Fallout 3

 PlayStation 3
User Score
8.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1332 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,068 out of 1332
  2. Mixed: 119 out of 1332
  3. Negative: 145 out of 1332
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  1. Tubie
    Oct 2, 2010
    9
    This game is decent, for an RPG lover it will be a fun experience from start to end. The atmosphere and is well crafted and you will immerse yourself in the setting. The main problem I had with this game was the combat, it's super simple and after a while it gets repetitive and boring. This game would have been a classic if it wasn't for the silly combat.
  2. slinky773
    Oct 2, 2010
    9
    Wow. Only 5,000 character reviews allowed? That's not nearly enough to describe the beauty of this game. But anyways, guess what? This game is one of the best games ever. Bioshock and Fallout 3 are the best FPS-RPG hybrids in the world. And guess what? They both came out for the PS3 at roughly the same date. Bioshock came a week earlier on the PS3, and I say the PS3 because Bioshock didn'tWow. Only 5,000 character reviews allowed? That's not nearly enough to describe the beauty of this game. But anyways, guess what? This game is one of the best games ever. Bioshock and Fallout 3 are the best FPS-RPG hybrids in the world. And guess what? They both came out for the PS3 at roughly the same date. Bioshock came a week earlier on the PS3, and I say the PS3 because Bioshock didn't come out on the PS3 until about a year after every other version. Anyways, what can I say? You're born, and you make your gender, name, looks, etc. Then you're suddenly 1 year old, and you're introduced to the actual mechanics. Then you're 10, and you're given your Pip-Boy, along with a BB-Gun for your birthday. Then you're 16, and you have to take a test to see where you fit into in the world. Then you're 19, and for some reason, your dad is gone. He disappeared and escaped from your home, vault 101. Vaults are underground shelters, and were created because of the ongoing Nuclear War. Everyone is looking for you since they apparently think you know where he is, which you really don't. After a few tasks, you get out into the real world. Now, this is all the reason why this game got a 9 instead of a 10. The intro, and that's really my only grudge, other then a few glitches. The real world is nothing like you're used to. It's a barren wasteland that you don't even recognize. You go to a nearby town to find more about your father and where the hell he went, and that's about the point that I got to. Now, the great thing about this game is the amount of options. You can choose to shoot the head, the torso, the right arm, the left arm, the weapon, the right leg, and the left leg in the brilliant system known as V.A.T.S. You can choose side quests. You can choose to save people. You can choose to kill people. Even the conversations have options. No matter what, you always have a say in what you do. The combat is the weakest part, though. Even though that's not saying much. That's like saying that 1 YouTube video is worse then the best YouTube video. The combat doesn't feel like how combat in a FPS should be. Bioshock did combat better. But other then that, this is one of the greatest games in existence. And this is where I draw the line.… Expand
  3. Milan
    Oct 12, 2010
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Often touted as "Oblivion with guns", Fallout 3 is certainly very similar to the fantasy-world RPG. It is just as immersive as TES IV, with a great soundtrack and world to explore. While many become bored with the dreary landscape and green-and-brown graphics, they don't realize that Fallout 3 takes place in a post-apocalyptic wasteland-not the colourful forests and piercing mountains of fantasy RPGs. Bethesda pulled off the post-apocalyptic theme perfectly, and one really feels as if they are fighting to survive in this devastated world. Fallout 3's gameplay is excellent. Certain skills like persuasion, thieving, sneaking, and ranged attacks (V.A.T.S in particular is excellent) have all been improved on, and the game is a blast to just explore through and interact with the world around you. Sadly, however, Bethesda has still made some of the mistakes that it has with other games in the past. The animations, albeit slightly better than in Oblivion, are still dreadful, and the game's also still full of glitches (sometimes the game becomes completely unplayable, whether it be because of lag or a an NPC randomly dying/glitching in behaviour). While Bethesda hired some top-notch voice actors for Fallout 3, they still didn't hire ENOUGH. Many of the sub-characters' voices are completely recycled. The story also follows the patterns of past games: great-but-not-excellent; and tremendously anti-climatic. However, just as these problems didn't (and shouldn't) stop people from playing Oblivion, the same applies here. Despite all these minor annoyances, Fallout 3 is still a must-buy, featuring a completely immersive, interesting world with excellent gameplay to boot. Delve into the wasteland and forge your own path, Lone Wanderer.… Expand
  4. ReReview
    Oct 27, 2010
    9
    Fallout 3 is an adventurous re-think of the classic RPG game Fallout, rendered in fully-fledged 3D glory and containing one of the most vast and unrestricted landscapes ever committed to pixellated form. Despite a few minor niggles and a wholly unfulfilling ending(/s), I found playing this game to be a real visceral treat. Moments of genuine terror and tension are aplenty, especially ifFallout 3 is an adventurous re-think of the classic RPG game Fallout, rendered in fully-fledged 3D glory and containing one of the most vast and unrestricted landscapes ever committed to pixellated form. Despite a few minor niggles and a wholly unfulfilling ending(/s), I found playing this game to be a real visceral treat. Moments of genuine terror and tension are aplenty, especially if trolling through abandoned subway stations while sitting in a darkened room, wondering where that scuttling sound is coming from and whether you have enough V.A.T.S points to stop it. One of the finest games of recent times.… Expand
  5. mixxalot
    Mar 26, 2016
    9
    Awesome RPG! I bought a used PS3 and this game for dirt cheap and it is so much addicting fun! Reminds me of the old Wasteland RPG but with better graphics and game play. Yes, the bugs suck and quests can be a bit tedious but overall a lot of options to explore and try new weapons, gear and so forth. I have heard that it is even better than the newer Fallout 4! I figure why spend $400 forAwesome RPG! I bought a used PS3 and this game for dirt cheap and it is so much addicting fun! Reminds me of the old Wasteland RPG but with better graphics and game play. Yes, the bugs suck and quests can be a bit tedious but overall a lot of options to explore and try new weapons, gear and so forth. I have heard that it is even better than the newer Fallout 4! I figure why spend $400 for a PS4 or Xbox One and $60 for the new Fallout game when you can buy a PS3 for under $100 and this game for $15?… Expand
  6. SnakeEyeRyan
    Jan 1, 2011
    9
    I say this game would be a ten but the problem is that it has too many bugs and freezing issues. Other than that this game is amazing. So amazing I beat it 4 times, and there are very few games I beat more than once
  7. Canamavrick
    Jan 10, 2011
    9
    Looking for a fun rpg with a huge open world? Fallout 3 is for you. It has some nice graphics with long quests. The only problem is that it crashes sometimes, but its rare that it will happen.
  8. TheCoz
    Apr 21, 2011
    9
    I wish there was a 9.9 button I could press. I do not give out 10's lightly and though Fallout 3 gets pretty damned close to earning one from me there are a few things that keep it from being a perfect experience.

    I had become pretty jaded with games this decade. The shooters were gettting bland, Square wasn't making anything fun, and most of the series I'd loved on the PS2 hadn't    I wish there was a 9.9 button I could press. I do not give out 10's lightly and though Fallout 3 gets pretty damned close to earning one from me there are a few things that keep it from being a perfect experience.

    I had become pretty jaded with games this decade. The shooters were gettting bland, Square wasn't making anything fun, and most of the series I'd loved on the PS2 hadn't followed me to my new system. A friend of mine told me about Fallout 3 and initially I was put off by the sheer size of the thing. I figured it'd get boring and frustrating very quickly. I was very wrong.

    The story may be a tad flimsy, but the setting is great. I remember starting the game and that same friend telling me "See all those buidlings out there?", as I glanced around the destroyed cityscape after emerging from the vault. "You can go into everyone of them. If you can see it, you can get to it". This idea of size enthralled me and I soon became obsessed with just the simple idea of surviving the in the waste. Going into caves, abandoned supermarkets, old schools (most of which had their own stories told through journals and atmospherics) and scavenging for priceless items, upgrading and maintaining my weapons and trading to get better equipment. It was all simple but it was so rewarding.

    The game features an amazing sense of freedom. If something lives, you can shoot it. Which means you can truly walk the line between good and evil in a world with real repercussions. You can either work, scavenge and save up for that certain item you've had your eye on, or wait until late at night, kill the shopkeep and rob his store to sell off somewhere else. But the people you kill stay dead. So everyone who plays has a bit of a different experience.

    The blend of first person action and RPG elements works great thanks to a great combat system and inventory screen. This includes the V.A.T.S. targeting system, which allows you to use your attributes and skills to target certain areas for precision kills. Very useful. Or you can just run and gun and shoot from the hip if you are so inclined.

