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. vova22379
    Dec 18, 2021
    6
    ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
  2. completo3
    Mar 15, 2021
    6
    El juego me ha gustado y lo recomiendo, la temática en general de la saga Fallout me parece super interesante, la historia principal esta bien, pero los DLCs me parecen bastante mejores ya que te dan mas tiempo de juego y algunos son muy buenos. El sistema de dialogo me parece brillante en comparación con la basura que hicieron en el 4.
    Tambien cosas malas claramente, como la durabilidad    El juego me ha gustado y lo recomiendo, la temática en general de la saga Fallout me parece super interesante, la historia principal esta bien, pero los DLCs me parecen bastante mejores ya que te dan mas tiempo de juego y algunos son muy buenos. El sistema de dialogo me parece brillante en comparación con la basura que hicieron en el 4.
    Tambien cosas malas claramente, como la durabilidad de las armas o atuendos o los problemas de compatibilidad con algunas versiones de Windows. Suelen ponerlo bastante barato en rebajas y por el precio que suele tener me parece un pepino.    … Expand
  3. Vittle
    Mar 11, 2022
    6
    Fallout New Vegas is 100 times better!
    Its not a bad game but it dose not have that fallout Oh Yea thing.
  4. Tromble
    Jun 28, 2021
    6
    Fallout 3 is okay, the series hasn't been totally flandarized by this point but you can totally feel that it is on its way.

    I would not recommend Fallout 3.
  5. jamlk
    Jun 12, 2023
    6
    For re-inventing the franchise it is a huge step. Looking apart from that it's kind of a mess. And the magic it gave in '08 sadly can't be felt as much.
  6. zcat5
    Jun 26, 2023
    6
    When released, this game was truly impressive. It built upon the masterpiece Oblivion, and it brought some impressive new elements of gameplay. Immensely fun to explore, and great atmosphere. It has been overshadowed by more modern games, but it was easily a 9.5/10 when it was released.
  7. [ANONYMOUS]
    Nov 4, 2009
    5
    As someone who loves the main quest more than any side quest, this game was a huge disappointment. I had the game (not counting downloadable content) done in 13 hours; I never felt compelled to explore the world outside the main quest. Maybe I'm the only one who feels this way, but I really, really wish I'd saved my money for Dragon Age.
  8. VoodoojedizinZ.
    Jan 5, 2009
    5
    My opinion, it's a ok game that has some severe technical problems a very lame plot but that's OK. The Ai are no smarter than the ones used in oblivion. There are some path finding issues for npc's. The dialog is very childlike but tries to be adult. Obviously there trying to appeal to all ages. Story is not very well presented. Low on believability. They overdo the go My opinion, it's a ok game that has some severe technical problems a very lame plot but that's OK. The Ai are no smarter than the ones used in oblivion. There are some path finding issues for npc's. The dialog is very childlike but tries to be adult. Obviously there trying to appeal to all ages. Story is not very well presented. Low on believability. They overdo the go fetch that item as usual. Some of the quest were very lame. The entire time line there trying to present seemed a bit off 200 years my eye! There's nothing to make me believe that. Graphics are good but not that good, low resolution textures. Typical Bethesda they don't give a damn about the PC. This game was made for Xbox. Sadly Bethesda seems to offer no technical support or any kind of contact at all. Once again everyone is left wondering when is the patch coming out and what will be in it.… Expand
  9. JanJ.
    Nov 4, 2008
    5
    Unfortunately, a big disappointment to many. This game is a GOOD example of BAD design. Graphics and sounds are poor, which doesn't help much. Everything is dumbed-down. This game has more common with Bethesda's other game - TES: Oblivion, than with previous Fallout games. Story is nice. Some of the quest ideas and some of the dialogue humor is OK. An average game with a lot of Unfortunately, a big disappointment to many. This game is a GOOD example of BAD design. Graphics and sounds are poor, which doesn't help much. Everything is dumbed-down. This game has more common with Bethesda's other game - TES: Oblivion, than with previous Fallout games. Story is nice. Some of the quest ideas and some of the dialogue humor is OK. An average game with a lot of hype. It's not worth the money, believe me.… Expand
