climb on rock and do some else dirty trick to jam monster on obstacle which looks so stupid cheating but I just cand do it normally am shoot monster in head from sniper riffle at large distance and he is able to run from there and even don't care am machine gun his eye. The same boss problems have on island DLC Where am actually lost every items from ufo DLC am take all trat super treasures to locker in my house, then I go for trip to island and when am return all that items was gone. So what am actually have interesting? My best gun is AK47 again? Am really feel like stuck to some simple weapon and cant understand it break with every shoot am made. This should be in (un)realistic mode because am found this annoying in normal game. I just cant play this any longer when my battles looks like jam monster on obstacle and watch animations as bullet come out from riffle and slowly travel to monster head.. everytime.. eve-ry sin-gle ti-me this is not postnuclear FPP as I thought it to be, this game have something broken and am found it to be unplayable or frustrating & boring. Well what you may expect from Elder Scrolls, these games are.. as they are everybody known. Definitely this is not true Fallout 3 its just postnuclear mod to Oblivion. It is well done mod but not Fallout 3 game I dont see any reason to do it in 3D, it could be done on Infinity Engine, for example modification to Baldurs Gate 2. I could see that working, but Oblivion? Noo not really.. My score is low because I dont enjoy it anymore, I cant complete this game which is crazy. If this was real F3 then am already would complete it 10x am pretty sure of that, but I don't completed it even once which mean this is not F3 it is fake game, modification to completely other game.This is like unplayable mod to Oblivion nothing more in my opinion. Actually if this was mod am would score it high as about 8/10 but this is not game, this not working because it obviously cant. Its like modify car into washing machine by rolling it from hill, this just don't work whatsoever and whole idea is ridiculous... turn Oblivion into Fallout 3 ? LOL Why somebody ever tried that? Ok am actually interest to see Fallout 4 on Skyrim.. but hey.. isnt Skyrim is actually modified Fallout 3.. huh? Weird or what? So we already seen Fallout 4 on Skyrim engine.. it is Fallout New Vegas! OMG that is so ridiculous. Look, they improved Oblivion to make F3, then they improved F3 to make Skyrim and New Vegas this is the same engine rolling.… Expand
  4. DeusXCom
    Aug 3, 2014
    7
    Bethesda did an amazing job at the one thing they always do - the exploration, in this case, the exploration of the post-apocalyptic wasteland in 3D open world was amazing, even the very start of the game is pretty impressive and for a while it looked like this could be a worthy successor in the Fallout series, but it slowly starts to show the shortcomings of Bethesda as well. Too manyBethesda did an amazing job at the one thing they always do - the exploration, in this case, the exploration of the post-apocalyptic wasteland in 3D open world was amazing, even the very start of the game is pretty impressive and for a while it looked like this could be a worthy successor in the Fallout series, but it slowly starts to show the shortcomings of Bethesda as well. Too many bugs, crashes and other technical problems mixed with quite bland story and not really interesting quests or characters. Even the thing you loved at the start will annoy you in the end, loads of invisible walls and running through chaotic subway systems. I still enjoyed the experience, roaming the wasteland and listening to the Pip Boy radio was good, even some of the trademark things from original Fallout like VATS and SPECIAL mechanics are still here, but it's just not the same level of premium quality. Maybe the lack of good writing, memorable characters, or fantastic music to create a proper atmosphere, there is definitely something missing here. The content got a bit better with all the DLC, but I would still highly recommend Fallout 1 & 2 or New Vegas as a much better experiences than this. 7/10… Expand
  5. WestLil0
    Jul 27, 2014
    8
    This game reminded me so much of Oblivion until I realized they're both Bethesda games! The dialog, people's faces and general feel of the game is exactly like Oblivion. Despite it being from 2008, it still offers great gameplay but a couple of the mods I recommend are the sprint mod and the computer hacking mod. Makes the game a bit easier to get through...and for a cheap price of $19 itThis game reminded me so much of Oblivion until I realized they're both Bethesda games! The dialog, people's faces and general feel of the game is exactly like Oblivion. Despite it being from 2008, it still offers great gameplay but a couple of the mods I recommend are the sprint mod and the computer hacking mod. Makes the game a bit easier to get through...and for a cheap price of $19 it was worth playing at least once.… Expand
  6. PhilB
    Jul 21, 2014
    9
    Initially I was disappointed, but the depth and (good but not great) refinement pulled it through. The subway system is a good example of this. It's a bit linear, but about mid-way through the game you'll probably find it a very rewarding experience. It wasn't until I started taking legs off with the Railway Rifle that I started really liking this game. Dialog options are the only realInitially I was disappointed, but the depth and (good but not great) refinement pulled it through. The subway system is a good example of this. It's a bit linear, but about mid-way through the game you'll probably find it a very rewarding experience. It wasn't until I started taking legs off with the Railway Rifle that I started really liking this game. Dialog options are the only real complaint I have. You can usually only choose between the saintly option or the evil option, nowhere in between.… Expand
  7. dgh13
    Jul 20, 2014
    9
    This is NOT a traditional Fallout game. This is Bethesda's interpretation of a beloved game series. It succeeds in being a game, as I have found exactly one bug when trying to purposely break the game. It is more of an action RPG than a traditional RPG, but at the same time it offers a lot of options that make the game infinitely replayable for me. Not to mention that it is the largestThis is NOT a traditional Fallout game. This is Bethesda's interpretation of a beloved game series. It succeeds in being a game, as I have found exactly one bug when trying to purposely break the game. It is more of an action RPG than a traditional RPG, but at the same time it offers a lot of options that make the game infinitely replayable for me. Not to mention that it is the largest world Bethesda has ever designed. The game can run on older computers. My only major gripes with the game is that Speech is used very little, and that the game feels a little too easy. All in all, it is one of the most well designed games I've ever played.… Expand
  8. Alsmir
    Jul 10, 2014
    10
    I am a huge fan of Fallout 1 and 2 and that's why I was really worried about this game. I didn't believe Bethesda has what it takes to create a game that will satisfy the fans. I found Oblivion disappointing at least, so when I first started Fallout 3 I didn't have high expectations.