    The game does, hoever suffer from some terrible glitches. Loading screen loops, key items disappearing, NPC characters seemingly forgetting their lines and cues. It's a big game, and there are a great many things going on at all times that you are always altering so I guess sometimes it gets sort of confused. All of that said; this game is not for everyone. There are long stretches of just wasteland wandering and the main story will be over before you know it, if you pursue the story missions. But this is a unique game in a unique environment. It gets as close as I've yet seen to that immersion factor people are always looking out for.    … Expand
  9. kitsoon
    Aug 25, 2011
    9
    Awesome RPG open world game. Great, moving, immersive story, or you could just wander the Capital Wasteland! Totally up to you. Very interesting characters and enemies scattered across the Wasteland.
  10. 35310c0
    Mar 13, 2012
    9
    Game is amazing but yes it has some bugs (did not bother me) and it crashes sometimes. I 've spent over 100 hours on it and I just love it. Crashes started after 70 hours of gameplay. I had one or two crashes every 5 hours... so not so bad...
  11. coldcalculated
    Dec 11, 2011
    9
    I was hesitant to pick up this game because I had not played the former fallout games. But when i finally took the plunge, I had no regrets. It obviously runs on the same engine as oblivion, but with major improvements. Loved this game, the moment i stepped out of the vault and into the capital wasteland. Kept me busy for around 100 plus hours. The only thing I wish it had was a buggy orI was hesitant to pick up this game because I had not played the former fallout games. But when i finally took the plunge, I had no regrets. It obviously runs on the same engine as oblivion, but with major improvements. Loved this game, the moment i stepped out of the vault and into the capital wasteland. Kept me busy for around 100 plus hours. The only thing I wish it had was a buggy or some kind of bike to get you around quicker. The usual glitches appear here, as they did in oblivion. Main storyline is ridiculously short, and lackluster, but the side quests are awesome and well thought up.… Expand
  12. Dezuuu
    Apr 10, 2012
    9
    Despite the technical issues, this is still my favorite game of this generation. An interesting story, an amazing atmosphere, great music, great characters, great quests. This post-apocalyptic world will keep you hooked for hours. It has quite a few bugs, even after the many updates, and the visuals aren't anything special. You can certainly feel in every way this was made for the PC, butDespite the technical issues, this is still my favorite game of this generation. An interesting story, an amazing atmosphere, great music, great characters, great quests. This post-apocalyptic world will keep you hooked for hours. It has quite a few bugs, even after the many updates, and the visuals aren't anything special. You can certainly feel in every way this was made for the PC, but that shouldn't keep you from playing this.… Expand
  13. Cmcolin
    Jun 10, 2012
    9
    This is a game that feels like a real step forward. An intense, fascinating, and fun game that takes you on a real journey. The main story quest is compelling, as is exploring the ruins of Washington D.C. And the surrounding towns. For all the well-documented glitches, Fallout 3 is as perfect a gaming experience as you will find.
  14. jomipira
    Jun 29, 2012
    9
    Bethesda does it again. If you are a RPG fan you cannot go wrong. Great story, great humor, a must buy. Free open world games are Bethesda back yard, and they really know how to make a game world come alive.
  15. DARKHART
    Aug 18, 2012
    9
    Still one of the best games on PS3 if you liked Skyrim its the same makers open world RPG if you took Call of Duty and Skyrim put them in a pot throw in a nuke thats FALLOUT 3 you will love it or hate it there not much between tho it would have been a 10 if it all could have been online...offline only sux !
  16. ss4gaming
    Sep 7, 2012
    9
    This game is great the problem is though the ps3 version is the weakest version of this game so i would recommend getting the pc version because this version has a few technical problems but not game breaking.
  17. alexaxa
    Oct 30, 2012
    9
    This game deserve 9.5 but i can't give it more than 9 since it's plagued with game freeze, slowdown and other bugs. The game plays well for a while but if you're a completionist like me, you'll start having problem much later in the game. For me, the last of the 5 expansions (brotherhood of steel) was almost unplayable. Don't worry though, it will happen only if you try to discover everyThis game deserve 9.5 but i can't give it more than 9 since it's plagued with game freeze, slowdown and other bugs. The game plays well for a while but if you're a completionist like me, you'll start having problem much later in the game. For me, the last of the 5 expansions (brotherhood of steel) was almost unplayable. Don't worry though, it will happen only if you try to discover every location and do every quests in every expansions, things that most people won't do anyway. Still a great game !… Expand
  18. Vanpire73
    Aug 22, 2014
    9
    I f*cking loved this game when it came out. I enjoyed the VATS and the perks and what-not. Honestly, overall I enjoyed New Vegas a little more with the tweaks that were made, but this is the one that had the most initial impact on me. The subway tunnels get a little monotonous and confusing to traverse after a bit, but that is about the only legitimate gripe I have about Skyrim WithI f*cking loved this game when it came out. I enjoyed the VATS and the perks and what-not. Honestly, overall I enjoyed New Vegas a little more with the tweaks that were made, but this is the one that had the most initial impact on me. The subway tunnels get a little monotonous and confusing to traverse after a bit, but that is about the only legitimate gripe I have about Skyrim With Guns. Besthesda also knows the right way to do DLC, as they were pretty good and helped (along with Oblivion) to set a trend releasing beefy add-ons. Looking forward to 4.… Expand
  19. chrisjones914
    May 13, 2013
    9
    Great role playing game!! This game has an engaging story about post-apocolyptic survival, brutal/fun combat and stunning graphics!! Definitely worth your time if you're a fan of rpg's!!
  20. Nerusan
    Mar 23, 2013
    9
    This is the Fallout 3 that I came to know and love but on PS3! The only downside is how it runs on PS3. If you can get past occasional lag, then this will be an unforgettable experience. Disregard the naysayers and pick this up!
  21. BonalsII
    Apr 8, 2013
    9
    This is a great game with plenty of things to keep you busy for hours. That being said it does have some serious drawbacks in the way of game breaking bugs, continuous freezing and mediocre gun mechanics. It also allows you to go into third person where the game does not shine. All that being said it does everything else to an exceptional degree, great story, interesting characters,This is a great game with plenty of things to keep you busy for hours. That being said it does have some serious drawbacks in the way of game breaking bugs, continuous freezing and mediocre gun mechanics. It also allows you to go into third person where the game does not shine. All that being said it does everything else to an exceptional degree, great story, interesting characters, exciting missions. Even though it has its negatives, its positives make you want to push through them and keep playing.… Expand
  22. Maniacaca
    Jun 16, 2013
    9
    Well, where to start. Fallout 3 is definitely preferable on the PC (At this time, I don't have a very good one) due to being able to Mod and perheps use console command to escape the occasional glitch. I originally got Fallout: New Vegas, and seen this for £5, so I bought. From the depressing atmosphere, to the funny and unique characters, this is truly a masterpiece. It had so much to do,Well, where to start. Fallout 3 is definitely preferable on the PC (At this time, I don't have a very good one) due to being able to Mod and perheps use console command to escape the occasional glitch. I originally got Fallout: New Vegas, and seen this for £5, so I bought. From the depressing atmosphere, to the funny and unique characters, this is truly a masterpiece. It had so much to do, lasted 100s of hours, abandoned buildings with still-functional computers, of which you could read logs and activate machines to open up new areas or to find out what happened here when the war took place.

    Sadly, this game isn't perfect. Lag, crashing, some bad AI and frame rate issues can really dampen the experience. More than a few times I have lost hours of exploring the Wasteland due to crashing, or even getting stuck in a rock. It is obvious in some places this game was meant for PC, and I would advise it for PC, but if you can't, it is still a brilliant console experience.    … Expand
  23. gavey02
    Aug 26, 2013
    9
    Fallout 3. Between this and just cause 2 i dont know what is the best open world game. Fallout 3 sets you in a desroyed Washington D.C and you are well whoever you want to be. you can be an evil marauder or a nice and kind gentelman, your call. I spent over 40 hours on this game but sadly there is a problem with the dlc content on ps3 so i didnt get to play any of them:(. This game hasFallout 3. Between this and just cause 2 i dont know what is the best open world game. Fallout 3 sets you in a desroyed Washington D.C and you are well whoever you want to be. you can be an evil marauder or a nice and kind gentelman, your call. I spent over 40 hours on this game but sadly there is a problem with the dlc content on ps3 so i didnt get to play any of them:(. This game has great characters good sense of humor loads of wepons(The terrible shotgun being the best) great gameplay good music and a amazing story. 2 problems, 1 you cant play anymore after your done the campain and 2, its full of bugs and glitches, like i got stuck in an area i could not get out of and i had every rare wepon in the game and i had to start over but other than that this game is nothing short of gaming gold. 9.4… Expand
  24. Rruui
    Nov 26, 2013
    9
    This game is awesome, no dout, but it could use a online multiplayer and 2 player setting and could use a clean of all of the bugs and glitches but otherwise it's awesome
  25. Darth24
    Oct 25, 2015
    9
    Great game with a huge open world to explore and playa round in. Game is a lot of fun with lots of crazy different types of weapons and equipment to try, thats in end a lot of fun to use. With countless missions to do and places to find and explore this game will keep you playing for hours on end and will always surprise you with something new and fresh every time you play it.
  26. gamifor
    Feb 8, 2014
    9
    The best RPG on the PS3. A bit too easy. The developer s have created a living post apocalyptic Washington DC. There are many ways to play this game. A true RPG.
  27. FullyAlive24
    Feb 24, 2015
    9
    One of the best games I've ever played, bar none, and up there with the likes of Bioshock Infinite. The questing and game play in this game is very top notch and fun to play over and over as you try out different types of characters.

    The story is okay, but stutters a little from the side effect of chasing a constantly moving character, and it starts to get irritating after a little.    One of the best games I've ever played, bar none, and up there with the likes of Bioshock Infinite. The questing and game play in this game is very top notch and fun to play over and over as you try out different types of characters.

    The story is okay, but stutters a little from the side effect of chasing a constantly moving character, and it starts to get irritating after a little. Lots of the side quests are fun to play and play again, with multiple quests having multiple ways to complete them and to get different loot and rewards.

    I love this game. I want Fallout 4, and I hope it's coming soon. Play this game. Just. Go do it.    … Expand
  28. Fataudama
    Oct 15, 2014
    9
    Good: amazing story based on a classic pc RPG series. This game defines what open world RPG games should be. Graphics are great, unlimited replay ability, fantastic story and universe. Hours and hours of gameplay.

    Bad: glitches and freezing at some points... Only reason this game isn't a 10

    OVERALL: must buy, hundreds of hours of gameplay. Cant wait for fallout 4
  29. AcePowney
    Nov 16, 2015
    9
    Loved it. Never played from release, 2 years after but the graphics held up at the time and I became immersed in the game very quickly. I learned what 'overenvumbered' means about 1 hour into the game and found everything about the game, it's graphics, it's story, it's perk system amazing. It lost a point for the bugs and glitches. Overall, after gaining Platinum Status and playing allLoved it. Never played from release, 2 years after but the graphics held up at the time and I became immersed in the game very quickly. I learned what 'overenvumbered' means about 1 hour into the game and found everything about the game, it's graphics, it's story, it's perk system amazing. It lost a point for the bugs and glitches. Overall, after gaining Platinum Status and playing all DLCs I am hooked to Fallout. Well Done developers you got yourself a lifelong fan!… Expand
  30. AntonioNeftaliJ
    Mar 5, 2016
    9
    Muy buen juego con una historia principal que queda por momento eclipsada por la cantidad de misiones secundarias a las que puedes acceder según avanzas la aventura. Quizás lo que más se hecha de menos es ver un poco más personajes a lo largo del extenso mapa (que posiblemente se deba al cáliz desolador que se le quiere dar).
  31. Slunk4
    Mar 16, 2017
    9
    If you are into a really gorgeous and post apocalyptic rol game, this one is a master piece. Just give it a chance and enjoy, the game hides a lot of secret stroies.
  32. spacebear1
    May 23, 2018
    9
    Fallout 3 is probably one of the best games that I have ever played. This game has a pretty decent story but the massive open world is easily one of the best stand outs of the game. I love the creative control the player has over the game. I love how many choices are actually yours instead of the game choosing for you. In the end, this is a really massive game and a really entertaining andFallout 3 is probably one of the best games that I have ever played. This game has a pretty decent story but the massive open world is easily one of the best stand outs of the game. I love the creative control the player has over the game. I love how many choices are actually yours instead of the game choosing for you. In the end, this is a really massive game and a really entertaining and addicting one at that.… Expand
  33. egoBorder
    Aug 29, 2019
    9
    Even with a few technical flaws and bugs, this game offers something unlike many other games, even when compared to this developer's other work. The wasteland in this game just has a unique flavor that everyone should check out for at least a few hours. It might seem a bit quaint compared to the follow-ups, but with such a strong foundation it's hard not to praise Bethesda for pullingEven with a few technical flaws and bugs, this game offers something unlike many other games, even when compared to this developer's other work. The wasteland in this game just has a unique flavor that everyone should check out for at least a few hours. It might seem a bit quaint compared to the follow-ups, but with such a strong foundation it's hard not to praise Bethesda for pulling off this game.… Expand
  34. Jvbcdtm3
    Nov 4, 2018
    9
    Story:8
    Graphics:7
    Sounds:10
    Gameplay:10
    Dettails:9
    Animations:7
    Mechanics:10
    Must have !
  35. MurphyBrandon
    Nov 11, 2019
    9
    There's a ton of funny commentary about Philadelphia and Washington DC in addition to the clunky-but-fun gameplay of stealth boys and mini nukes.
  36. JesterTRT
    Jan 16, 2020
    9
    My first introduction to the fallout games, and after looking back at 1 and 2, Fallout 3 changed for the better! This game was my first dive into the open world type of game. And I loved every moment of it. I've always been hyped for another Fallout game after this one.