  10. PeterBaltzerH.
    Feb 22, 2009
    5
    Poor RPG poor FPS pretty damm horrible story and writing fun for 5 secs super overexagerated gore and violence which is gratified in the extreme thoughout this game horrible pc conversion, huge fonts makes reading text pretty damm annoying and generally the game suffers from the conversion is so many ways to frustate the player with the UI being my biggest annoyance. a game aimed at the Poor RPG poor FPS pretty damm horrible story and writing fun for 5 secs super overexagerated gore and violence which is gratified in the extreme thoughout this game horrible pc conversion, huge fonts makes reading text pretty damm annoying and generally the game suffers from the conversion is so many ways to frustate the player with the UI being my biggest annoyance. a game aimed at the teen market with a mature rating.… Expand
  11. alex
    Nov 3, 2008
    5
    I don't really understand , why people rate it 10 , but i guess they just didnt play fallout 1 & 2 , tactics. Didn't understand world and team play. For me Fallout 3 is just some game with this name that was made for only one reason - money , due that players will see Fallout 3 on xbox and ps3. But still only world looks abit same as real Fallout , but engine and all models look I don't really understand , why people rate it 10 , but i guess they just didnt play fallout 1 & 2 , tactics. Didn't understand world and team play. For me Fallout 3 is just some game with this name that was made for only one reason - money , due that players will see Fallout 3 on xbox and ps3. But still only world looks abit same as real Fallout , but engine and all models look just same as oblivion's , they even hold weapons same.They should name it Elder scroll 5 : Lazers PEW PEW or something like that. So question is why Bethesda made game , where got no real experience and failed by copy paste of oblivion ? Game not so bad , you can choose who to kill or not , help someone or ignore his problem, but definitely it should have other name, my opinion Bethesda realy failed on this project, and stoped future of great classic fallout story.… Expand
  12. DrWatson
    Dec 12, 2008
    5
    what this game did right: exploring the downtown DC area is great, and the overall atmosphere is fantastic. (especially if you've been there) what this game did poorly: the main plot is terrible and short the RPG elements of the game are numb at best - character stats are largely meaningless - character specialization is discouraged to the point of being almost not possible bottom what this game did right: exploring the downtown DC area is great, and the overall atmosphere is fantastic. (especially if you've been there) what this game did poorly: the main plot is terrible and short the RPG elements of the game are numb at best - character stats are largely meaningless - character specialization is discouraged to the point of being almost not possible bottom line: while this game is not bad, it's not good either. therefore it gets an average score of 5.… Expand
  13. kylebg
    Jan 11, 2009
    5
    I wonder how many of these glowing reviews were written after less than 5 hours of playing the game. I would've given it a 10 too at that point since the world you're presented with is initially overwhelming and beautiful. But it's the quests that suck. So mundane and uninspiring. They could've done such cooler stuff without even more effort--just better ideas. And I wonder how many of these glowing reviews were written after less than 5 hours of playing the game. I would've given it a 10 too at that point since the world you're presented with is initially overwhelming and beautiful. But it's the quests that suck. So mundane and uninspiring. They could've done such cooler stuff without even more effort--just better ideas. And there are HUGE areas of fighting with no payoff at the end and no option but to backtrack all the way back through the area to get out. And where is the sense of horror at billions of people having died? The fact that this game needs an auto-walk feature because it knows you'll be trudging in a straight line for 5 minute stints while meeting nothing of interest is telling. Fallout 3 is a gorgeous landscape looking for a game.… Expand
  14. MarcoS
    Nov 13, 2008
    5
    I give the 5 for effort and because it's a game that appeals to some people. But it is NOT a RPG in the sense of Fallout 1 and 2; it is more like that shallow fantasy theme park that was Oblivion.