    The beginning is quite unusual, starting as a baby and taking your first steps, then progressing through    I am a huge fan of Fallout 1 and 2 and that's why I was really worried about this game. I didn't believe Bethesda has what it takes to create a game that will satisfy the fans. I found Oblivion disappointing at least, so when I first started Fallout 3 I didn't have high expectations.

    The beginning is quite unusual, starting as a baby and taking your first steps, then progressing through some events of your childhood. It felt really weird, but it served as a decent tutorial. At the end of it we leave the vault. Blinding sun effect fades and we witness the postapocaliptic wasteland.

    It was just how I imagined it, dirty, brutal and unforgiving, but this time from first person perspective - making it even more real. I was lost for countless hours wandering around, trying to survive, exploring, fighting... and listening to great radio podcasts. Finally I realised that I have some storyline to progress. Oh, right...

    The main story was good, side quests are great, combat system is fluid and encounters are challenging. Exploring the world, wandering through wasteland is more fun than exploring of Oblivion or Skyrim will ever be. More importantly - watseland is unforgiving. It takes a really long time to feel comfortable wherever you go. You never know if a lonely abandoned town you decided to visit will be just a quiet place or a death trap full of deadly deathclaws that will rip through your power armour with ease.
    Will there be an epic item waiting there for you?
    Well, there was a really annoying talking armour that got me addicted to chems... and I loved it!

    Sure, the character developement could be better, we could use some extra weapons, more quests, etc.; but at the end of the day I'm a vault dweller travelling through wasteland with his supermutant friend and listening to climatic songs on the radio.    … Expand
  9. Witherfang
    Jun 21, 2014
    10
    i am a fan of the fallout 3 to new vegas ik thats not a true fan but its really nice all i hv to say is bathesda if u make it anything like skyrim except graphics i will FREAGGIN HATE IT. skyrim was a good idea but u guys executed it wrong. correct your mistakes with fallout 4 and the new elder scrolls plz. thx if u do and screw u if u dont.

    this games gets a 9.5/10 i love it to peices    i am a fan of the fallout 3 to new vegas ik thats not a true fan but its really nice all i hv to say is bathesda if u make it anything like skyrim except graphics i will FREAGGIN HATE IT. skyrim was a good idea but u guys executed it wrong. correct your mistakes with fallout 4 and the new elder scrolls plz. thx if u do and screw u if u dont.

    this games gets a 9.5/10 i love it to peices but the low amount of ammo makes it challenging,..more challenging put it like that but without a challenge u only have skyrim so :P *srry bathesda* BUT YALL DID VERY WELL I HOPE YALL MAKE MORE AND I say this game should be bought by every1. thank your for reading i know the coding in the begining is hard but its worth it i might even make a download to make life easy for yall    … Expand
  10. MetalHeadCrab
    Jun 18, 2014
    10
    Nearly every aspect of Fallout 3 has already been critiqued and reviewed. Everything in this game is nearly perfect. The player is left wanting more. The only real problem with this game is that it will crash occasionally, but what game doesn't?