    The VATS were great, and made combat easier, minus when it had a 1 percent chance to hit someone when you were two    My first introduction to the fallout games, and after looking back at 1 and 2, Fallout 3 changed for the better! This game was my first dive into the open world type of game. And I loved every moment of it. I've always been hyped for another Fallout game after this one.

    The VATS were great, and made combat easier, minus when it had a 1 percent chance to hit someone when you were two feet away. Sometimes it was iffy, but it was still great to use.
    The main questline is interesting, but I think it's the vast world that makes this game. Everywhere to go, explore, loot, etc. There is so much to do.    … Expand
  37. Flashyboy89
    May 19, 2023
    9
    The best and most entertaining RPG I have ever played. This PS3 version though isn’t very stable though due to to bugs and glitches and worst of all the fps slow down.
  38. RedDragon09
    Jan 1, 2021
    9
    Great game. Lots to do with lots of interesting characters. Huge open world thats so much fun to explore. Few technical issues and crashes but its worth persevering with.
  39. Lucas_Dancs
    Feb 7, 2022
    9
    Simply one of the best games I have ever played. The atmosphere is one of the greatest ever made and the world, the exploration and the quest system are fantastic. The only thing that it's keeping it away from a 10 is the annoying amount of crashes and freezes on the ps3 (especially the goty edition and the dlcs). Other than that incredible game.
  40. vonimaster
    Mar 9, 2023
    9
    I have 300+ hours on this game and i still haven't discovered everithing, this game is awesome. I got platinum trophy on it.
  41. JesseDillinger
    Feb 1, 2023
    9
    Not really sure how to say what I think of the game. I love the gameplay, the world, the discovery, the creatures, the weapons. It's just such a great game. Though I prefer New Vegas, I'd say they're about on the same level for me. Love them both.
  42. AnonymousMC
    Nov 10, 2008
    8
    First off, this game has a great story, and so much to explore I lose hours of time searching every area I come across. The size of the world and everything there is to see and do really makes you feel like a part of the experience.

    There are some poor glitches I've come across that are kind of annoying. I've gotten stuck maybe a dozen times and have had to reload from my    First off, this game has a great story, and so much to explore I lose hours of time searching every area I come across. The size of the world and everything there is to see and do really makes you feel like a part of the experience.

    There are some poor glitches I've come across that are kind of annoying. I've gotten stuck maybe a dozen times and have had to reload from my last save, the AI companies, though effective and nice to have, are riddled with glitches and the AI could be better. I don't know how much time I've spent pushing companions from stuck locations, zoning in and out of areas so they enter with me, and they have a tendency to run off and engage everything around them.

