Fallout 3

 Xbox 360
User Score
8.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 2106 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,747 out of 2106
  2. Mixed: 184 out of 2106
  3. Negative: 175 out of 2106
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  1. grandpajoe6191
    Nov 8, 2011
    7
    Played "Fallout 3" in my friend's house. It's pretty fun and enjoyable especially with the slow mo dissections, but it gets pretty boring after a while. The muddy textures also makes the game pretty hard to watch (you'll have to squint your eyes). BUT. It's basically an open world where you just run around and kill stuff which is pretty fun and exciting for those young indiana Jones dudesPlayed "Fallout 3" in my friend's house. It's pretty fun and enjoyable especially with the slow mo dissections, but it gets pretty boring after a while. The muddy textures also makes the game pretty hard to watch (you'll have to squint your eyes). BUT. It's basically an open world where you just run around and kill stuff which is pretty fun and exciting for those young indiana Jones dudes out there. The selection of dialogue (like Mass Effect) is also pretty amazing and intriguing; every decision you make COUNTS. Overall a good game that you'd spend a good time on.… Expand
  2. ColinM
    Jan 30, 2009
    7
    I was really looking forward to buying this game since of all the good reception its been receiving. I got a few days ago, and frankly I'm disappointed. The graphics are pretty good, but not mind-blowing. The HUD sucks though and is pretty unimaginative. The quests are okay but can get sometimes get linear. And don't even get me started on the charatcer animation and physics. I was really looking forward to buying this game since of all the good reception its been receiving. I got a few days ago, and frankly I'm disappointed. The graphics are pretty good, but not mind-blowing. The HUD sucks though and is pretty unimaginative. The quests are okay but can get sometimes get linear. And don't even get me started on the charatcer animation and physics. Absolute garbage. The character looks like he is "skating over the terrain" in third person view. The background story is pretty nice. And the enemy variety is okay. I hate the Super Mutants however, those guys have serious issues. Oh. and the glitches. LOTS AND LOTS of glitches. Would I recommend this game to someone. Hmmmm.... I would actually have to say yes. But you need a lot of patience. A LOT OF PATIENCE to get past the annoying glitches and the boring beginning. Overall, 7.7/10… Expand
  3. PhilipB
    Nov 7, 2009
    7
    All in all, this is a pretty good game, however, it has flaws so serious that I don't understand how people are able to ignore them and just give the game a 10 anyway. Good points: the graphics are top notch, which the exception being character animations, which overall looks as bad as Oblivion(sliding walks, gravity defying jumps, people are stiff while talking, etc). Atmosphere is All in all, this is a pretty good game, however, it has flaws so serious that I don't understand how people are able to ignore them and just give the game a 10 anyway. Good points: the graphics are top notch, which the exception being character animations, which overall looks as bad as Oblivion(sliding walks, gravity defying jumps, people are stiff while talking, etc). Atmosphere is great. Sound and music are generally good, though there is little to none location-specific music. Main quest story is also decent, but not very good. /// Bad points: the combat system is very shallow, in fact, most of the time you'll just get as close as possible to enemies, activate VATS and repeatedly click in their heads, then dodge bullets before you can use VATS again, and since your character has a world record in reloading weapons(seriously, in VATS he can reload a gun in less than two seconds), there's little tactical choice between weapons except which does the most damage; in other words, don't expect to find Halo or CoD-level firefights here. The dialogue is poor, in fact, I'd say 90% of the dialogue is bland, not particulary interesting or funny. Voice acting is also rather mediocre, except for a few notable occasions. /// All in all, it's difficult to say Fallout 3 is a good game because neither the combat or the RPG side are particularly good, so I'm forced to give the game a 7, even though I enjoyed it.… Expand