    I become immersed in the game really quickly and I have to admit that this causes me to overlook some of the game's obvious flaws and mess-ups.    Nearly every aspect of Fallout 3 has already been critiqued and reviewed. Everything in this game is nearly perfect. The player is left wanting more. The only real problem with this game is that it will crash occasionally, but what game doesn't?

    I become immersed in the game really quickly and I have to admit that this causes me to overlook some of the game's obvious flaws and mess-ups. As another reviewer pointed out, shooting someone using VATS and aiming for a specific body part does not seem to effect, hamper or handicap them in any way. Although this is true, it never bothered me enough to ruin my gaming experience. I can even overlook just because it makes the enemy a bit more challenging.

    I got the impression from negative reviewers that Fallout is boring, grey, depressing with the same thing everywhere you go. Hello, have these people forgotten where this game takes place? Post-nuclear, post-apocalyptic D.C. area! The whole point of the game is to take you to this dark, depressing time that offers little hope to humanity and the player. Fallout 3 does a great job of immersing players and giving them the feeling that they really are in a hell-hole wasteland. The dj, radio stations and choice of music was pure genius that really tied the game together. I don't know what a real post-nuclear apocalypse would feel like, but this game made me feel like I was in one.

    My advice to new Fallout 3 players is to play the vanilla version from start to finish. If you liked it, browser around the Nexus website for the top-rated mods and select the ones that appeal to you. Mods have given this game even more replay value and have addressed most issues people have with the game.

