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. CurlyCaveman
    Nov 25, 2009
    10
    One of the most addicting games I've ever played, amazing replay value, engrossing... so good that it over comes the frustrating and annoying crashing and overheating of my GPU that I experienced.
  2. wastelandking
    Dec 14, 2009
    10
    I think this game rocks!! very opened game where you dont have to follow a certain path.a huge map to explore.good weps an the V.A.T.S. system is cool.spent many hrs playing this game.its u aganist the wasteland!! LOL!!!
  3. JoseC
    Dec 29, 2009
    10
    Easily one of the best games of all time. The atmosphere of this game is incredible. The main storyline is not THAT great but all the sidequest compensate this fact.
  4. justinscustoms
    Aug 27, 2010
    7
    On the level the game itself is far more satisfying than Bethesda's previous entries into sandbox titles. The PC version offer the same expansive environments but the more claustrophobic feel of a wasteland city gives a less mundane feel to the environment and a clear and concise story line gives the game a clear sense of direction. On PC platform with relatively powerful hardware theOn the level the game itself is far more satisfying than Bethesda's previous entries into sandbox titles. The PC version offer the same expansive environments but the more claustrophobic feel of a wasteland city gives a less mundane feel to the environment and a clear and concise story line gives the game a clear sense of direction. On PC platform with relatively powerful hardware the game produces clear crisp textures and matched with the relatively huge dialogue giving it a relatively immersed feel.

    After setting all of the positive aside, I have a very difficult time ignoring all of the bugs and technical shortcomings the game experiences in what seems like a very random manner. Certain graphics settings cause direct crashes almost predictably during play, and it would seem under almost perfectly stable conditions you can experience random hardware driver crashes, even more frustrating is how the game handles the DLC expansion material, once installed properly every endeavor into a previously saved game pauses the game to remind the user that a new radio station has been discovered, this not only breaks the experience altogether it does so on a fairly random basis assuring that no matter how into the game you become you can be assured that it will be ruined for you without any warning.    … Expand
  5. cambria
    Nov 16, 2011
    5
    I enjoy the premise and design for this game, but that's about where it ends. The game crashes on almost ANY pc close to several times an hour. Tried on 3 different PCs, all high end nvidia or ati beasts, vista/7/xp doesn't matter. Clicking an NPC twice shouldn't freeze ANY game.

    That being said I really wanted to enjoy this game, bought the GOTY including all DLC and haven't been able    I enjoy the premise and design for this game, but that's about where it ends. The game crashes on almost ANY pc close to several times an hour. Tried on 3 different PCs, all high end nvidia or ati beasts, vista/7/xp doesn't matter. Clicking an NPC twice shouldn't freeze ANY game.

    That being said I really wanted to enjoy this game, bought the GOTY including all DLC and haven't been able to get more than an hour out of the story. It simply crashes too much in the open world. Play this game on a console, sad to say, but it looks amazing when it works.    … Expand
  6. SpizyChicken
    Jan 8, 2011
    6
    To correct my last review. There is definitely a story and lots of missions. I just didn't take the time to learn the map system and realize where my missions were. It takes TIME! So sit back, and relax on this one.
  7. Miley03
    Aug 6, 2011
    7
    Fallout 3 is an interesting game, with an extremely unique setting. The setting is the games biggest advantage (or disadvantage). If you like a post-apocalyptic setting with extremely high realism and details. But for people like me, who get easily swept up in games will find this game very pessimistic and not that fun. The other problem this game has is the landscapes. They are just TOOFallout 3 is an interesting game, with an extremely unique setting. The setting is the games biggest advantage (or disadvantage). If you like a post-apocalyptic setting with extremely high realism and details. But for people like me, who get easily swept up in games will find this game very pessimistic and not that fun. The other problem this game has is the landscapes. They are just TOO large. Who wants to walk for 10 MINUTES to find something! And this wouldn't even matter if the locations were interesting, but it's mostly a desert. But there are loads of people who love this, and for those people this game is a gem.… Expand
  8. Notsatanokay
    Aug 7, 2011
    6
    The idea of 'Fallout 3' was an intriguing one when I first heard of it, however after playing the game in its entirety I found it to be; interesting at times and yet lacking something. The story was quite difficult to follow much the same as a previous game from the same developer. I understand it is supposed to be a free roam game however everything felt a little too loose. Events in theThe idea of 'Fallout 3' was an intriguing one when I first heard of it, however after playing the game in its entirety I found it to be; interesting at times and yet lacking something. The story was quite difficult to follow much the same as a previous game from the same developer. I understand it is supposed to be a free roam game however everything felt a little too loose. Events in the story seemed to quite weakly follow each other, and the combat system left something to be desired. However the graphics for the year of release were incredibly impressive and there was a sense of atmosphere. Overall I think this game is not linear enough , in other words it does not have a strong enough sense of direction.… Expand
  9. Klarcius
    Dec 14, 2011
    6
    Like; atmosphere of the wasteland, landscapes, soundtrack, mod availability.
    Dislike; horrible combat system, bland sound effects, plasticky guns without any significant recoil (am I shooting toy guns?), sub par character animations. Overall it's a good game, but definitely not excellent.
  10. lexe
    Dec 17, 2011
    7
    Pro:
    + Free to explore a huge apocalyptic world
    + the missions drag you deep into the world, as you keep decending into the underground. + good storyline + alot of gore + good powerfull gunsounds. + awesome cinematic effects. + sweet graphics in general. + weapons and power-ups left, right and centre + fiddling with locks to gain extra loot con: - you need to use the interface, everytime    Pro:
    + Free to explore a huge apocalyptic world
    + the missions drag you deep into the world, as you keep decending into the underground.
    + good storyline
    + alot of gore
    + good powerfull gunsounds.
    + awesome cinematic effects.
    + sweet graphics in general.
    + weapons and power-ups left, right and centre
    + fiddling with locks to gain extra loot