  4. TerrenceK.
    Feb 1, 2010
    6
    This game casts away all of the interesting strategic elements of the fallout series in favor of creating a slow-paced tactical game. I say strategic, because the old fallout was turn based and very number and detailed based, and now it's run and gun with differences in your character not really affecting much. If you want a strategic game, you would need to play an older fallout This game casts away all of the interesting strategic elements of the fallout series in favor of creating a slow-paced tactical game. I say strategic, because the old fallout was turn based and very number and detailed based, and now it's run and gun with differences in your character not really affecting much. If you want a strategic game, you would need to play an older fallout which has so much more depth to it. If you want a tactical game, play Borderlands which is totally awesome and entertaining while retaining character growth elements of an rpg. An rpg has to have one of these two kinds of combat or perhaps something in between if you want to have in depth planning that have to be properly managed to survive in the heat of battle. They can both be a lot of fun if done right. Fallout 3 chose straight tactical and did a mediocre job of it, requiring a lot of tedious travel and inventory management that barely affected your tactical prowess at all.… Expand
  5. BenD.
    Feb 2, 2009
    6
    This game is a poor mix of both rpg and fps. Im a huge fan of oblivion and halo3 and the call of duty series, however the blend of mixing the two concepts is tiring and annoying. The first thing i want to do is shoot a straight bullet and not depend on stats that a chose early in the game. The missions are basically the same as all oblivion ones, e.g. talk to someone, find something and This game is a poor mix of both rpg and fps. Im a huge fan of oblivion and halo3 and the call of duty series, however the blend of mixing the two concepts is tiring and annoying. The first thing i want to do is shoot a straight bullet and not depend on stats that a chose early in the game. The missions are basically the same as all oblivion ones, e.g. talk to someone, find something and give it to them, or try snd persuade them. How SHIT!! The random bad guys are so lame, reminds of the bandits or whatever they're called, more like ass bandits. And the supermutants all look identical, thats ridiculous. However good concept a decent story. They should have removed most of the stats involved in shooting, nothing is more frustarting that seeing a bullet miss even though your pointing straight at it. I sent mine back, rip off for something i was expecting to be as good as oblivion or other great fps's.… Expand
  6. ShaneP
    Jun 3, 2009
    6
    Interesting environment and the game looks nice but the combat is rather dull. The VATs system turns it into more like a turn based RPG then an FPS/RPG combo since most of the time you can just tell your character to aim for the head and watch as he kills the enemy for you. Far too much of this game is made up of side quests and the main quest is extremely short. This wouldn't be so Interesting environment and the game looks nice but the combat is rather dull. The VATs system turns it into more like a turn based RPG then an FPS/RPG combo since most of the time you can just tell your character to aim for the head and watch as he kills the enemy for you. Far too much of this game is made up of side quests and the main quest is extremely short. This wouldn't be so much of a problem but you can't continue after you've finished the main quest. Most of the side quests are pointless and didn't even seem that fun. Any quest that rewards you with money is pretty much pointless since you don't need to buy anything. since you can loot all the weapons and ammo you need and the best armour is given during the main questline anyway. I actually ended up completing the game at level 13 (the manual has 20 levels in it) without having even seen half of the map. The evil / good levels didn't seem to actually do anything. Despite the fact i was extremely evil the good guys still welcomed me with open arms. Extremely disappointing.… Expand
  7. NickS.
    Nov 6, 2008
    5
    Play first Fallout and Fallout2 ignoring the graphics and then play Fallout3.Only then you will realise how bad this game is.Most gaming sites have either no idea what they are talking about or have been paid well to write these ridiculous reviews.
  8. Hraesvelgr
    Dec 2, 2008
    6
    An enjoyable game marred by some of this gen's worst technical flaws so far, as well as generally bad voice acting, some laughable animations and writing that makes even some of the most poorly written JRPGs look brilliant. A step up from Bethesda's previous game, Oblivion, but still lacking compared to Morrowind as well as Fallout and Fallout 2.
  9. MikeR.
    Oct 28, 2008
    6
    It was OK I suppose, nothing too major or nothing but it was like a little bit long in places. Some bits were too short though but me mum said they were a little bit clever like. I like the bit with the v.a.t.s. It was proper bo but a little bit mentalist. i think i could av made it more gnarly rad.