    Originally review Oct 27, 2011, revised Jun 18, 2014. Still love the game as much as I did when it was released.    … Expand
  11. Mynameiscool
    Jun 14, 2014
    8
    This wonderful game may have a whole heaping ton of glitches (That I've found already) and a short, short main story, by not doing the main story all the time, you can discover the rest of the world of Fallout 3, and reveal hidden treasures, interesting quests, cool weapons, and of course, the add-ons that are pretty impressive (not Mother Ship Zeta! Just my tip to you! Don't play it ifThis wonderful game may have a whole heaping ton of glitches (That I've found already) and a short, short main story, by not doing the main story all the time, you can discover the rest of the world of Fallout 3, and reveal hidden treasures, interesting quests, cool weapons, and of course, the add-ons that are pretty impressive (not Mother Ship Zeta! Just my tip to you! Don't play it if you don't want to risk losing all the work you've done in the wasteland! Believe me, it's glitched as heck.). Oh! And if you want to continue playing after the main quest is finished, download Broken Steel.… Expand
  12. TheFoxPhoenix
    Jun 10, 2014
    10
    Man, some will say it's fanboy-thing, but no, it's not, this game is one of the games of my life, because all is so immersive (despite a little in the graphics), and opened, just like every little thing in this game have an history, an detail, that can be founded and explored. If you like either FPS or RPG, buy this game, you'll won't regret it!
  13. carlosgtardon
    Jun 10, 2014
    9
    Otro de los juegos que más pavor me producía que hicieran mal pero cuyo resultado fue mejor del esperado. Uno de los grandes mundos abiertos en los que vagabundear por DC destruido por bombas nucleares ya vale el precio. Sin duda una compra óptima.
  14. Ignatius_Reilly
    May 29, 2014
    5
    The worst Fallout in the series. While it has things like a vault, and Enclave, everything else about it is a pure watered down Bethesda hack job. As a romp around a nuclear wasteland, it's fine, but as far as feeling like your character has any choice in anything, it's far from what came before. No matter what character you build, you can do anything, so role playing is pretty muchThe worst Fallout in the series. While it has things like a vault, and Enclave, everything else about it is a pure watered down Bethesda hack job. As a romp around a nuclear wasteland, it's fine, but as far as feeling like your character has any choice in anything, it's far from what came before. No matter what character you build, you can do anything, so role playing is pretty much gutted. Though there are some interesting side areas, the main quest is terribly bland with little choice involved. Combat is dull, requiring little tactics since VATS is god mode, and so long as you're smart enough to click Target> Head, you'll win every time and never take damage. It's a cheap knock off of the series. Get New Vegas, if you want a better next gen Fallout experience. Or better yet, play the old games, to understand just how far off the mark Bethesda was when they tried to make an actual RPG. Terrible game.… Expand
  15. NooblordFocker
    May 26, 2014
    10
    Fallout 3 equals pure nostalgia for me. It was probably the second RPG game I payed, after KOTOR. I recently replayed the game and yeah, I did notice flaws,quite a bit of them,that I hadn't taken into account when I was younger. However, the game is still a wonderful, immersive open world experience. A lot of the criticism stemmed from the fact, that many game mechanics were taken fromFallout 3 equals pure nostalgia for me. It was probably the second RPG game I payed, after KOTOR. I recently replayed the game and yeah, I did notice flaws,quite a bit of them,that I hadn't taken into account when I was younger. However, the game is still a wonderful, immersive open world experience. A lot of the criticism stemmed from the fact, that many game mechanics were taken from "TES IV: Oblivion". I think that was a good decision though. Bethesda took the good elements from Oblivion and the original Fallout games and combined them to create a fantastic game. The progression system is the prime example of how well this worked out. There are many ways to develop your character and at the same time the games is free from the traditional class restrictions. I'm not saying the system is perfect, there are some perks,which are quite honestly useless, others are blatantly overpowered. At higher levels your character will become a little too powerful, having DLC installed can further amplify this effect. I remember during a playthrough with one of my stealth characters I had acquired the Chinese stealth armor and the Gauss Rifle from Operation Anchorage, at about lvl 22 (I had Broken Steal as well) I was able to one-hit-kill Super Mutant Masters and Glowing Ones using sneak attacks. This shows a recurring flaw in Bethesda's post "Morrowind" open world RPGs. The level progression is very unbalanced. At the start of the game you are quite underpowered and if you are unlucky enough to come across say, a deathclaw, then your private anal space shall be violated in a rather unpleasant way, however when you reach the higher levels you simply become too powerful as I stated above. For some reason Bethesda doesn't seem to be addressing this problem, in fact it's even more prominent in "Skyrim" then in any other previous game. Thankfully there exists a very large modding community for "Fallout 3", as well as all other Bethesda games, which is something the company should be given credit for. Not a lot of big Gaming companies support modding in such a way, unfortunately. Story was quite interesting ,though the main quest's short length did not allow for it to be developed as extensively as I would have liked. Another reviewer and clearly a hardcore fan of the Fallout series stated the game did not capture the feel of the original. While I really liked his review, as it was written very well and gave me another point of view on this game, I must disagree with him. It is true, that this was the first Fallout game I played, but It did give me a pretty good sense of what the Fallout universe was like. I like how Bethesda attempted social commentary through elements of the game's world, which was something present in the originals. It was subtle and done very well, but unfortunately I haven't seen Bethesda attempt this in any of their newer games. And although this element could not be developed very well due to the short and linear nature of the main quest and the fact that it feels so disconnected with the Side activities, the overall feel of the game was solid. "Fallout 3" succeeds in creating a haunting, post apocalyptic atmosphere, although at times the color gray is too overwhelming and one cannot help but feel that Bethesda was a little lazy in the interior design. Most importantly, though, the game was and for me still is very fun to play. No doubt, this is the game, in which i have invested the most gameplay hours. Wandering the wastes aimlessly, finding little oddities and wondering how they ended up where they are, or what exactly happened in the building. "Fallout 3" offers an incredibly immersive experience. It can also be a great stress relief if you're a sick f*** like me who likes to shred people to little peaces. Tell me my friends, has there ever been anything more satisfying than killing an oversized cockroach with a handheld nuclear weapon? To sum it all up, "Fallout 3" is an amazing game, despite it's flaws.… Expand
  16. OrangeTheGod
    May 17, 2014
    5
    This game focus a lot on the side missions and the size of the map rather than providing a good gameplay and storytelling experience. The concept is interesting, but overall the game is clearly overrated.
  17. debigman
    May 15, 2014
    7
    This is one of the greatest games ever made, but it has a lot of bugs that never got fixed. Also, it has GFWL which makes it always-online. If you are looking to play this game, try to get a DRM-free (but legal please) version.
  18. 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
  19. Jacer200
    May 10, 2014
    7
    I played a fully modded version from Nexus mods. This is a good RPG to play if you are itching for a classic western game to play. Fully modded the game looked really good for being so old. The story did not grip me that much but it was still fun to play. I found playing with a 360 controller to be far superior than keyboard and mouse. I am playing this right after Dark Souls. And the 29I played a fully modded version from Nexus mods. This is a good RPG to play if you are itching for a classic western game to play. Fully modded the game looked really good for being so old. The story did not grip me that much but it was still fun to play. I found playing with a 360 controller to be far superior than keyboard and mouse. I am playing this right after Dark Souls. And the 29 hours it took me to play this game took me by surprise after playing a 65 hour game. But overall a good game on sale. This is a must play because Fallout 4 is in the chamber.… Expand
  20. Nova9000
    May 3, 2014
    9
    This game very cool! Intresting quests, characters, and of course Capital wasteland. This game have very intesting DLC. Bad that this game isnot optimized for Windows 7. This game freezes and slows down. But
    still it is cool.
  21. TheUnbeholden
    Apr 22, 2014
    8
    They didn't make it a real time FPS to "make it easier to start with for new players" thats what a tutorial is for, not a whole game. The reason they made is that some people don't like TB strategy games.