    With the undertaking of the size of the world and everything there is to see and do, I find the aforementioned issues pale in comparison to the actual game itself. When I first started playing the game, I really didn't like it a whole lot, however, now I'm damn near addicted and can't wait to uncover more of the map and see everything the game has to offer.    … Expand
  43. [Anonymous]
    Oct 29, 2008
    8
    It really is Fallout 3; the series' visual style and humor remain intact, and the look-and-feel really is good ol' Fallout 2 again. Aside from being faithful to the series, it's also a really good game (with a few small to medium quirks that keep it from being perfect).
  44. EricP
    Jan 7, 2009
    8
    First off, my review comes from the standpoint of having never played Oblivion. I am however a diehard Fallout fan. The storyline is pretty standard for any other in the Fallout series. Nuclear war forces people into underground "vaults" for protection. When everyone emerges, violence in the D.C. Wasteland ensues. The graphics, while not being groundbreaking or revolutionary (hence the First off, my review comes from the standpoint of having never played Oblivion. I am however a diehard Fallout fan. The storyline is pretty standard for any other in the Fallout series. Nuclear war forces people into underground "vaults" for protection. When everyone emerges, violence in the D.C. Wasteland ensues. The graphics, while not being groundbreaking or revolutionary (hence the 720p and the Oblivion engine), are still fairly decent. Subdued colors add to the "postapocalyptic" vibe and the surroundings are pretty bleak in appreance to boot (albeit somewhat redundant at times). The gameplay and battle engine (coined V.A.T.S. for Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting) is really where the fun is at. When triggering V.A.T.S., the game stops and focuses on an enemy, highlighting a specific body part of your choosing. After selecting your body part, the game enters into a cinematic scene in which you shoot said enemy. While this game was supposedly made as a 3rd PS with FPS capabilites, the 3rd person vantage point is pointless and distant. I found that the FP felt the most "natural" and useful. I really felt that Bethesda could have done a better job with maybe focusing less on repairing and maintaining weapons and more on upgrading them. There also seemed to be a lack of armour choices. The sounds are exceptional and really add to the atmosphere. Everything from crickets chirps at nitght to explosions to body parts dismembering is always entertaining. You can also listen to a radio station called Galaxy News Radio which plays old 50's type music. It's not only nostalgic, but it fits the game like a glove for unknown reasons. It somehow makes killing giant mutated creatures more interesting... The Karma system was only good to a fault, it didn't actually affect the storyline at all. I didn't feel as though enough effort was placed into the results of the bad/good karma and the dialogue/actions leading up to them. Some say there are gliches that entirely ruin the game. I have noticed gliches at times, but nothing as serious as some have advertised on their reviews. Over the course of 43 hours of total gameplay, I have only experienced about 5 game crashing gliches. Take that with a grain of salt if you truly must. Overall a very convincing sequel to the Fallout series and very addictive gameplay, but with a couple downfalls that keep it from a 10/10 in my books.… Expand
  45. Sammy
    Feb 4, 2009
    8
    Fallout 3 is most definitely a terrific game, yet its far from perfect. The world Bethesda created is truly amazing. The Wasteland is huge and is definitely rewarding to explore. The story is intriguing and well written, and the amount of voice acting in the game is incredible. The biggest enhancement to gameplay comes from the VATS system. It offers a refreshing change of pace and never Fallout 3 is most definitely a terrific game, yet its far from perfect. The world Bethesda created is truly amazing. The Wasteland is huge and is definitely rewarding to explore. The story is intriguing and well written, and the amount of voice acting in the game is incredible. The biggest enhancement to gameplay comes from the VATS system. It offers a refreshing change of pace and never gets old. However, the game suffers from many of the same problems as its predecessor, Oblivion. While the environment is highly detailed, the graphics in the game are somewhat of a letdown. There are low resolution textures, character models are mediocre at best, and the animations are surprisingly horrid. The character animations are so stiff and awkward that they become a distraction in key story moments. Unlike other players of the PS3 version, I did not experience many bugs at all with the most recent patch. The framerate and draw distance can falter at times, but it's nothing deal breaking. Gameplay is generally varied and well-paced, yet objectives are often unclear and fighting super mutants does get old after a while. Also worth noting is the excruciatingly slow walking speed of the character. Oblivion had a horse to make up for this, but in Fallout the player has no choice but to take it nice and slow. Overall, Bethesda depicts a clear and disturbing vision, although it is often clouded by a storm of minor faults.… Expand
  46. DannyH
    Jan 19, 2009
    8
    The game has a bad habit of crashing on a semi-regular basis (for me, about every three hours of game play), but checkpoints are so frequent that it will only account for 15 minutes of game play at the absolute worst. Minor glitches aside, the game is highly engrossing, with no shortage of exploration and side quests. My first playthough was around 80 hours, and I immediately restarted The game has a bad habit of crashing on a semi-regular basis (for me, about every three hours of game play), but checkpoints are so frequent that it will only account for 15 minutes of game play at the absolute worst. Minor glitches aside, the game is highly engrossing, with no shortage of exploration and side quests. My first playthough was around 80 hours, and I immediately restarted the game so I could play through again, this time being an "evil" character and making different choices in all the quests, resulting in an alternate storyline. If you're into the exploration, item collecting, and character upgrading aspect of games, you'll be completely sucked into this one.… Expand
  47. IanM197
    Oct 19, 2010
    8
    Fallout 3 is a massive game and to this day I still haven't even scratched the surface, but I've played for about 10 hours on my current character and it manages to at least nearly equal Oblivion. It's not quite as amazing as Oblivion was when it released, but it comes close. The combat is great and the quests dynamic. There's little to complain about, except for the bugs which are commonFallout 3 is a massive game and to this day I still haven't even scratched the surface, but I've played for about 10 hours on my current character and it manages to at least nearly equal Oblivion. It's not quite as amazing as Oblivion was when it released, but it comes close. The combat is great and the quests dynamic. There's little to complain about, except for the bugs which are common in every Bethesda game.… Expand
  48. G_Mackzy
    Nov 9, 2011
    8
    Don't get me wrong this is a great game, and still really relevant considering its quality, at first it is hard to get into but stick with it and you will find it amazing. However don't get it on PS3, go PC. I'm usually pro console, but the modding community for Fallout 3 is extensive and the mods you can find online add so much more to the game.
  49. DoubleRain
    Oct 28, 2010
    8
    Fallout 3 Game Review
    Fallout 3 is an RPG created by Bethesda Softworks. Fallout 3 is set in post-apocalyptic Washington D.C. in the year of 2277 where nuclear war has scarred the face of human kind with various mutations of the people due to radiation. The player is able to explore this â
  50. ianbenoir
    Nov 30, 2010
    8
    read it if you are new to fallout series
    I never played any of the fallout games. I bought it because i have some friends that love it and i decided to give it a try. I played the game for a few hours and simply couldnt understand what was going on.. or what should i do... I was completely lost.
    After a few months i decided to give it another try, and it took a while but i learned to    read it if you are new to fallout series
    I never played any of the fallout games. I bought it because i have some friends that love it and i decided to give it a try. I played the game for a few hours and simply couldnt understand what was going on.. or what should i do... I was completely lost.
    After a few months i decided to give it another try, and it took a while but i learned to enjoy the game. It can be really exhaustive sometimes, but in a general it was good fun and in a way, a masterpiece of freedom of choices, I must confess i was really disappointed by the ending , i actually ended the game thinking I was in a side mission.. But the game is like this: most of the times you end up choosing a path without really knowing what will be the consequences. Although this is its weakest point its also the best thing about the game.    … Expand
  51. Inuit_Dude
    Mar 24, 2011
    8
    this game was pretty good i loved it and i have played through a couple times but i wish that it had a few more side misions or that it wasnt always the same ending and would it have killed them to do more misions i mean the map is absolutly HUGE but there is only a couple places that things actually happen in but i still loved it and will play through it many more times in the future andthis game was pretty good i loved it and i have played through a couple times but i wish that it had a few more side misions or that it wasnt always the same ending and would it have killed them to do more misions i mean the map is absolutly HUGE but there is only a couple places that things actually happen in but i still loved it and will play through it many more times in the future and is a must buy especially now that it is only 15$… Expand
  52. pure_gamer
    Sep 15, 2011
    8
    Fallout 3 is a unique experience of an alternative future, with near perfect gameplay and a brilliant level-up system. Fans of what was a PC exclusive turn-based rpg were suprised when the third outing of the series would be played in first-person and in real-time. The game isn't a direct sequel to the previous games of the series, but rather an expansion of the universe. The series wasFallout 3 is a unique experience of an alternative future, with near perfect gameplay and a brilliant level-up system. Fans of what was a PC exclusive turn-based rpg were suprised when the third outing of the series would be played in first-person and in real-time. The game isn't a direct sequel to the previous games of the series, but rather an expansion of the universe. The series was traditionaly set in post-apocalyptic America, mainly in what was the state of California. Fallout 3 takes place in what was Washington DC, now known as the Capital Wastland. As a local citizen of Vault 101, you wake up to find out your dad had left the vault andd thus start a long journey to find him and ask about his actions. The gameplay resolves around a Karma system, which affects how locals interact with you. Local towns will give you benefits such as jobs and opportunities to make money if you have good karma, while greedy landlords and slavers will do the same if you have bad karma. The level-up system uses the tradional XP system, but you can only distribute points to your skills at the moment you level up. You also get to choose a perk at every level, which can boost your skills or give you a special ability. The gameplay is acceptable, but not perfect. The firing machanics for ranged weaponry dosen't have an iron sight button, making aiming the weapon harder and less effective. There is the odd bug or two, but only on very rare occasions. The gameplay is challenging at first, but better weapons, armour, skills and perks make the game a bit easy in later occasions. Fallout 3 is an impressive relaunch of post-apocalyptic America with new ideas that work. With plenty to do and memorable moments to remember, it is worth getting if Oblivion feels a bit too traditional.… Expand
  53. RT_ViraL
    Mar 13, 2012
    8
    Do not let the score fool you. It is far from being obsolete in the great category. The story and drive it relishes to you, through its dialogue, side quests and ultimately its main storyline is what sets it apart from any other 8/10 game. I recommend that you get this for the Xbox360 or PC as the glitches take away a part of the experience of the PS3 version (hence the 8) If future gamingDo not let the score fool you. It is far from being obsolete in the great category. The story and drive it relishes to you, through its dialogue, side quests and ultimately its main storyline is what sets it apart from any other 8/10 game. I recommend that you get this for the Xbox360 or PC as the glitches take away a part of the experience of the PS3 version (hence the 8) If future gaming exists with what this game has done to the gaming industry, we're in for a great ride with Fallout 4.… Expand
  54. w_underwood
    Aug 8, 2012
    8
    What a great game with such a deep world to explore. Fallout 3's combat system works and goes along with the whole RPG element of the game. Fallout 3 has a great story and the game allows you to pretty much have the freedom of how you want to handle the wasteland with a karma system. There are some downsides tough, things can get repetitive and after your save file gets over about 8 mbWhat a great game with such a deep world to explore. Fallout 3's combat system works and goes along with the whole RPG element of the game. Fallout 3 has a great story and the game allows you to pretty much have the freedom of how you want to handle the wasteland with a karma system. There are some downsides tough, things can get repetitive and after your save file gets over about 8 mb there are occasional freezes. Graphics could be a little better but the immense environment makes up for that. Other than that, you can pick up the game now for a reasonable price plus the game of the year edition has all the DLCs which is a awesome deal.… Expand
  55. nourshaker
    Feb 8, 2012
    8
    Its a good game, But it gets old quick. If you want a really good game cheack out Skyrim Best game outIts a good game, But it gets old quick. If you want a really good game cheack out Skyrim Best game out there!...........................................................................!...................................................................................................................................................................................!...................................................................................................................................................................................!...................................................................................................................................................................................!...................................................................................................................................................................................!...................................................................................................................................................................................!...................................................................................................................................................................................!...................................................................................................................................................................................!...................................................................................................................................................................................!...................................................................................................................................................................................!...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................… Expand
  56. 7dogguy
    Mar 4, 2012
    8
    next to the elder scrolls series fallout is the best open world rpg on the market the storyline is actually interesting the gameplay is fun the vats system is also neat all the guns do different things so the guns are awesome in this game and the world is fun to explore the only problem is besides 2 main towns the game is very lonely i know its supposed to be a nuclear apocalypse but itnext to the elder scrolls series fallout is the best open world rpg on the market the storyline is actually interesting the gameplay is fun the vats system is also neat all the guns do different things so the guns are awesome in this game and the world is fun to explore the only problem is besides 2 main towns the game is very lonely i know its supposed to be a nuclear apocalypse but it gets boring being alone all the time and this game also crashes alot and the graphics are less then amazing but other then that this game is awesome… Expand
  57. my2cents
    Apr 6, 2012
    8
    This post-apocalyptic Action-RPG is huge!! It has vast non-linear landscapes with dozens of cities and towns to explore, deeply layered missions and very compelling story lines, good voice acting and a terrific retro soundtrack that helps set the moody tone from the start. Seemingly endless character types(friends and foes) to meet/kill as you scavenge the immense and ravaged terrain. AllThis post-apocalyptic Action-RPG is huge!! It has vast non-linear landscapes with dozens of cities and towns to explore, deeply layered missions and very compelling story lines, good voice acting and a terrific retro soundtrack that helps set the moody tone from the start. Seemingly endless character types(friends and foes) to meet/kill as you scavenge the immense and ravaged terrain. All the while collecting a vast assortment of weapons(from your first BB-gun to your Mini-Nuke Warheads). Slay baddies and take their body armor/weapons/etc as well. Collect as many valuables as you can carry. They can be sold for Bottle-caps(the currency of the wasteland), which in turn can be used to purchase/repair your supplies/weapons/armor. Many misc found items can be assembled into unique and devastating specialty weapons. I have not even mentioned the very fun selective body part targeting system in addition to the traditional aim and shoot option. That system could be another paragraph.… Expand
  58. Plamotaku
    May 27, 2012
    8
    An engaging and rewarding roleplaying/first person shooter set in post apocalyptic Washington DC. There is excellent storytelling combined with deep and thoughtful choices that are made that impact the game. Bethesda makes gamers drool with the perks system, point allocation, and the all-mighty and all-satisfying VATS system, which allows you to enjoy torching a mutant, blowing the headAn engaging and rewarding roleplaying/first person shooter set in post apocalyptic Washington DC. There is excellent storytelling combined with deep and thoughtful choices that are made that impact the game. Bethesda makes gamers drool with the perks system, point allocation, and the all-mighty and all-satisfying VATS system, which allows you to enjoy torching a mutant, blowing the head off of someone, or nuking an entire town. Fallout 3 is worth playing and is a classic already.… Expand
  59. Glavas89
    Oct 7, 2012
    8
    Never before roles and action game were merged as skillfully as in this dark tale of a desolate future. Splendid graphics with lots of detail, unfortunately, very long dialogue sequences
  60. Syriamn
    Nov 10, 2013
    8
    Hated it on my first two hours but once you start to enter the game's atmosphere it sucks you right in. To an explorer and items hoarder like me Fallout 3 is pure bliss.
    STORY AND CHARACTERS: Oddly enough they're not memorable. Though there are plenty of characters and side missions to make none catches your heart.
    PRESENTATION: The capital wasteland looks and feels authentic. Bethesda    Hated it on my first two hours but once you start to enter the game's atmosphere it sucks you right in. To an explorer and items hoarder like me Fallout 3 is pure bliss.
    STORY AND CHARACTERS: Oddly enough they're not memorable. Though there are plenty of characters and side missions to make none catches your heart.
    PRESENTATION: The capital wasteland looks and feels authentic. Bethesda is not a "graphic whore" and mainly focuses on the experience that delivers to the player. And that is fulfilled.
    GAMEPLAY: Great with V.A.T.S. being a fun feature that you will use time and time again. Exploration is recommended and encouraged. Beware though danger is always present...
    PROGRESSION: If you like character build up then you're in heaven because Fallout 3 gives you lots of choices here. Max level could be higher though.
    Although the lack of a great story and charismatic characters is noticed Fallout 3 is still an amazing experience. Mandatory to all RPG fans.    … Expand
  61. DarkOblivion
    Dec 17, 2012
    8
    Love fallout, a simply great game, if you love open mapped games and plenty of missions (inclusing main ones) then this is the game for you :) Loved it!
  62. kev_i_n
    Sep 26, 2013
    8
    +One of the most emissive games I have ever played.
    +Tons of content
    +Lots of variety in weapons, enemies etc. +Main and side quest are very interesting ? The use of the V.A.T.S system is a mixed bag I think ? The game takes a while before you can really feel like a predator of the Wasteland -Some of the game designs, like levelling up restrictions are frustrating -Very poor ending    +One of the most emissive games I have ever played.
    +Tons of content
    +Lots of variety in weapons, enemies etc.
    +Main and side quest are very interesting
    ? The use of the V.A.T.S system is a mixed bag I think
    ? The game takes a while before you can really feel like a predator of the Wasteland
    -Some of the game designs, like levelling up restrictions are frustrating
    -Very poor ending (in my opinion)
    -Bugs

    In short I would recommend the game to anyone, as I found it very enjoyable as a complete package despite its falls. That said though, I feel that Fallout New Vegas (which is not a perfect game either) is a better buy because it addresses some of the issues in Fallout 3 and I feel it is a better game overall, so I would advise you to get Fallout New Vegas as well as Fallout 3.