    con:
    - you need to use the interface, everytime you want a different weapon, including switchign for grenades
    - aim is horrible, if the enemy is 2 feet away u'll be likely to miss the shot still.
    - AI is retarded, most things just run towards you, a bit like the mobs in serioussam.
    - some ppl cant handle all the freedom and get lost and cant find the next mission.

    Conclusion: If the AI and weaponswitching were better i would have to give it a 10, but they aren't. And you will find yourself running backwards 90% of the time.    … Expand
  11. TheLlamma
    Feb 2, 2012
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Fallout 3 is by far my favourite video game I have ever played. I played it for X Box 360, as well as for PC, i greatly enjoyed playing it through multiple times, I played the first two or three times without the DLC, and i liked it a lot. but i must say, it makes the game a whole if you have all the DLC because it makes the game more playable. for instance, without DLC, you die at the end without the DLC, but if you have the DLC (i think it is broken steel DLC... not sure.) it makes it so you were only knocked unconscious, and you awaken back at the citadel 2 weeks later, unlocking countless more hours of play time. my game play time on X Box 360 is in total at least 2 months worth of play time, and my PC play time is only around 3 weeks, because i just recently bought it. but it is the only game i can play NON-STOP without getting bored. fallout 3 is definitely the best game ever played. when i played New Vegas, i was greatly disappointed. i went back to Fallout 3 and was satisfied. i give this game 10/10. but in reality this game would break the scale, it is truly a god in the video game library, and should be in every gamers arsenal.… Expand
  12. Krepost
    May 7, 2012
    9
    Fallout three is one of the most perfect games that there is. Once you get past the imperfect graphics, fallout three is a dark game filled with tragedy and reality, forcing you to make decisions that you may not necessarily like. Not the fastest paced game, fallout will have you exploring a great deal (a selling point for Bethesda, kind of like Bioware's writing, it's just a strongFallout three is one of the most perfect games that there is. Once you get past the imperfect graphics, fallout three is a dark game filled with tragedy and reality, forcing you to make decisions that you may not necessarily like. Not the fastest paced game, fallout will have you exploring a great deal (a selling point for Bethesda, kind of like Bioware's writing, it's just a strong point). The story is excellent and combat staves off repetition by allowing you to watch your bullet destroy the skull of an unsuspecting foe. Be careful, though, the fallout engine is EXTREMELY buggy so if you can't stand crashes to desktop, don't buy the game. Any other game with bugs this numerous would drop down the score significantly, however fallout three is just so perfect. Another annoying part of the game is the item degradation system, which has never been a good idea for a game mechanic in the history of any game ever. The stealth system is sub par. In the end though, if you can get through the bugs, fallout three will provide you with at least three replays of 12 hours each at least, and then you can add mods or make them yourself easily if you want. I highly reccomend.… Expand
  13. ChoicestGames
    Mar 3, 2012
    8
    An excellent free-roaming post-apocalyptic RPG, Bethesda Softworks style. The game does have intrusive DRM and lots of quest bugs though, so be warned!
  14. bosnian
    Apr 6, 2012
    5
    I really wanted to like this game, and for the first 15-20 hours I did. I ignored the numerous bugs I encountered, from getting stuck over and over until I had to restart (until I got the mod), to being shot randomly by a monster far far out of the range of his shotgun, to falling through walls that just were not there. After a while I just became to powerful and the game was little toI really wanted to like this game, and for the first 15-20 hours I did. I ignored the numerous bugs I encountered, from getting stuck over and over until I had to restart (until I got the mod), to being shot randomly by a monster far far out of the range of his shotgun, to falling through walls that just were not there. After a while I just became to powerful and the game was little to easy. But the game itself was fun, the post apocalyptic DC was executed well and I was immersed into the story. I deliberately didn't do main story line trying to complete all the sidequests first, but constantly sidequests would lead me to people who would just assume I am on a certain step of another quest and basically allow me to keep that going/complete the quests I didn't even know existed. When finally a side quest took me to a place where the game only gave me options for a conversation that referred to me wanting to talk to a person I never heard of, and that caused the a jump that turned out to be 6 steps in the main story line, I quit, uninstalled and walked away.… Expand
  15. Brodesmus
    Apr 26, 2012
    9