    Problem is that hardcore fallout fans won't like this and people who like FPS might not like the necessity of using VATS mode which slows the game down and takes control away from you.    They didn't make it a real time FPS to "make it easier to start with for new players" thats what a tutorial is for, not a whole game. The reason they made is that some people don't like TB strategy games.

    Problem is that hardcore fallout fans won't like this and people who like FPS might not like the necessity of using VATS mode which slows the game down and takes control away from you. Fact is the game is far away from FO3, not just in gameplay but visually the wasteland looks different. It looks alot more grey than FO3 is, not enough brown and green is missing that you should see "some" of, some plants here and there. Signs that the world is recovering.
    No Bosses. Missed opportunity.

    The stories ending is also terrible, the story just felt empty at the end which is kind of really unforgivable for fallout. The endings are so abysmal, they do nothing to give any closure or even summarise all the trails and tribulations you had to go through upto that point.    … Expand
  22. OriginalMarf
    Apr 11, 2014
    9
    I preferred this compared to New Vegas mainly because I actually felt like playing Fallout 3 and I replayed it at least 15 times, but when I played New Vegas I wanted to replay it, but I felt like it was a hassle. At times I felt genuine fear of how many super mutants were around the corner and the story was amazing compared to New Vegas.
  23. junedragon3
    Mar 20, 2014
    10
    Open world gameplay at it's finest. I had loads of fun just exploring the vast Capitol Wasteland rich with countless interesting set locations as well as random events/encounters. For the vast "emptiness" of the wasteland, I never felt bored once. You can even essentially choose to not play the story at all and still have loads of fun. Definitely worth buying.
  24. rubanzomi
    Mar 13, 2014
    8
    This is a great game but I cant help but think it is vastly rated compared to fallout new vegas. I dont understand how fallout new vegas got an 8.3 but this game gets a 9.1 even if the graphics are the same new vegas has a superior story line and a much higher replay value.
  25. 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
  26. lutteres
    Feb 8, 2014
    5
    I haven’t played the original fallout series (although I intend in the future). So, my review of fallout 3 (GOTY edition), is not contaminated by any feelings of nostalgia.

    ~Visuals (Grade 4 ) (Yes, I know this is a 2008 game, but compared with other AAA games from that time, fallout 3 doesn’t look very good in the visual department) - The Good: (Good modeling, especially the outdoor    I haven’t played the original fallout series (although I intend in the future). So, my review of fallout 3 (GOTY edition), is not contaminated by any feelings of nostalgia.