    Full Review (my score is actually 8.5)

    First thing about Fallout 3 is how interesting the open world experience is. You will constantly find new and interesting characters, locations and weaponry. This is particularly enhanced by the vast variety of enemies, from the zombie like Ghouls, to the cannibal Raiders, to the giant Super Mutants, e.g. require a slight variation in combat to beat, e.g. Raiders will use traps and numbers, while Super Mutants tend to favour brute force. This in combination with good A.I (though enemies use cover a bit more would be nice) makes for a really fun experience, and makes Fallout one of those games were a planned hour game session quickly turns into a 2 or 3 hour game session.

    That leads nicely to the next great thing about Fallout which is the vast content. I played over 40hours and still didn’t explore everything, and do every side quest so you get your money’s worth. Speaking of quests it should be noted that while the main quest is slow to get going, as you basically keep going from one location to another with little result; the rest of the quests are each interesting and different. That said though the quest do take a long time to complete especially in the early stages where you have to explore key locations, rather than just fast travel to a location near by your objective.

    Furthermore unlike other RPGs I have played, Fallout 3 even on normal difficulty is surprisingly challenging. This is partial because of the fact that your equipment and skills suck at the start, and each fight with a hard enemy can feel challenging. This in combination with the fact that you become largely dependent on Megaton (the town you first go to) for selling your gear, can make the game feel annoying at times, but trust me such annoyances quickly ware off. As a result of such difficulty it took me to level 15 till I felt the game became too easy. That said if you are put off by this Fallout New Vegas will suit you better because I found it to be equally emissive but is more gamer friendly e.g. it doesn’t reduce the EX points you getting for killing enemies if you lower the difficulty.

    The main mix bag of the game is the use of VATS which in combat you use to select a body part to shoot with a percentage chance of hitting the body part. This is an interesting take on combat because if you cripple a body part it will affect your enemy e.g. cripple an arm (providing they are using a two handed weapon) they will drop there weapon. What is also good about this system is that although the head is the obvious weak spot it is often the area you are least likely to hit, so there is always a sense of taking a gamble when using VATS. The problem with the system though is that you find yourself becoming dependent on it particularly at the start as you don’t get damaged while you use it, so it is very useful. The dependence on VATS is made use by how in normal combat your movement is sluggish and enemies are pretty accurate so combat without VATS isn’t that great. I wish that the developers of the game placed less emphasis on VATS and made the game feel more like a FPS, making combat smoothing and your aiming more precise.

    So what are the negatives of the game? The least surprising one is that bugs are present in the game e.g. it crashed a though times, and sometimes characters would get stuck going to places requiring you to re load your save file. So if you are put off by New Vegas because of the bugs present remember Fallout 3 suffers from the same problem.

    The next main problem is how the game has some annoying restrictions that I can’t figure out why the developers put in. The most annoying of which is that the game prevents you from levelling up beyond level 20. This makes no sense cause if you want to maintain difficultly, you can turn up the difficulty level. Other annoyance include how you rarely use energy weapons at the start of the game so you focus on levelling up other skills, yet towards the end you become almost dependent on energy weapons.

    The final complaint is the ending isn’t that great, and I won’t spoiler it for you, but don’t hold your hopes up.    … Expand
  63. 1falcone
    Sep 25, 2013
    8
    Patience is rewarded in this game, creepy dark corridors with spine tingling enemies, dropping a mini nuke into a group of slavers and tearing any survivors apart with the mini gun. I felt like pulling out at more boring moments but the best is kept till the climax, worth seeing through.
    I got 2 freezes both at the Mall, save often
  64. Arendelleawesom
    Jan 14, 2015
    8
    Shortly put an amazing game. very long hours of gameplay a good story line and nice gameplay as well. ill talk about each category the good stuff then the bad stuff.

    Good stuff Gameplay: imagine Oblivion or Skyrim with guns then you got fallout. it appears to be your standard first person shooter but with a few twists and very different weapons. Such as the fat man which launches    Shortly put an amazing game. very long hours of gameplay a good story line and nice gameplay as well. ill talk about each category the good stuff then the bad stuff.

    Good stuff

    Gameplay: imagine Oblivion or Skyrim with guns then you got fallout. it appears to be your standard first person shooter but with a few twists and very different weapons. Such as the fat man which launches mini nukes. Or perhaps the mesmerizer which stuns your enemies and allows you to take them prisoner. There was only two things i didn't like about the gun play. The first is that you cant line up your sights this makes it hard to shoot enemies from far away unless you have a sniper rifle which leads me to. the sniper rifle gameplay unless you have a high condition sniper rifle there is going to be alot of scope sway and you cant hold your breath like in say battlefield. but besides the gun play theres alot of other things that make the gameplay good. one of the big components about fallout 3 is the scavenging and it was executed perfectly. Theres a variety of food water and even drugs that you can take to either boost your health or perhaps attack damage. And depending upon your situation you may need to eat radiated food and increase your rad level. when the rad level increases it damages stats and eventually will kill you. it was an excellent way to take advantage of the nuclear war aspect. in the end id give gameplay a solid 8/10

    graphics: the graphics for the time are very impressive it really manages to create a post apocalyptic environment. it looks very barren and dead with the destroyed buildings and wide open wasteland. filled with dead trees and mutated creatures. It also features a unique animation style that ive only seen in bethesda games such as skyrim and oblivion. the facial animations are pretty good but not ground breaking in my opinion but the amount of detail they put into many of the smaller things makes up for it. a problem i noticed was the a would be walking through the desert and the ground wouldnt be fully loaded and finish loading as i was walking over it. and it was very agitating and not the first time ive seen this happen in a bethesda game.

    story/voice acting: the story is pretty great not gonna lie kind of slow at first but when it gets going its really awesome not gonna post any spoilers but it went above and beyond of what i expected for a post apocalyptic story there is also and enormous amount of side quests that you can do some are big enough to carry their own story there own selves. and for the most part the voice acting is good for the main characters but when you talk to side characters such as ghouls its almost like they use the same voice for all of them and im not joking or exaggerating sometimes the voice will switch completely mid sentence it really is disappointing to see something like this after playing skyrim. i expected more from a reputable company like bethesda.

    bad stuff believe it or not there is a few things some people just ignore or neglect to mention

    glitches ive seen a few people mention this and they are pretty bad sometimes characters will get stuck to a wall such as a dog that was my friend he glitched into a door and i thought he was gone for good and also i was doing a mission and there was a glitch where the bad guys wouldnt come and i couldnt continue so i had to restart to go to my last save and start from where i last saved as you could imagine i wasnt happy another bad glitch is weapon changing in the game you have a quick select to change weapons quickly alot of times it glitches and wont change weapons getting me killed ALOT.

    impossible missions i started a mission where you had to free slaves they then took all my gear and threw me into a gladiator pit with two brutes with strong armor and they had a flame thrower and a high class melee weapon it was virtually impossible to beat and i only had a baseball bat and couldnt even backtrack to leave the mission

    overall this is a great game but has flaws like every good movie or game but it does have some severe flaws so it only gets a 8/10    … Expand
  65. dinosauryoshi
    Jun 30, 2014
    8
    This game is huge, especially with all the DLC (which is admittedly of varying quality). I love the huge map and post apocalyptic world. The main story isn't as gripping as it could have been (the dodgy voice acting and facial animation are partly to blame) and I wasn't too bothered about completing all the side missions as things got a little too easy once I'd reached a certain level.This game is huge, especially with all the DLC (which is admittedly of varying quality). I love the huge map and post apocalyptic world. The main story isn't as gripping as it could have been (the dodgy voice acting and facial animation are partly to blame) and I wasn't too bothered about completing all the side missions as things got a little too easy once I'd reached a certain level. Nevertheless this is a great game which you can easily put hundreds of hours into. The atmosphere created and post-apocalyptic world you explore is what makes this game special, the gameplay and story isn't perfect however!… Expand
  66. Kai82
    Mar 28, 2020
    8
    A recreation of the Fallout series. It was later named Elder Scrolls Fallout by fans. Like the name correctly suggested the Fallout setting was adapted into the Elder Scrolls game mechanics. While some fans of the initial two games dislike this approach the majority enjoyed this game. For reference this was my introduction in the Fallout series and only a few years later I acquired FalloutA recreation of the Fallout series. It was later named Elder Scrolls Fallout by fans. Like the name correctly suggested the Fallout setting was adapted into the Elder Scrolls game mechanics. While some fans of the initial two games dislike this approach the majority enjoyed this game. For reference this was my introduction in the Fallout series and only a few years later I acquired Fallout 1 and Fallout 2 in a bundle. Fallout is described as a post apocalyptic RPG. The world was stuck in the culture of the 1960 while the technology was far advanced (but from a style point outdated) when the nuclear war devastated the whole world. You explore the Wasteland around the capital of the USA. Exploration, interesting characters and dark humor are the strengths of the game. You never know what you encounter and there are many Easter eggs and references. You create your own charcter with stats and as you level up learn new abilities. You are limited in a way that you cant learn everything or be good at all tasks. While all skills have their usefulness some are far more useful than others. Persuasion helps a lot in this game (and in the expansions). The battle system is OK but compared to other games a bit clunky. There is the reason that the VATS system existed. Basically you stop time and aim at your enemies. When finished all will be executed but you must wait a certain time until you can reuse it. Some skills and higher stats improve this. I should mention that the stats and skills are well interconnected. The main story is a good vessel and has some twist. There is of cause the staple that you have different factions and a Karma system. While there are some changes it has no mayor impact like in New Vegas or Fallout 4. The side stories / quests and characters are fantastic. You will be entertained. The soundtrack is OK especially the idea with the radio stations. The graphic while looking good is too monotonous for me. My complaints are the bugs in the game (also a staple for Fallout and Elder Scrolls) and the lackluster ending. They fixed this in an add on because of mayor complaints For the ending I will subtract a point. I would give this at its time a 9/10 but would give less now because Fallout New Vegas improved the formula tremendous. Overall a really good start for this remodeled IP.… Expand
  67. maahikhan15
    Apr 11, 2018
    8
    Most immersive Fallout story
    Great character development
    Great radio
    Nice intro to the game
    Only negatives were :
    Visuals was too green
    reliance on VATS was a bit too much
    Melee weapon combat needs improvement
  68. mentalmannie
    Apr 13, 2016
    8
    This was the first Fallout game I had played, before this one, I hardly knew what Fallout was about. I went into it skeptical and unsure what I'd find, I was very pleasantly surprised! This was also the first RPG and open-world game I'd played, which was a little different, but made it so much more fun! I loved feeling reckless and doing whatever the hell I wanted (which I'd neverThis was the first Fallout game I had played, before this one, I hardly knew what Fallout was about. I went into it skeptical and unsure what I'd find, I was very pleasantly surprised! This was also the first RPG and open-world game I'd played, which was a little different, but made it so much more fun! I loved feeling reckless and doing whatever the hell I wanted (which I'd never experienced in a game before).
    While the graphics weren't amazing and the colour palette was lacking, the story and characters made up for that! There are some things in this game that I really wish they would've put in Fallout 4, like the Enclave or the Karma, which makes me feel like this game is separate to Fallout 4 (even though I know it isn't).
    Sadly, since playing Fallout 4, I think I would struggle to go back to this game because of the massive difference in graphics and game play, but that doesn't mean it isn't a great game!    … Expand
  69. SSJGodku
    Jul 18, 2023
    8
    My introduction into the Fallout series. The game was amazing for the time. I always found myself exploring the map instead of doing the main story just because I wanted to see what I could find
  70. okayokay
    Oct 10, 2018
    8
    rrrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaadddddddddddiiiiiiiiiiicccccccccccaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllll
  71. DouchebagUncle
    Jun 16, 2020
    8
    (Feb 16, 2017)