  15. WinstonC.
    Nov 15, 2008
    5
    Fallout 3 seems to be a very solid, old-school PC RPG tailored for the X-Box, then ported 1:1 over to PC without any attempts to make it an actual PC game. 1) Installation and Setup: The game doesn't even create shortcuts, instead expects the player to insert the DVD to auto-play the launcher program. Graphic settings can only be changed before starting the game using that launcher Fallout 3 seems to be a very solid, old-school PC RPG tailored for the X-Box, then ported 1:1 over to PC without any attempts to make it an actual PC game. 1) Installation and Setup: The game doesn't even create shortcuts, instead expects the player to insert the DVD to auto-play the launcher program. Graphic settings can only be changed before starting the game using that launcher on the DVD in a windows-98-style box. The options also wouldn't recognize the native 1920x1200 resolution of a 24" monitor until installing the first patch. 2) Everything concerning the graphics and interface in-game is a 100% console port. The mouse has some kind of brake before it starts moving at proper speed, which makes the mousepointer feel like using a clumsy joypad - this makes aiming and navigating through menus an annoying experience. All fonts and most items in-game are vastly oversized (dialogue texts probably 120 pixels high, models for small objects like cigarette boxes as large as DVD boxes, etc). Simple actions like opening the map, browsing the inventory, or even switching weapons require endless clickfests through the only in-game interface tool (pipboy) that has EVERYTHING clumped into it and requires you to click through the categories over and over again. Basically the interface lacks any kind of ergonomical features to make a PC gamer feel comfortable during play. An example is the need to pause every single fight several times to open the "pipboy" menu, select "items", select "weapons", scroll up and down to find grenades / sidearm / rifle, equip it, leave the menu, fire it, then repeat the whole procedure to switch back to the previous weapon. I just can't believe that the game doesn't even have basic weapon slots like STALKER has them, not even to speak of essential shortcuts to the various elements of the pipboy screen. 3) AI doesn't seem to exist on 3/4 difficuilty level. Once enemies spot the player, they just keep running towards him in a straight line most of the time. Sometimes they just disappear to show up again later in a random place. Also NPCs always seem to blow themselves up with grenades, example they throw grenades while charging at you. Fighting in a group with a friendly NPC is a horrible experience from the beginning to the end. Generally the fighting feels the same or even worse than Morrowind back in the days. 4) Dialoges and resulting story are often a mess. Example you kill the evil barkeeper, then his hooker takes over the bar and also recognizes his death in dialogue with you, but in the next sentence she is still afraid to help you because the (dead) barkeeper might not like that. Noone else in town recognizes his death anyway, not even after killing everyone else in there. 5) Karma system: Basically a copy of D&D alignment, but doesn't seem to work for me. I'm killing a camp of bloodthirsty vampires and murderes, and my Karma goes down? WTF? 6) Skill system / character creation: Seems really outdated in 2008. Players can only guess what might be useful and will often end up with a crappy skilled character after some time. Unless they read through guides which tell them where to put their points into etc. 7) Realism vs. Gameplay - I think from a 2008 point of view, the developers have tried to put realism into things where it's not necessary or even hinders gameplay, but didn't put any realism where it would have been essential. Example gunfights in this game are even worse than 1992's Wolfenstein 3D. You're always short on ammo (which feels realistic and makes the game interesting), but all weapons have a huge, random spray radius which make carefully aimed shots useless. Self-healing in-combat seems to be very limited and there's even a complex damage system with crippling etc. in place , but out of combat you just need to take a few sips from a nearby toilet or sleep for 1 hour which will magically heal any kind of damage. 8) Sound and Graphic Art: First of all, the graphics in general are average at best and probably wouldn't have been anything special about 4-5 years ago. All animations and models are very poorly done, things look exactly like in Morrowind too many times. Sounds vary from realistic sounds while pushing around garbage, to explosions that sound like a bag of flour dropped from a skyscraper. Weapon sounds are horrible and make the stiff gunfights even worse. Voice acting in the german version is below-average amateur level - All characters have been dubbed by probably 4 different people and none of them has an interesting voice. Generally i think they should have used one of those cartoon filters on the graphics to make it at least somehow special to look at, but right now it's just cheap mass ware without any kind of style or soul about it. 9) Sprinting - Why the hell can't you sprint in this game? No matter wether you carry 200 kilos of equipment or walk around naked, you can never sprint under any circumstances. Tactics are pretty much useless, all you can do is either frontal assault or place some landmines before doing that frontal assault. 10) Censorship in the german version: I don't know if there is any blood & violence in the original version, but in german, despite an 18+ rating, there's no blood of any kind which makes the game feel even more sterile. 11) I could go on but let's sum it up. I gave this game a 5 because there still seems to be a solid, old-school, Elder Scrolls RPG behind it where you'll spend endless hours with exploring, searching for items, doing quests - but art, interface, storytelling are so bad that you can't even call it outdated, it's just low quality. How this game can get scores of over 90 is a mystery to me. Actually i might have given this a 7 or 8 if it was some kind of isometric top-down view RPG like Fallout / Jagged Alliance, but trying to crossbreed Morrowind with hardcore shooter elements on an X-Box platform has totally failed. My advice is to wait until this game becomes low-budget in the stores, because right now the game is not worth the full price under any circumstances.… Expand