  10. MATTL
    Jan 3, 2009
    5
    Whilst reasonably good for the first half dozen hours, this game, simply put, is boring thereafter. Rank story, truly atrocious. A 5 year old would have a better imagination. If you have played Oblivion, the same putrid glitches in that game plague Fallout 3. In fact, i think the stuttering framerate is even worse in fallout 3. To me this is unforgivable, and why this game is showered Whilst reasonably good for the first half dozen hours, this game, simply put, is boring thereafter. Rank story, truly atrocious. A 5 year old would have a better imagination. If you have played Oblivion, the same putrid glitches in that game plague Fallout 3. In fact, i think the stuttering framerate is even worse in fallout 3. To me this is unforgivable, and why this game is showered with such high praise is completely beyond belief. Even the graphics are just plain dull. Weapons look so crappy that i failed to find ONE which was fun to use. VATS is ok but just an addition that by no means saves this game from being mediocre at best. What the hell happened to games? I thought they were supposed to be fun. BORING!!… Expand
  11. RobertL
    Feb 9, 2009
    6
    Hugely ambitious game? Yes! Full of annoying issues? You bet! I really wanted to like this game, but it just has too many tedious and annoying flaws. For example, if you want to be true to a FPS style and forego the V.A.T.S. system... GOOD LUCK. You'll waste all your ammo and be very frustrated at how slowly things die. Secondly... why does ammo no have any weight, but everything Hugely ambitious game? Yes! Full of annoying issues? You bet! I really wanted to like this game, but it just has too many tedious and annoying flaws. For example, if you want to be true to a FPS style and forego the V.A.T.S. system... GOOD LUCK. You'll waste all your ammo and be very frustrated at how slowly things die. Secondly... why does ammo no have any weight, but everything else does? At one point I was overburdened and couldn't run anymore... so what did I do? I dropped a single PAPER CUP from my inventory and viola... I'm running again. I was like WTF? you can't be serious!!! Also, I couldn't stand the fact that it autosaves in the worst possible spots, forcing you to restart the game if you forget to manually save every few minutes. I kept getting stuck in the middle of a fire-fight where I would die and then re-spawn in the the middle of batter, unable to run away or survive more than a few seconds. It was ridiculous and I had to restart the game just to recover from it. Very annoying. After a while, all these little issues started adding up to the point where playing was even fun anymore... it was just tedious and annoying.… Expand
  12. AlexC.
    Mar 15, 2009
    5
    Very average game. The world is big, yes, but that's about the only good thing about this RPG. The main problems are: low res textures and jagged surfaces everywhere; bland looking faces and horrible animations; horribly bland and repetitive environments; equally repetitive quests; completely forgettable characters; below average voice acting of most of the in-game characters; the Very average game. The world is big, yes, but that's about the only good thing about this RPG. The main problems are: low res textures and jagged surfaces everywhere; bland looking faces and horrible animations; horribly bland and repetitive environments; equally repetitive quests; completely forgettable characters; below average voice acting of most of the in-game characters; the game has countless bugs such as pop-in and game freezing and things that disappear in front of you; the third person view (optional) is the most horrible 3rd person view I've ever seen (even most homebrew games do this better) you will get bored having to open thousands of random containers in the game just to discover they are empty or contain something useless; the enemy AI is horrible, they just run at you and shoot; the weapons are for the most part very boring and contain no upgrade system aside from how your own stats affect them and the fact that they (very annoyingly) degrade; you are forced to use a roll-the-dice type system to shoot something as shooting from FPS view just doesn't work; most characters in the game all look and behave the same... I could go on and on. Mass Effect was an incredible game -- huge, with a great storyline and great action and characters you got to care about. Fallout 3 is nothing of the sort. Bethesda should have given the money they spent on making this game to another developer... almost any other developer could have done a better job than this with the amount of money and time that was spent on it. I do not understand why the gaming press decided this was such a good game. Believe me, it is not, unless your idea of fun is wandering around a huge world opening things to see if they have things of interest when 99% of the time they do not, and doing pointless quests following forgettable prompts by cardboard characters. I did play this game all the way through, and it did have a few enjoyable moments like but it was mediocre fun at best. The ending was just as anticlimactic as the game itself. Strongly recommend a rental if you are still seriously considering this. If you haven't already and like action RPGs, buy Mass Effect, the most underrated game on the 360, instead.… Expand
  13. AnonymousMC
    Nov 1, 2008
    6