    Being one of the highest-rated PS3 games, my expectations for Fallout 3 were high and in the end it was one of my best purchases of 2016. I never played a Fallout game before and I had a great experience despite its disastrous optimization, which led to glitches, freezes and crashes. It's probably not the best in the series but it introduced me to a great franchise.    (Feb 16, 2017)

    Being one of the highest-rated PS3 games, my expectations for Fallout 3 were high and in the end it was one of my best purchases of 2016. I never played a Fallout game before and I had a great experience despite its disastrous optimization, which led to glitches, freezes and crashes. It's probably not the best in the series but it introduced me to a great franchise.

    The story is okay but there are two major scenes that were really anti-climactic. A lot of people hate the prologue but it was fine for me. Some side-quests have actually better narrative than the main ones and Bethesda is much better at environmental storytelling. I really liked the atmosphere, the towns and the feeling of loneliness. It was something different for me, as I didn't use to play this type of games at the time. The Capital Wasteland is a great place to explore for hours. You simply don't know what location you are going to find or what is going to happen during your journey in the vast open world. It's fun and I loved its dark humor. It's not a horror game but sometimes it could easily be considered one. I like when a game has room for creepy stuff and Fallout 3 knows how to deliver those moments.

    I also liked the leveling up and the S.P.E.C.I.A.L, V.A.T.S and skills systems. I really felt that my character was getting stronger as I leveled up and I love that you can have so many different builds from a sniper to a ninja, a retard, a charismatic guy who solves conflicts without firing a gun or a maniac that destroys everything in his pass with a Fat Man that shoots mini nukes. It has replay value if you're interested in trying other builds.

    The voice acting is not that good. I loved hearing Liam Neeson as my character's father but there are a lot of NPCs with the same voice actors and you end up having a whole bunch of characters with literally the same voice. This is an issue that was also present in Oblivion. You would think that a big company like Bethesda would have the money for more actors. At least it adds to the fun aspect of the game. The music is subtle but good (unless you explore the map while listening to the radio) and the landscapes are great, as well as most locations.

    The worst thing about this game is its technical aspect and I am specifically talking about the PS3 version. It was a real shame that after surpassing 6 MB of save data the game started freezing, chrashing and glitching (similar to Skyrim but not that bad). It's impossible to beat Fallout 3 without seeing your screen freeze at least once or twice. At least seeing Deathclaws ascending to the sky was pretty hilarious, but it was really frustrating when the game kept crashing or freezing. I became paranoid and had to save every 5 minutes in case something happened and my progress was lost. At first, I couldn't start Mothership Zeta's first quest because the game froze three times in a row.

    The DLCs are fine and the most memorable for me was Point Lookout, probably because is the only open world expansion with a big new region to explore, harder enemies and a creepy atmosphere. The other four are pretty short but very different one from another. The Pitt is interestingly weird, the alien-themed Mothership Zeta is repetitive, the action-focused Operation: Anchorage is short but fun while is lasts and Broken Steel continues the base game's story (making the original ending's choices meaningless).