    Easily one of my favorite games of all time. Not a good FPS, but the RPG elements really stand out. The story may seem somewhat cookie-cutter, but if you take the time to look around the world there's a lot more going on than it seems superficially. Bonus points because I live near D.C. and recognized a lot of the streets and towns rather than just the monuments.
  16. tron_paul
    May 23, 2012
    6
    All of the reasons I have for not enjoying this game are dwarfed by one giant, black monolith of death: THIS GAME WILL SHOVE "GAMES FOR WINDOWS LIVE" DOWN YOUR THROAT. Maybe if we stop going along with Microsoft's evil, ill-conceived monstrosity, then developers will remember how to keep saves on the local machine.
  17. Havocs
    May 13, 2012
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I'm going to keep this short. I'm not going to talk about graphics and such since good games are determined by story and game play, not graphics. The game play is nothing new what so ever. Anyways. The main quest (MQ) could use some improvements. All you really do is run around looking for your character's father. Once you do the MQ is almost done. However, the DLC Broken Steel saved the game, somewhat.… Expand
  18. Yashime
    Jun 2, 2012
    7
    I love the story, the landscape, and the end of days atmosphere. It´s also the reason why i play it always in ego-shooter perspective, because if not the game loose all the magic. The animation of the character is so ridicoulous. And there are a plenty of game who manage to give realistic movement, but not Bethesda Programmers. I think a good investment were a Motion CaptureI love the story, the landscape, and the end of days atmosphere. It´s also the reason why i play it always in ego-shooter perspective, because if not the game loose all the magic. The animation of the character is so ridicoulous. And there are a plenty of game who manage to give realistic movement, but not Bethesda Programmers. I think a good investment were a Motion Capture System! Please do it. Like Dark Souls, were the animations and gravity of the character are almost perfect!!! And then Fallout 3 will be the best game ever :-)… Expand
  19. NerdHero
    Jul 22, 2012
    8
    Sehr gelungenes Shooter-RPG :DD
  20. hellcat5
    Jul 25, 2012
    6
    I was very anxious, coming from skyrim, to play this game. Awaiting the download, when I clicked "play" through steam, I had an error for .NET install while installing. After that, I spent at least a good 24 hours reading and trying different things to get this older game to work on my windows 7 system. I've gotten to the point where xp service pack 3 compatibility gives the gameI was very anxious, coming from skyrim, to play this game. Awaiting the download, when I clicked "play" through steam, I had an error for .NET install while installing. After that, I spent at least a good 24 hours reading and trying different things to get this older game to work on my windows 7 system. I've gotten to the point where xp service pack 3 compatibility gives the game anywhere to a few minutes to a couple hours gameplay till it crashes. So many other games of this time period I can play without any issues, or system customizations. I'm very disappointed with it, and if I could get the $5 back for it, I think I would. Better then spending all that time restarting the game because it has random crashes. I know now why Skyrim had crashing issues when it first came out. Bethesda needs to fix that engine.… Expand
  21. Wpnfire
    Aug 6, 2012
    9
    There's tons of first-person and third-person shooter games around these days, but Fallout 3 is 5th best shooter I've ever played after Half-Life, Half-Life 2, Metal Gear Solid, and Snake Eater. The only problem I have with this game is that they went a little crazy on it being non-linear. A mini-map would have been nice to include in the gameplay, for example.
  22. Gabcd
    Aug 6, 2012
    8
    4/5 (good) There's just so many "WOW" moments in this game and the whole "after-a-massive-nuclear-war" thing builds up to such a rich atmosphere. Of course the game is not perfect and sometimes feels limited, but I suggest you try it. And please... try to "RP". You know you want to.
  23. SirTarque
    Aug 7, 2012
    9
    One of my all-time favourites. Credible world, long motivation, good graphics, great quests, nice jokes. A must for players of earlier Fallout games, and on one step with Fallout New Vegas. Thumbs up!
  24. LethalThreat
    Dec 29, 2012
    10
    I absolutely love this game, I have played it over and over again and it still doesn't get boring. I'm not to sure what keeps me in it, maybe the ability to mod at your will or just the fact you can do what ever the heck you want. Yes, there is bugs, but there are mods to fix that. I'll admit the vanilla game of this can be pretty dull, but when you add mods its epic and never ending. TheI absolutely love this game, I have played it over and over again and it still doesn't get boring. I'm not to sure what keeps me in it, maybe the ability to mod at your will or just the fact you can do what ever the heck you want. Yes, there is bugs, but there are mods to fix that. I'll admit the vanilla game of this can be pretty dull, but when you add mods its epic and never ending. The story line is a little short, but still fun. There is defiantly more than enough place to explore, quests to find, and loot.… Expand