    Once again a game is hyped up so much that reviewers have no choice but to give this a great review. Ill be honest though, i haven't even played this, at least i admit it. My point is though i read about this and ign pretty much said it was the second coming of crist. So i watched videos of it hoping to be blown away and what i saw was an rpg that made shooting an afterthought. IOnce again a game is hyped up so much that reviewers have no choice but to give this a great review. Ill be honest though, i haven't even played this, at least i admit it. My point is though i read about this and ign pretty much said it was the second coming of crist. So i watched videos of it hoping to be blown away and what i saw was an rpg that made shooting an afterthought. I guess we cant expect every shooter to be as smooth as CoD 4. The world looked all the same color to me too and as cool as the time place sounds, walking on rubble in a massive world doesn't look like a blast to me. So i am not really hating on the game despite what you may believe, it just makes me mad with all the hype around games. Gears 2 looks like Gears one but it will get great reviews when any other game is considered unoriginal. I am most disappointed in ign though. Lately their reviews seem so biased its laughable. Consider their scale for this game 90 = 0 100 = 10. They gave it a 9.6 so i consider it a 6 because there was no way they were going into it with an open mind. Who knows maybe this game will grow on me in time but i have learned my lesson with hype. Knights of the Old Republic taught me that lesson, what a joke. my prediction= Amazing story, great graphics, average AI, terrible target system that pauses gameplay, below average shooter. Hm.. has a lot of qualities like Mass Effect and Bioshock.… Expand
  14. ElizabethR
    Dec 1, 2008
    6
    I was extremely excited to play this game, but after the first four or so hours of walking around, I became quite bored. I started out doing side quests so that I would be able to handle the main quests better, and they really didn't capture my interest. I decided to start playing the main quests and was instantly pulled in. I especially loved how the father's mannerisms were I was extremely excited to play this game, but after the first four or so hours of walking around, I became quite bored. I started out doing side quests so that I would be able to handle the main quests better, and they really didn't capture my interest. I decided to start playing the main quests and was instantly pulled in. I especially loved how the father's mannerisms were modelled after Liam Neeson. The main story itself is also pretty dynamic. However, the end completely killed it for me. I am beyond upset at how anti-climactic it was. I had prepared myself to fight an army, and only got to battle a dozen or so enclave soldiers. The final quest literally took me no more than ten minutes to complete. If you like Oblivion, as I do, you will probably find this game enjoyable. Just don't expect a satisfying or rewarding ending.… Expand
  15. CharlesW.
    Dec 2, 2008
    5
    I really wanted to like this game, I did. However, This has turned out to be such a disappointment. I found the game to be very boring, from the story to the game play. I would suggest renting before you buy. It feels like oblivion all over again, and that's not a good thing. It wasn't terrible, but don't fall for the hype.
  16. FPSMaster
    Oct 29, 2008
    6
    Slightly above average game. People that say it's nothing like Oblivion are just lying to themselves so they'lll feel they are playing a new game from Bethesda instead of what it basically a PC mod of that 2 1/2 year old game. Take Oblivion, exchange swords for guns, exchange magic for the VATS targeting system, exchange foliage for blown out buildings, switch around the Slightly above average game. People that say it's nothing like Oblivion are just lying to themselves so they'lll feel they are playing a new game from Bethesda instead of what it basically a PC mod of that 2 1/2 year old game. Take Oblivion, exchange swords for guns, exchange magic for the VATS targeting system, exchange foliage for blown out buildings, switch around the upgrading and menu system, make everything brown and here you go. Not to mention it looks below average with tons of pop-in (Farcry 2 had much more detail with much less pop-in and all with foliage everywhere and had just as big of a world) and there is no A.I. Everyone just runs straight at you whether carrying a long range rifle or not. The enemies seem to look too cartoony and feel out of place such as the big guys toting chain guns. They look like something from the game Jericho, as do most every other non-human enemy. The rest are standard Oblivion-ish bugs which are getting annoying this far into the console generation. Everything looks the same and is all brown which may be because everything is in post nuclear fallout, but every area looks the same except for the big D.C. landmarks and grates quickly. I'll play it until Gears 2 releases but then it's gone. I hated Oblivion and always thought if it was designed with guns then I could get into it. Well, I was wrong. The shooting in this game sucks whether using real-time or the targeting system. This game does't know whether it wants to be a shooter or an RPG which proves they shouln't have marketed it as anything but an RPG. They knew shooter fans would buy and it be duped, and it worked on some. I knew it to be an RPG all along, but the combat in the game is still centered around guns and is utterly broken. The rest is rehased ideas that all but the biggest RPG geels grew tired of 2 1/2 years ago.… Expand
  17. SantiagoR
    Dec 5, 2009
    6
    The city map is grate, but the story and RPG side is poor there is a limit of 20 points level and fights are shallow. Too much time wasted exploring places. It lacks the dynamic and RPG characteristics from its predecessors.