    It's still a great video game, though. I had a great experience with it but I can't rate it higher because of its terrible technical issues. Despite all that, I think that it's a very recommendable game but probably your best bet is to play it on PC.    … Expand
  72. TeaFan556
    Dec 19, 2021
    8
    [RU]
    Очень понравилась эта часть. Проблема лишь в том, что у неё есть баги. Я буквально не смог её пройти из-за длсшного бага. Спасибо, разрабам!
  73. Jocelynv
    Jan 4, 2009
    7
    The game lacks personality. there is nothing epic about this game.Longevity is its strong point..besides that theres much more that could have been done with this title..I have seen many areas only to find out the same generic props lying everywhere..the story is not bad. I enjoyed completing it in about 40 hours..I wont play again.
  74. StephenC.
    Jan 15, 2009
    7
    Pros: Huge arena Great detailing - fantastic scenario design Does RPG v. well Great HUD / inventory design cons: Bugs !! Characters / enemies clunky - unengaging Some key commands could be better thought-out Character interactions get a bit tedious.
  75. LarryP
    Nov 10, 2008
    7
    While the game itself is great, and there's plenty to do, the fact that it ends after you complete the mainline is horrible for an enormous sandbox. It annoys me that I have to restore a game prior to the end to enjoy the rest of the content. And I also believe the mainline was way too short. Otherwise, fantastic game with great characters and memorable experiences.
  76. AndrewG
    Jan 17, 2009
    7
    Fallout 3 has some awesome elements to it but is very overrated. The first 5-10 hours were really impressive and engrossing - the atmosphere, the side missions, the first skill advancements, etc. But, once you get to about the halfway point, the story really deteriorates and the level cap looms on the horizon. At the end of the game, your character will probably be ridiculously dominant - Fallout 3 has some awesome elements to it but is very overrated. The first 5-10 hours were really impressive and engrossing - the atmosphere, the side missions, the first skill advancements, etc. But, once you get to about the halfway point, the story really deteriorates and the level cap looms on the horizon. At the end of the game, your character will probably be ridiculously dominant - to the point where the ending seems like just a normal battle. There are also a number of bugs that I ran in to - game crashes, getting stuck in rocks, etc. Relatively minor, but it's especially annoying at the end when the game's a chore anyway.… Expand
  77. aadms
    Apr 16, 2011
    7
    I bought the Game of the year addition with all of the five dlc created for it. It only cost me $20. Considering that this was game of the year back in 2007, it hasn't age very well. The graphics pretty dull for a Bethesda game that had put out Oblivion the year before this one. But like Oblivion, the npcs have no personality and you find yourself in a very lonely non-interactive worldI bought the Game of the year addition with all of the five dlc created for it. It only cost me $20. Considering that this was game of the year back in 2007, it hasn't age very well. The graphics pretty dull for a Bethesda game that had put out Oblivion the year before this one. But like Oblivion, the npcs have no personality and you find yourself in a very lonely non-interactive world doing people favors. Its not suppose to be a shooter game, although you can attempt to use your controller to take shots at enemies but you'll waste rounds and get killed very quickly. Instead you need to rely on something called V.A.T.S that is an automatic targeting system that allows you to create damage against your enemies. So in essence, it's Fallout 3's way of using the RPG standard of tactical combat effected by your level and skills, just like another game that came out that same year, Mass Effect. Unlike Mass Effect though, it doesn't have a story to make you want to keep coming back to play. The whole story is that your Dad has left the security of the vault without telling you why and you leave to go find him, or not. It's an open world, so if you wish to go and collect old ashtrays, books, and bottlecaps for trade and wander the Wasteland. I never knew the Post-Apocalyptic world could be soooooo boring.… Expand
  78. Elucidate
    Oct 9, 2013
    7
    This game is marvellous post-apocalyptic fun. However, its greatness is somewhat restrained by the insurmountable number of bugs, engine problems, and poor story choices...
  79. Gamercritic777
    Aug 13, 2018
    7
    Big fan of the Fallout series. (Fallout 3 is the odd one out, until they made it worse in FO4.) Exploration is ok, gameplay is entertaining. I still feel New vegas is the better version but overall it was enjoyable. Lot of potential not used sadly.
  80. kvnd
    Jul 22, 2020
    7
    As my first Fallout game, this was a little overwhelming at first with the amount of stuff to do and see, but I ended up enjoying the gameplay and getting into it more than any other Bethesda game. Unfortunately the story let me down, especially the ending (and the fact the game just ended there back in the day before it was patched). Of course Fallout 3 has the As my first Fallout game,As my first Fallout game, this was a little overwhelming at first with the amount of stuff to do and see, but I ended up enjoying the gameplay and getting into it more than any other Bethesda game. Unfortunately the story let me down, especially the ending (and the fact the game just ended there back in the day before it was patched). Of course Fallout 3 has the As my first Fallout game, this was a little overwhelming at first with the amount of stuff to do and see, but I ended up enjoying the gameplay and getting into it more than any other Bethesda game. Unfortunately the story let me down, especially the ending (and the fact the game just ended there back in the day before it was patched). Of course, Fallout 3 has the typical Bethesda jank and glitches but it was never enough to pull me out of the experience. So yeah, it's far from perfect but it's still a solid game & definitely worth checking out if you never have.… Expand
  81. WaterDoggo
    Nov 26, 2020
    7
    I played this game alot on PS3 and i had lots of fun. At least till i did all the quests. If you do all quests you are literally OP and you cant be killed. I also have issues with exploring, when you are exploring caves and abandoned houses you are expecting to find like unique weapon or bobble head. Unfortunetly its boring for me and the only place i found interesting was DeathclawI played this game alot on PS3 and i had lots of fun. At least till i did all the quests. If you do all quests you are literally OP and you cant be killed. I also have issues with exploring, when you are exploring caves and abandoned houses you are expecting to find like unique weapon or bobble head. Unfortunetly its boring for me and the only place i found interesting was Deathclaw Sanctuary. Also i have issue with Power Armor training. When you end certain mission you visit Brotherhood of Steel HQ aka: Citadel there is a guy who will train you using power armor for doing nothing. Luckily Fallout New Vegas fixed this issue and you have to do something to obtain this Power Armor training.… Expand
  82. dlord
    Jan 26, 2009
    6
    too long, too many repetitive side missions and worst of all game kept freezing!!!! did enjoy playing but too many problems and life is too short for that!
  83. Yggdrasil
    Nov 17, 2008
    6
    Tries to catch the spirit of the old Fallout-Games but is only partly successful. Graphics look nice, but character-animation and graphics are a little outdated (Oblivion-engine). Some graphical hick-ups and minor bugs (GOAT-test does not start under certain conditions, etc.). In my opinion the game is only "worth" around 70-75%, but not 100%.
  84. AbeL.
    Nov 2, 2008
    6
    The game is good, but it's full of bugs, many of them game breaking. For example, the GOAT froze on me the first 4 times I tried it (and it's happened to a lot of other people), which is absolutely inexcusable. In case you don't know, the GOAT is a test that determines your skills, and you need to pass it in the beginning to continue the game. It's disgusting that The game is good, but it's full of bugs, many of them game breaking. For example, the GOAT froze on me the first 4 times I tried it (and it's happened to a lot of other people), which is absolutely inexcusable. In case you don't know, the GOAT is a test that determines your skills, and you need to pass it in the beginning to continue the game. It's disgusting that Bethesda actually released the game with this bug (and others) in it. Do they even have bug testers?… Expand
  85. TheNewSpielberg
    May 1, 2011
    6
    Generally decent with okay graphics. Quests and NPCs are dull and repetitive, making for some very boring moments. The weapons are good, but are very overpowered, even on the Very Hard difficulty setting. The enemies aren't very varied, so you will often encounter many of the same enemies. The voice acting is okay but is ruined by horrible lip syncing in nearly every character. The 360 andGenerally decent with okay graphics. Quests and NPCs are dull and repetitive, making for some very boring moments. The weapons are good, but are very overpowered, even on the Very Hard difficulty setting. The enemies aren't very varied, so you will often encounter many of the same enemies. The voice acting is okay but is ruined by horrible lip syncing in nearly every character. The 360 and PC versions run smoothly and look fine, but unfortunately the PS3 version pushes the console to its very limits and thus crashes often. The textures look washed out and the same goes for the graphics. Also very glitchy. All in all, a game that received more hype than it deserved.… Expand
  86. MarkMont
    Jun 5, 2011
    6
    A bit repetitive but overall fairly fun. Biggest complaint is that the enemies don't get harder the longer you play. Also, after you get to level 4 or so there's no need to search anything (lockers, desks, etc.) other than the enemies you kill.
  87. Dauntless07
    Dec 1, 2013
    6
    I have followed these role-playing types of game a long time, but never got into any as I lacked the time and interest in the setting of the vast majority of them. Something about Fallout 3 grabbed me, so when the price finally hit an all-time low, I decided to pick it up off the bargain rack to see if this series was for me. Fallout 3 isn't a terrible game, but it's not an especially goodI have followed these role-playing types of game a long time, but never got into any as I lacked the time and interest in the setting of the vast majority of them. Something about Fallout 3 grabbed me, so when the price finally hit an all-time low, I decided to pick it up off the bargain rack to see if this series was for me. Fallout 3 isn't a terrible game, but it's not an especially good game either.
    I knew something was wrong just by the way it began. The graphics suck, especially by PS3 standards. This is a minor complaint as gameplay is most important, but there's no denying the characters look like they were carved/painted out of blocks of wood, or that the environments are bland and uninspiring. Another problem I have is the voice acting. Liam Neeson does a fantastic job as James, but other characters can be incredibly annoying, or worse, have little to no personality. Too often, it didn't feel like I was talking to real people. Instead, they felt like they were only there to make the task of completing the game's story more difficult for me. No one will help you from empathy, they always expect you to do some favor for them before they give you just enough information to keep going, but never quite enough to reach your goal. Even the seemingly kind Moira of Megaton does not offer so much as a stimpack before sending you to do research for her book in a wasteland where she knows everything imaginable wants you dead. This was a serious impediment to my progress, especially for someone playing for the first time.
    Gameplay falls short too though. Ignoring some minor bugs and glitches I experienced, the world is deceptively empty. It's huge and full of lots of detail, but has little worth doing in it. AI also sucks both for allies and enemies. Battles are more boring and AI more stupid than Call of Duty campaigns. Essentially, you stand out in the open and shoot someone 10 or more times to kill them before they can shoot you 10 or more times; not that it matters very much since you can heal mid-combat no problem. Use a stimpack, eat some food, even repair weapons and armor mid-combat, and you're back in the fight in no time. I don't think one guy should be able to kill 10 or more bandits like it's nothing, but it couldn't be easier here.
    The level system makes this process even more monotonous as later enemies are more resilient to gunfire for no reason. It really makes me wonder if any of the designers ever shot a real gun, because they don't seem to understand how powerful they are. It is here I must point out how overpowered the V.A.T.S. system is. Sure, getting a kill is satisfying the first few times, something interesting may even happen here or there, but it just takes what little strategy existed in gunfights and completely removes it. For these reasons, I didn't feel a sense of accomplishment when fights were over. I just felt grateful to still be alive and not have to redo the segment again. Perhaps this is an authentic representation of how one would feel in a real nuclear apocalypse, but it's not the kind I want to pay for.
    Quests are too confusing. I had to research tutorials and the Fallout Wiki more than once to solve some of them. There is nothing wrong with a game that challenges your mind, but when it becomes "You need to pick up the tapes in this order, then you need to talk to X person, then you need to go to X location," it is too much. Some parts are meant to be confusing, like how to get out of the Tranquility Lane simulation with good karma, but there you know the state of things, and you expect to do a bit of puzzle solving. Elsewhere, this makes no sense.
    Are there redeeming factors then? Well, yes. Otherwise I would not have talked about this game so long. The main story is very interesting, and the main characters are compelling. The sheer number of quests in the game can keep you busy for weeks if you insist on doing everything, and there is replay value in that you aren't going to see everything on one play through, from a single perspective. I had a lot of fun investigating the back story of this world too. There's the general information of course, a Great War brought a pervasive nuclear wasteland, but few people know much about what happened exactly. Scattered clues like Chinese equipment and bodies, the number of hideously mutated humans, and even some alien sightings raise even more questions. Uncovering the sinister ambitions of the prewar United States government, as well as its fascist remnants the Enclave, learning the story of how people were manipulated, and ultimately uncovering the truth of how humanity destroyed itself is intensely satisfying.
    I thought about scoring this a 4/10, but I have to admit the presentation of the game's setting won me over. However, no amount of professional storytelling can cover the fact that Fallout 3 is simply an incredibly mediocre game that doesn't deserve the acclaim it has received. 6/10.    … Expand
  88. Guj19
    Mar 23, 2013
    6
    You can do a lot, but this is easily holds the most instances freezing up I've ever had on a PS3 game. The combat is pretty clumsy too. I applaud the scope and premise, but wish it played smoother.
  89. TheDestroyer
    Sep 13, 2014
    6
    I am The Destroyer. I will break games, complain about the littlest detail, and tell you whether or not the game is worth buying. A lot of things to say, but can't due to the 5000 character limit. The review is based on the original Fallout 3 game for PS3, without DLC.

    1. Story In the beginning, you are growing up with your father in an underground bunker called a Vault, located in the    I am The Destroyer. I will break games, complain about the littlest detail, and tell you whether or not the game is worth buying. A lot of things to say, but can't due to the 5000 character limit. The review is based on the original Fallout 3 game for PS3, without DLC.

    1. Story
    In the beginning, you are growing up with your father in an underground bunker called a Vault, located in the north-western parts of Washington D.C. As you grow up it gives you the various tutorials on how to play the game. Once it's done, **** hits the fan, and your father leaves the vault with no explanation. The story revolves around you, the Lone Wanderer, trying to find your father in the Capital Wasteland, a world that was desecrated by nuclear war. Now as you get further in, the story won't feel all that interesting compared to other video games you may have played, but by the end it will feel like it has a meaning.

    2. Voice Acting
    Unfortunately most of the voice acting isn't all that great. In fact, it unbalanced! Super Mutants sound constipated when talking. Civilian and town resident voice lacking enthusiasm in anything they do or say. Even the voice actors of the raiders and robo mechs have more believability than the characters you speak to during the main storyline. Guess that what happens when you have to roleplay 30 different characters in a single game: you get tired of it. Fortunately, it won't take you out of the Fallout moment.

    3. Graphics and Visuals
    Gameplay was put before the graphics this time. Even in HD it still has the looks of an original Xbox or PS2 game. While some areas are withstand-able to look at, other areas are downright ugly and can take you out of the Fallout 3 moment.

    4. Gameplay
    Gameplay refers to combat, customization & level up, and various areas you can explore within the game. Put it all together and it's deserves the highest rating possible!

    -Battle System-
    There are many different ways you can play the battle system in this game. You can play stealthy, snipe them, run in guns blazing, place frag mines down and have your foes run into them as they chase you, or just blow their guts out with the good-old fashion Missile Launcher. And these are just examples. You'll find other ways to play this game, each tactic feeling more satisfying as the other.

    -Customization-
    The customization looks pretty but the level up system is quite broken. Any perks that give you a skill point increase with no special ability is essentially worthless! And if you don't level yourself correctly, you can easily screw yourself in the worst possible fashion! A sour taste is left in your mouth at lvl 20 when you realize you should have picked this "perk" at level 5 or 10. You'll wind up having to do multiple playthroughs just to get the perfect stats that you desire, leaving you frustrated in between.

    -Exploration-
    Though the graphic aren't great to look at, the exploration was. It's an epic feeling to enter an abandoned building or subway to find what's inside. When traversing the overworld, you are in constant pressure of being attacked by various dangers of the wasteland! Areas that may feel bland & boring can change at a moments notice as some nasty creature spawns from nowhere and forces you to utilize your survival tactics. Any game that makes you feel that much suspense deserves phrase!