    ~Visuals (Grade 4 ) (Yes, I know this is a 2008 game, but compared with other AAA games from that time, fallout 3 doesn’t look very good in the visual department)
    - The Good: (Good modeling, especially the outdoor environments; Vast and varied outdoor map; Game world feels realistic)
    - The Bad: (Ugly textures; Poor indoor lighting; Limited color scheme (Only 3 prevalent colors: Brown, grey and black); Awful shadow effects (for AAA game at least); Repetitive Indoor maps (Buildings, underground structures, etc..); No dynamic weather; Clunky animations; Some graphic glitches (but not many); Still a bit buggy (Didn’t experience any crashes though))

    ~Sound (Grade 7)
    - The Good: (Realistic sound effects (especially the gun effects))
    - The Bad: (Uninspired voice acting; Generic and painfully repetitive soundtrack)

    ~Story (Grade 5)
    - The Good: (Mother ship Zeta DLC (Very nice story, it’s 7/10 compared with the rest of the game))
    - The Bad: (Generic story; Lack of focus; Uninspired writing; Uninteresting and boring characters)

    ~Gameplay – (Grade 6)
    -The Good: (Decent character creation options; Decent FPS mechanics; Satisfying kills; Fun (at least for the first 8 hours); Decent assortment of weapons and armors; Tons of places to see and explore; 100 hours worth of gameplay)
    -The Bad: (Unbalanced leveling up mechanics that make the game too easy (I have only died 5 or 6 times in 70 hours of playing this game, and that’s because I am not very good at FPS games); Over focus on action (shot first ask questions later mentality)/ few pacifist choices; Action with few tense moments or substance (that’s what happens when you have too much amo and med pack); Boring side quests; Choices didn’t felt that important in the overall scheme of thing; Unexciting loot (most of it is just useless junk); Useless stealth options (it’s always more efficient to just run and gun through a level); Stupid A.I. (The companions I.A. in particular, because they always get in the way).)

    ~Everything else – (Grade 10)
    -The Good: (Decent menu options; Tons of mods to experiment; DLC with good value)

    In conclusion: Despite its multiple faults, Fallout 3 can be fun at times, especially when exploring the cities, but the fun moments are few and far between.
    After 70 Hours of gameplay it left me with a “bad after taste”. It had potential to be great, and at times you can see glimpses of greatness, but unfortunately Bethesda has decided to give us quantity over quality, and the end result is not that great.
    If you like sand box games with tons of places to explore, and are willing to excuse the game’s bad story, awful visuals, zero challenge and repetitive fights. Than this might be a good distraction for you, at least for a few hours, but I recommend installing a few mods first, for the best experience.
    However, if you are looking for an exciting Sci-fi adventure, with interesting characters and story, skip this one and go buy Mass effect or Deus Ex.    … Expand
  27. 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.
  28. Andrew_Paterson
    Jan 31, 2014
    10
    Fallout 3 is - 6 years down the line - probably my favourite game. It's also one of the only two games |I've given a 10 to here on Metacrtic.

    It's not perfect (crashing is a way of life) but the open world game-play gives the option for creating your own story or just mucking about that no other sandbox game I've played has yet managed to capture.
  29. TCTriangle
    Jan 17, 2014
    9
    What I have been waiting for in an Action RPG since Diablo 2: great difficulty and challenge, vast atmospheric world, tons of items, stats, and skills to customize, creative enemies, good story. A very addictive and memorable game overall.

    Only major flaw is the technical side of things: the game crashes more often than it should (about once every 2-3 hours), there are bugs and glitches    What I have been waiting for in an Action RPG since Diablo 2: great difficulty and challenge, vast atmospheric world, tons of items, stats, and skills to customize, creative enemies, good story. A very addictive and memorable game overall.

    Only major flaw is the technical side of things: the game crashes more often than it should (about once every 2-3 hours), there are bugs and glitches here and there, and it took over an hour to figure out how to get it working on Windows 8 in the first place. Overall though, well worth the money, time, and effort.    … Expand
  30. ArrowToTheHead
    Jan 13, 2014
    0
    for making me believe that this is gonna be a new fallout, well it makes me sad and shows, where the priority lies for bethesda. certainly not games.
    funny though, its not so bad a game on its own, and ironically the best use of their oblivion-engine(less melee). its in that tradition, so if you think skyrim and oblivion have good writing, interesting sidequests and npcs, go ahead, this    for making me believe that this is gonna be a new fallout, well it makes me sad and shows, where the priority lies for bethesda. certainly not games.
    funny though, its not so bad a game on its own, and ironically the best use of their oblivion-engine(less melee). its in that tradition, so if you think skyrim and oblivion have good writing, interesting sidequests and npcs, go ahead, this is what you want!

    its not what i like or want.    … 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.
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