  18. Spartan111
    Jan 19, 2011
    5
    Its definately not a game for me. I like RPGs and I liked the Elder Scrolls Oblivion, but Fallout 3 is just Oblivion in a dull, boring world with far less to do and boring combat(VATS...Wow). The games storyline is nothing special and the secondary missions arent that great either but are better than the story itself, (one highlight though was destroying Megaton). Anyway if you like thisIts definately not a game for me. I like RPGs and I liked the Elder Scrolls Oblivion, but Fallout 3 is just Oblivion in a dull, boring world with far less to do and boring combat(VATS...Wow). The games storyline is nothing special and the secondary missions arent that great either but are better than the story itself, (one highlight though was destroying Megaton). Anyway if you like this apocolyptic **** then go ahead have fun, at least that will make one of us.… Expand
  19. Snipestrifer
    Dec 14, 2010
    5
    Ok I'll give Fallout the well-did story adn the pretty cool VATS system, but it's just a gimmick. The entireity of the combat seems based around VATS considering it's much harder to shoot a gun than in your average shooter (Or Mass effect, A stellar RPG). Sorry but you can't win a high rating on story alone. As for the graphics... it's mixed. Yes, some of the characters look cool and theOk I'll give Fallout the well-did story adn the pretty cool VATS system, but it's just a gimmick. The entireity of the combat seems based around VATS considering it's much harder to shoot a gun than in your average shooter (Or Mass effect, A stellar RPG). Sorry but you can't win a high rating on story alone. As for the graphics... it's mixed. Yes, some of the characters look cool and the giant view of the wasteland is sometimes nice but the human face looks horrible on this game, and the wasteland can look rather blocky sometimes. Also the game seems too slow to start up and you run out of ammo too quickly in this game. Finally, I gor tires of walking all over the same looking terrain over and over and over... I know it's the capital but does it have to be so big and boring? Aside form the odd settlement I walk across there is nothing in this place, not ven any treasure or cool items, just an annoying interference that comes from an enemy looking at me from a mile away. I want to do a quest and get to where the action is already! I know I have quick travel but finding new places is such a chore and sometimes quick travel doesn't take me close enough to my want-to-do quest. Sorry guys, but if you want a real fun RPG, get Mass Effect, then Mass Effect 2 so you can transfer your save file over. I love those games.… Expand
  20. MadChiller
    Nov 9, 2011
    5
    Being a huge Bethesda fan I expected a great deal more. VATS is more annoying than innovative, you can't hardly kill anything without it, slowing down the game. The story is uninteresting, the graphics are okay, but the facial mapping is not the best. And my biggest complaint is the absolutely boring environment, if you travel from one end of the map to the other, good luck telling theBeing a huge Bethesda fan I expected a great deal more. VATS is more annoying than innovative, you can't hardly kill anything without it, slowing down the game. The story is uninteresting, the graphics are okay, but the facial mapping is not the best. And my biggest complaint is the absolutely boring environment, if you travel from one end of the map to the other, good luck telling the difference. It looks looks the same. Even so, the game was entertaining enough to receive a medium score.… Expand
  21. andree1991
    Nov 10, 2015
    7
    When i played fallout 3 i could only think of 3 things, gray, depressing, and tons of content. It's gonna last you hundreds of hours but some people may be put off by the looks and feel at the beginning. If you're willing to dig deep enough, you will find an awesome game
  22. Ztride
    Dec 21, 2011
    7
    This game is so overrated in my opinion. Yes, the world is very open, and yes, there is lots of things to do.