  16. AlexD.
    Nov 2, 2008
    5
    Only played this one for about 6 hours and all I can say is that it's more than enough. The fighting system is at least ineffective, the bullet times showing how you've missed are boring and unnecessary; also, I can't understand why they've chosen this game mechanic - for example, there are times I score headshots (from outside VATS) and the actual hit is a miss (lol) Only played this one for about 6 hours and all I can say is that it's more than enough. The fighting system is at least ineffective, the bullet times showing how you've missed are boring and unnecessary; also, I can't understand why they've chosen this game mechanic - for example, there are times I score headshots (from outside VATS) and the actual hit is a miss (lol) due to chance modifiers, despite the bullet being clearly traced through the opponent's eye for example. The dialogue is dull, and the NPCs lack any AI in regard to speech (with AI I'm referring to the logic behind the NPCs from Vampire Bloodlines for example), while the minimap is plain stupid (clue: here, on PC's, we have enough keys in order to put as many markers we'd want onto a minimap; we could also give them names, since we have keyboards, or write whole journal entries about them). The atmosphere is very good, and the Oblivion engine looks quite nice even in 2008, in this second installment of TES: Oblivion.… Expand
  17. MrMan
    Nov 2, 2008
    5
    This game should NOT be called fallout 3. It does not play like a fallout game, it plays more like Oblivion which is a watered down RPG aimed towards the mentally challenged, a game which only redeems itself because of its vast mod community and potential. It literally seems like Bethesda has taken oblivion and slapped on new skins and models so it looks something like what you'd This game should NOT be called fallout 3. It does not play like a fallout game, it plays more like Oblivion which is a watered down RPG aimed towards the mentally challenged, a game which only redeems itself because of its vast mod community and potential. It literally seems like Bethesda has taken oblivion and slapped on new skins and models so it looks something like what you'd expect of a post apocalyptic wasteland. There is a constant battle in this game between the two genres of FPS and RPG; they are fighting each other like two scrawny women which results in the clumsy combat mechanics and seemingly meaningless character skill progression. Bethesda have made slight modifications to oblivion and called it fallout 3 resulting in another ruined franchise which appeals only to the undying console gaming idiots which unfortunately make up most of today's gaming market. Now if this game did not proclaim itself as the definite sequel to Fallout 2 and instead was more of a spin-off then my review would be more lenient, the game does have good points but ultimately does not deserve the title of Fallout 3. If you want oblivion with a futuristic setting then this is the game for you. If you want a sequel to Fallout then tough luck, you probably won't ever get one.… Expand
  18. RogerS
    Nov 8, 2008
    5
    Be aware this game is unplayable for some people. Not a true review of the game, it may be great, but if you are planning on purchasing I suggest you read the Fallout 3 message boards. There is no fix at this time and the game will crash when you start the game. It is not related to system requirements. I love Bethesda and their games, but sadly I suggest you hold on to your $50 till a Be aware this game is unplayable for some people. Not a true review of the game, it may be great, but if you are planning on purchasing I suggest you read the Fallout 3 message boards. There is no fix at this time and the game will crash when you start the game. It is not related to system requirements. I love Bethesda and their games, but sadly I suggest you hold on to your $50 till a patch is released to address this.… Expand
  19. RobS
    Nov 28, 2008
    5
    I think most of the positive reviews here have been written after one or two plays of the game. I too was at first blown away by the seemingly endless, and incredibly beautiful landscapes, and the freedom of choice. There is also some great exploring moments and some incredible voice acting on offer. Also mention must be made of the lightning fast load times. On those impressions alone I think most of the positive reviews here have been written after one or two plays of the game. I too was at first blown away by the seemingly endless, and incredibly beautiful landscapes, and the freedom of choice. There is also some great exploring moments and some incredible voice acting on offer. Also mention must be made of the lightning fast load times. On those impressions alone this game is a 9star without doubt, however it is with continued play that the many frustrations in this game begin to show. First combat - even with my gun skills ramped up, and many perks to aid it, I find myself completely reliant on the v.a.t.s getting some lucky heashot kills, as the enemy scale up faster and have better weapons. Plus there guns are far more accurate than yours, they can shotgun you halfway across the map, you will have difficulty hitting them right in front of you. You will need every health boost and also use quick load. Combat usually ends up with you trying to lure 1 enemy at a time, into a prepared minefield, and then jumping in and out of cover using vats/powerfists, then repeating the process with enemy number 2. Then comes the complete repetitiveness of both the missions, and the dialog options. You never have more than about 3 talk options, two of which usually get the same response. As to the missions? Go to building A, kill everything that moves, then either talk/kill the object character. Rinse repeat ad infinitum. And reviewer Lou S? Take the cock out of your own mouth m8, and reread your review - you slate it worse than I do. Idiot.… Expand