    5. Soundtrack
    The soundtrack is highly forgettable, including the radio stations! No disrespect to music legends such as The Ink Spots, Jack Shaindlin, and many others, or Bethesda for making the generic music, but none of these tracks fit in a shooting game. Fortunately it gives you the option to turn off the music all-together so it isn't that bad.

    6. Bugs & Glitches
    This is where the experience destroys you! They're everywhere! ... EVERYWHERE!!!! Bugs existing in every single quest. Bugs that still aren't fully listed on fallout.wikia.com . If it didn't trigger on your first playthrough, it will be waiting for you on another playthrough! Without spoilers, here are some game ruining bugs that can happen to you...

    - Friendly NPCs will randomly become hostile even though you didn't wrong them in anyway.
    - Big Town residents found dead inside their houses. (not outside)
    - NPCs missing dialogue, or won't talk upon interaction.
    - Game frequently crashing when traversing the Wasteland!!!
    - Quest characters disappearing from the game, making the quest impossible to finish.
    - Companions disappearing from the game, with no way to hire new ones.

    7. Personal Enjoyment
    Completely gone when the bugs start.

    8. Overall Verdict
    While the game has some amazing ideas, it flaws from massive bugs even after it's final patch. It's a shame for a masterpiece to become a disaster. For this reason alone I cannot give a recommendation to you consumers as to whether or not you should buy this game. The overall verdict is a 6 out of 10. With each bug experience being different, buying this game will be at your own risk.    … Expand
  90. Lonitx
    Dec 2, 2019
    6
    it's a solid game, just dont let your ps3 save file become too big, you will crahs.
  91. AdamH
    Nov 5, 2008
    5
    As a big fan of the previous canon Fallout games, I was very excited about Fallout 3. I bought the game the first day and sold it the 2nd day. After thinking about it, I do honestly think it's what a modern Fallout game would translate to. That being said, I had major problems with the game. For one, there should be a more expedient way to create a character (after the first time). As a big fan of the previous canon Fallout games, I was very excited about Fallout 3. I bought the game the first day and sold it the 2nd day. After thinking about it, I do honestly think it's what a modern Fallout game would translate to. That being said, I had major problems with the game. For one, there should be a more expedient way to create a character (after the first time). Second, for as far as I got before returning it, the game's V.A.T.S. system is far too powerful. I played a peaceful speech based character on Very Hard. Never put a point into Small Guns, but the vast majority of my enemies went down in a spray of close range headshots from my starting pistol without touching me. A non-combatant character should not be able to take down an entire group of raiders - these people kill people for a living. Overall, the game will be a big favorite of some players, but a great disappoint to some.… Expand
  92. adamm
    Aug 8, 2009
    5
    I was really , really REALLY looking forward to this , i spent months looking around for it cheap and just couldn't believe when i saw it for 13 quid !
    I even traded in Tomb raider underworld for 6 , taking off 6 quid for the game aswell ! Then the game loaded up , my heart swelled up , and i nearly vomited at the graphics , and the story lacked any form of dramatic oomph. It's    I was really , really REALLY looking forward to this , i spent months looking around for it cheap and just couldn't believe when i saw it for 13 quid !
    I even traded in Tomb raider underworld for 6 , taking off 6 quid for the game aswell ! Then the game loaded up , my heart swelled up , and i nearly vomited at the graphics , and the story lacked any form of dramatic oomph. It's just so buggy , it could've been a 3 out of 10 if i played for more than 2 hours . I miss you now lara...    … Expand
  93. SomeReviewer
    Jan 15, 2010
    5
    Fallout 3 in it's pure form is a game that is overall lacking and unpolished. The developers did a horrible job of making sure the game shipped without bugs and failed to provide the players with a ton of content like oblivion had. The only saving grace for this game is the fact that it has a large community of mod makers who make the game better than the original developers did. I Fallout 3 in it's pure form is a game that is overall lacking and unpolished. The developers did a horrible job of making sure the game shipped without bugs and failed to provide the players with a ton of content like oblivion had. The only saving grace for this game is the fact that it has a large community of mod makers who make the game better than the original developers did. I have tried my hardest to enjoy this game countless times but, I am always overwhelmed by the constant crashes and other errors. At this point, I've gone through around 4 characters that have been unable to pass through the game due to the various bugs that the game contains. The quest in the game lack variety and the enemies are easy once you have the right weapons, overall the game is dull and gets boring when you're a high level. I would defiantly pass this one up and get TES4 instead, unless you're getting this game for under ten dollars, leave it alone because, you don't want the headaches it brings.… Expand
  94. Nurak
    Jan 31, 2009
    5
    Generally, I did not see what the hype was about.
    I thought the game was annoying when you had to save it before doing anything that could get you killed.

    The third person view was terrible and out of sync with the ground in my views, and the only noteable thing I could say about the game is the VATS.
  95. Nednerb
    Apr 26, 2016
    5
    Fallout 3 in one sentence - Extremely over hyped. It was a nice surprise having a famous recognizable Liam Neeson voice over at the beginning of the game. The story started strong off well but that is a far as it got. Fallout 3 is overly tedious with hundreds of irrelevant side missions that served no purpose other than hearing a little blurb at the end about what you did during yourFallout 3 in one sentence - Extremely over hyped. It was a nice surprise having a famous recognizable Liam Neeson voice over at the beginning of the game. The story started strong off well but that is a far as it got. Fallout 3 is overly tedious with hundreds of irrelevant side missions that served no purpose other than hearing a little blurb at the end about what you did during your time. The main story itself was short lived and by god the game breaking technically problems with this game made it a nightmare for PS3 players. It is highly recommended that any player picking up this game subscribe to PlayStation Plus and regularly make manually saves to the cloud. The ability to lose your save files and corrupt your hard drive is at pandemic chances. Be warned. For the trophy hunters, acquiring platinum is rather easy however extremely annoying due to the level of glitches this game has. Good luck.… Expand
  96. AM
    Sep 13, 2009
    4
    I was really really looking forward to this , and had to wait ages before coming under 15 quid. So one day I snapped it up for 11 , I was over the moon , then I got home , and sadness washed over me . After all the acclaim it got , I thought it'd be amazing , but oh no , it was just horrible , from the wierd start to when you escape the vault , it just was such a mess.Terrible I was really really looking forward to this , and had to wait ages before coming under 15 quid. So one day I snapped it up for 11 , I was over the moon , then I got home , and sadness washed over me . After all the acclaim it got , I thought it'd be amazing , but oh no , it was just horrible , from the wierd start to when you escape the vault , it just was such a mess.Terrible graphics , stupid talking and quests that have you just running round doing bugger all , and since the world is so huge , there should be lots to do , that is fun , but it just wasn't. It was like taking a massive cool world and then filling it with 1960s ish rubbishness (if that's a word), the only good thing is the title , because me and the game had a massive Fallout.… Expand
  97. JonD.
    Nov 12, 2008
    4
    I just didn't get it at all, after some great presentation setting my hopes up for a quality gaming experience, it fell away to what looks like a PC game circa 2005. Everything felt cluttered, unprofessional, tired and clichéd, from HUDs to game design. No feeling of atmosphere is generated, just a remote, detached experience, like never fully connecting with the game. An I just didn't get it at all, after some great presentation setting my hopes up for a quality gaming experience, it fell away to what looks like a PC game circa 2005. Everything felt cluttered, unprofessional, tired and clichéd, from HUDs to game design. No feeling of atmosphere is generated, just a remote, detached experience, like never fully connecting with the game. An initial mission left me lost, wandering directionless in both goal and location. A further attempt to get sucked in led to a depth free encounter that left me reaching for the eject button. If you liked Oblivion, you'll love this, if however you want a true next gen title (like so many of the others on release this Christmas) avoid.… Expand
  98. Vormund_Bolt
    Sep 27, 2010
    4
    Bah, Fallout 3. When I bought it, I thought it was going to be interesting, but I was horribly mistaken. The world is HUGE! A little bit too huge, I f you ask me. I couldn't get very far without getting lost. The map doesn't help very much, and during the time when I was lost, I was pwned by around 4 big monster deals with miniguns.I'm not afraid to say that me and Dogmeat didn't lastBah, Fallout 3. When I bought it, I thought it was going to be interesting, but I was horribly mistaken. The world is HUGE! A little bit too huge, I f you ask me. I couldn't get very far without getting lost. The map doesn't help very much, and during the time when I was lost, I was pwned by around 4 big monster deals with miniguns.I'm not afraid to say that me and Dogmeat didn't last long, especially with the crappy weapon life. Why didn't they make the weapon health system like Oblivion?… Expand
  99. JackM
    Dec 14, 2010
    4
    It's a good game but the console version should be avoided at all costs! I have never had so many bugs and crashes in a game before. This is what could happen if you port a game meant for the PC on a console. All those bugs and crashes ruined the game for me and I heard New Vegas was the same. Play the PC version, not this.
  100. Tokyochuchu
    Apr 11, 2012
    4
    For most people, Fallout 3 will be a wonderful experience. For me... I just couldn't get my head around shooting at something like an FPS but never being able to hit it because of level stats. If you're not supposed to use the FPS aiming system, why put it in the game? If physically aiming at a guy's head with a sniper rifle counts for nothing, why bother giving us a scope? I know it's anFor most people, Fallout 3 will be a wonderful experience. For me... I just couldn't get my head around shooting at something like an FPS but never being able to hit it because of level stats. If you're not supposed to use the FPS aiming system, why put it in the game? If physically aiming at a guy's head with a sniper rifle counts for nothing, why bother giving us a scope? I know it's an RPG and you're supposed to use the VATS system, but the hybrid aspects of the game just totally killed it for me.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

6
#6 Best PS3 Game of 2008
5
#5 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2008
4
#4 Most Shared PS3 Game of 2008

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
90

Universal acclaim - based on 57 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 55 out of 57
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 57
  3. Negative: 0 out of 57
  1. Digital Chumps
    Oct 27, 2010
    76
    Until you can play the game without unpredictable crashing and quirky issues surprising you it's going to be tough to find the maximum amount of fun I know this title can offer.
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  2. 1UP
    100
    This is the kind of hugely ambitious game that doesn't come around very often, and when it does, you'd be a fool not to play it and enjoy the hell out of it and look forward to the day (next-next-gen?) when the fidelity of open-world RPGs takes another big step closer to the uncanny valley's far side.
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  3. IGN
    94
    It's rare that a game can hit the mark in so many different and often conflicting areas. Fallout 3 offers freedom without sacrificing a focused story. It delivers fantastic combat without forgoing a deep role-playing system. The characters you meet are engaging and oftentimes hilarious without feeling out of place in this harsh world.
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