  25. chronoT
    Sep 8, 2012
    9
    I remember turning this game on when I first bought it for PC not having ANY idea what I was in for. I had little to no experience with an open world game and I didn't play Fallout 1 or 2. I was off to a slow start, in the vault and still not knowing what to expect. Once I moved out of the vault and into the world, that's when it all began. By "it all" I mean a truly wonderful gamingI remember turning this game on when I first bought it for PC not having ANY idea what I was in for. I had little to no experience with an open world game and I didn't play Fallout 1 or 2. I was off to a slow start, in the vault and still not knowing what to expect. Once I moved out of the vault and into the world, that's when it all began. By "it all" I mean a truly wonderful gaming experience. Fallout 3 did for me what no other games have in a while, get my full attention and for a continuously long time. This was the first title I played where I could make multiple choices that would lead to many different consequences. Also, you can play it in first or third person so it's like a FPS / Action RPG all-in-one . This game was amazingly fun, going around D.C. which really looked and felt like a post-apocalypse world. Incredibly rewarding, scary, and VERY satisfying are the words that come to mind. It was great exploring to collect new guns and bottle caps, trading and buying at the store, and leveling your character. You eventually become very powerful and able to basically run the city. This game brought me into the next level of PC gaming, and I am still thanking it and Bethesda to this day.… Expand
  26. TheHumbleCritic
    Sep 17, 2012
    7
    Compared to Fallout:New Vegas, this game just didn't really appeal to me, it's boring atmosphere and bland characters made the experience somewhat less than entertaining..
  27. EpicSalad
    Sep 21, 2012
    10
    Definitely a title worth buying, this game will never die. If you're trying this after coming from any Elder Scrolls titles, you must play this with an open mind, and not assume anything simply because of the developer. This game was never intended to be anything similar to any of the Elder Scrolls games.
  28. trollololololol
    Sep 7, 2013
    7
    Take the Elder Scrolls, reskin it to look like Fallout, give it really terrible shooting gameplay, give it a pretty weak story, mediocre voice acting, mediocre writing, enemies that are way too easy to kill, a ridiculous amount of bugs and a lame system to try to hide the fact that the gameplay is crap, and you get Fallout 3. It may not be bad, but it certainly isn't good. This game isTake the Elder Scrolls, reskin it to look like Fallout, give it really terrible shooting gameplay, give it a pretty weak story, mediocre voice acting, mediocre writing, enemies that are way too easy to kill, a ridiculous amount of bugs and a lame system to try to hide the fact that the gameplay is crap, and you get Fallout 3. It may not be bad, but it certainly isn't good. This game is just average.… Expand
  29. HCTristesse
    Oct 4, 2012
    10
    I read here people were saying Fallout 3 was Oblivion with guns. No, that's not the case. Contrary to Oblivion, EVERY place on the maps is worth visiting because you can always find something new. The leveling system is also much, much better. The main story may not be the best, but still more interesting than Oblivion's. The only thing that I find similar is that enemies get stronger wayI read here people were saying Fallout 3 was Oblivion with guns. No, that's not the case. Contrary to Oblivion, EVERY place on the maps is worth visiting because you can always find something new. The leveling system is also much, much better. The main story may not be the best, but still more interesting than Oblivion's. The only thing that I find similar is that enemies get stronger way too quickly. Fallout 3 is full of secrets and crazy things to discover, where Oblivion is dull and boring and always the same. The add-ons give the cake its topping (okay, I'll credit Oblivion having a great add-on with Shivering Isles too). This game has nearly everything I wanted Oblivion to have and continues the spirit Morrowind had way better.… Expand
  30. tvaughanx89
    Sep 26, 2013
    10
    amazing game you will play through once a year to re-experience at least that's what i do!

    This is a game other games aspire to be a game that captures all the right elements an engages the abundance with pure entertainment an exuberant experience. You will feel like you are in the waste land the you become attached to your protagonist through the customization of him or her seeing that    amazing game you will play through once a year to re-experience at least that's what i do!

    This is a game other games aspire to be a game that captures all the right elements an engages the abundance with pure entertainment an exuberant experience. You will feel like you are in the waste land the you become attached to your protagonist through the customization of him or her seeing that he or she is silent witch is what a rpg character should be.    … 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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