  20. Malithion
    Nov 29, 2008
    5
    Oh man. Talk about overrated. Reviewers see amazing graphics and suddenly its the "game of the year." There's a huge number of problems with this game, and that's not because of bugs. First of all, the main quest is horribly written, and, unlike Oblivion, you can't continue playing after it (although PC Gamer's editor still seems to think you can). The main quest is Oh man. Talk about overrated. Reviewers see amazing graphics and suddenly its the "game of the year." There's a huge number of problems with this game, and that's not because of bugs. First of all, the main quest is horribly written, and, unlike Oblivion, you can't continue playing after it (although PC Gamer's editor still seems to think you can). The main quest is essentially a drawn-out version of a "fix this thing by getting this item" quest. You're not saving your people, you're not fighting bad guys, but rather repairing a water pump. Some favorite bits: 1) when one major character dies from being in a room filled with huge amounts of radiation, while characters in the same room live without any further explanation. 2) PC Gamer review: "But most egregious is the late-game introduction of a character that refuses to use the special abilities that are his raiso d'etre, injecting a farcical interlude into an otherwise poignant moment." This "poignant moment" is nothing short of one of the most ridiculous endings I've seen in a video game, period. I won't spoil it for you, but I definitely won't say its worth the trouble. Most of the story is a re-tread of old ideas from the previous games. Yes, it is supposed to be in the same vein as the previous Fallout games, but FO3 does not achieve that. Whereas decisions in previous games would affect the entire world, blowing up a whole town will only make a couple of main-quest NPC's take real notice. The dialogue sticks out as the some of the most horrible I've seen in a long time. Having a high intelligence will allow you to state things that are obvious, rather than insightful. Such as when speaking to Three Dog during the GNR quest, the player can say: "[Intelligence] So you fight the Good Fight with you voice on Galaxy News Radio." Another good example is during the first part of the Wasteland Survival Guide quest given by Moira (Bethesda's poor attempt at 'dark humor'): "[Intelligence] The Raiders were using the pharmacy as a place to store their best gear." As Bethesda's Pete Hines said: "Dialogue wasn't a battle we wanted to pick ... we just don't have unlimited monkeys and typewriters." The gameplay itself does not make up for FO3's other flaws. Combat is ridiculous: you can take a direct hit from a missile launcher and keep going (while wearing leather armor, no less), Raiders and other enemies can take 20 rounds of 10mm hollow-points to the face without dying, and a number of the "long-range" weapons (such as the Sniper Rifle) are useless due to the fact they have poor accuracy even if you have mastered the small arms skill. Even at maximum difficulty, the game doesn't provide much of a challenge to either RPG or FPS fans, and a number of the Oblivion's flaws are in Fallout 3. Most notably, just as in Bethesda's previous endeavor, the game quickly devolves into an endless cycle of dungeon-crawl, fetch an object, trade loot, complete quest, and repeat. Very quickly into the game, playing becomes dull and monotonous. Especially when you reach the level cap of 20. At this point, only the promise of interesting quests will keep you playing, and as I have stated, well-developed ones are few and far between. Amazingly, the side quests aren't even as good as Oblivion's. Fallout 3 fails in that it accomplishes neither the goal of an RPG, namely, a deep, believable world with interesting characters and a good story, nor does it accomplish the goal of an FPS; to provide an exciting combat experience and intense gameplay while you pursued an objective. It is at no point immersive, as you feel detached from the world of the game. Few of the characters have any depth or logic behind their actions. It fails to be a sandbox-type game, as you are limited to doing the same things Oblivion allows you to do. In the original Fallout series, you could play most of the game in a way that focused on dialogue, or focus on stealth rather than confrontation. Perhaps Bethesda dumbed down the combat so that characters with weak fighting skills could more easily survive the battles they are constantly forced into. Additionally, the game world is tiny, even smaller than Oblivion. While this does mean that there is less walking distance, it also served as a convenient excuse to put less into the game. There are few unique areas, and even they follow the tired dungeon formula of Oblivion (in fact, the majority of 'dungeons' in the game actually are underground). All in all, Oblivion has some strengths: graphics, a solid engine, and good performance. However, it lacks either a solid RPG or FPS element. Characters aren't interesting, and combat is almost as dull and repetitive. It may have nice looks, but there's not a lot of meat on the bones here. There's just no challenge to this game.… Expand
  21. 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
  22. 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
  23. BlueRose
    Dec 26, 2011
    5
    The game is ok, graphics are pretty good. The detail and story line is so and so and can be messy. However, the game is very strung out, not much to do, characters have little to no facial expression or show of emotion and the game can be very melancholy. Its not the worst game I've played, it does have its good moments, but its not the best and can be a little depressing. But that's justThe game is ok, graphics are pretty good. The detail and story line is so and so and can be messy. However, the game is very strung out, not much to do, characters have little to no facial expression or show of emotion and the game can be very melancholy. Its not the worst game I've played, it does have its good moments, but its not the best and can be a little depressing. But that's just my opinion.… Expand
  24. 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
  25. Amig
    Jun 18, 2012
    5
    While Fallout 3 isn't a bad game overall, as a sequel to Fallout 2 it just fails tragically. It's inconsistent with lore, primitive and illogical in many places. Overall, for a long time Fallout veteran such as myself, this game was a huge disappointment. If you haven't played the previous installments or are just looking for some cheap entertainment, you can go ahead and give it a spin.While Fallout 3 isn't a bad game overall, as a sequel to Fallout 2 it just fails tragically. It's inconsistent with lore, primitive and illogical in many places. Overall, for a long time Fallout veteran such as myself, this game was a huge disappointment. If you haven't played the previous installments or are just looking for some cheap entertainment, you can go ahead and give it a spin. Otherwise, you'll be better off with New Vegas. Actually, scratch that. You'll be better off with New Vegas either way.… Expand
  26. Specskankular
    Oct 12, 2012
    5
    I had high hopes for this game as I played on, but the further I got into the game as my XP, Perks earned and more weapons became available the easier it got until the competition seemed like child's play. Storyline was fair I suppose, but if you accept a certain quest too soon the game is over way before it's time. I even added 'Point Lookout' and killed the game so soon b my choice ofI had high hopes for this game as I played on, but the further I got into the game as my XP, Perks earned and more weapons became available the easier it got until the competition seemed like child's play. Storyline was fair I suppose, but if you accept a certain quest too soon the game is over way before it's time. I even added 'Point Lookout' and killed the game so soon b my choice of Quests I never experienced the Add On. No point In going on at this point as I know how the game ends no matter what choices or changes I make. The end sucks me very much.… Expand
  27. ejikvkaske
    Mar 13, 2013
    5
    Fallout 3 dutifully follows the Bethesda motto of quantity over quality. The game tries to make up for its shortcomings by overwhelming you with the sheer volume of content. And the faults be plenty. The world, albeit huge, feels empty and generally artificial. The UI is a disaster. Weapon selection is rather lame. Guns have no recoil and seemingly random bullet spread. Enemy AI isFallout 3 dutifully follows the Bethesda motto of quantity over quality. The game tries to make up for its shortcomings by overwhelming you with the sheer volume of content. And the faults be plenty. The world, albeit huge, feels empty and generally artificial. The UI is a disaster. Weapon selection is rather lame. Guns have no recoil and seemingly random bullet spread. Enemy AI is retarded. Side quests are extremely repetitive. Even the graphics, supposedly one of the game's strong points, look quite dated for a 2008 game. The game does have a decent storyline and a great soundtrack, but that's simply not enough to make up for it's numerous shortcomings.… Expand
  28. 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
  29. Ehrees
    Dec 6, 2013
    5
    For those that have a PS3 or a Xbox 360, I recommend that you should buy this game for those platforms. The game is not bad, its just the crashing of the game for windows. For the first 1 minute of the game, crash! But, if you manage to get past the crashes, the game is good.
  30. 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.
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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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