    However, the world is very bleak, everything is either grey, brown or yellow (except for the interface, which is green). You might say that it fits the lore, and I say that it does not. Look at Chernobyl for example, despite the nuclear incident, grass has overgrown the entire    This game is so overrated in my opinion. Yes, the world is very open, and yes, there is lots of things to do.

    However, the world is very bleak, everything is either grey, brown or yellow (except for the interface, which is green). You might say that it fits the lore, and I say that it does not. Look at Chernobyl for example, despite the nuclear incident, grass has overgrown the entire area! Why is there no vegetation in the world, when plants can deal with radiation several times better than humans? The game has alot of content, but that is very unvaried content and the game is very ugly. They could have been alot more creative with the setting.    … Expand
  23. wesker2012
    May 27, 2012
    6
    This game seems so overated. Yeah, I bet the game is deep, etc. But the combat is so clunky. It made the game unplayable for me. the graphics and setting isnt that great either...Its really bland and depressing.
  24. Welterweight426
    Jun 9, 2012
    5
    I really wanted to like this game. I had heard from a bunch of people that it was fantastic. However, after trying it I was not only unimpressed, I was dissapointed. The game was not very good. I thought the gunplay was alright. However, using melee weapons was pretty awful. Playing in third person was a waste of time as well. Not only that but the voice acting was okay at best and theI really wanted to like this game. I had heard from a bunch of people that it was fantastic. However, after trying it I was not only unimpressed, I was dissapointed. The game was not very good. I thought the gunplay was alright. However, using melee weapons was pretty awful. Playing in third person was a waste of time as well. Not only that but the voice acting was okay at best and the story was boring. And then, after hours of playing I got sick of all the glitches and took my game back to gamestop. Oh well.… Expand
  25. JohnF.
    Nov 19, 2008
    7
    Disappointing. Not a terrible game, but disappointing. Bugs, annoying enemies, too many off-screen cheap shots and booby traps, and worst of all, the game isn't fun to explore. Oblivion, which is Fallout 3's most recent ancestor, had a pretty world that was easy and fun to explore. In Fallout 3, you walk around an ugly, unpleasant, dreary world filled with barriers blocking your Disappointing. Not a terrible game, but disappointing. Bugs, annoying enemies, too many off-screen cheap shots and booby traps, and worst of all, the game isn't fun to explore. Oblivion, which is Fallout 3's most recent ancestor, had a pretty world that was easy and fun to explore. In Fallout 3, you walk around an ugly, unpleasant, dreary world filled with barriers blocking your path to the spot on your map you're trying to reach. It's common once you get into the city to be close to a spot on your map only to be blocked by piles of rubble, forcing you to turn around and navigate maze-like tunnels and streets to find your location. The interface is ugly too, and the violence is so over the top that it actually detracts from the game. There's just unfortunately not a whole lot that is very enjoyable about this game. There have been countless times while playing it that I thought to myself, "This could have been so much better than it is." It's a dirty, unpleasant game that leaves me with a sour aftertaste.… Expand
  26. KevinS.
    Nov 7, 2008
    7
    Not a bad game, just not great. Definitely not a real fallout game. Combat is pretty fun, but this game fails at everything else. The story is terrible. The atmosphere is good, until you actually talk to an npc. The wasteland areas are good, if a little repetitive, but everything else is bad. The NPCs seem horribly out place, their dialogue does not really match the grim surroundings Not a bad game, just not great. Definitely not a real fallout game. Combat is pretty fun, but this game fails at everything else. The story is terrible. The atmosphere is good, until you actually talk to an npc. The wasteland areas are good, if a little repetitive, but everything else is bad. The NPCs seem horribly out place, their dialogue does not really match the grim surroundings outside. All references to old fallout games feel forced and really miss what made the old games so awesome. All of the RPG elements are extremely shallow. Many of the skills are just down right useless, and it often feels like there is no real character growth. Sure you gain perks every level, but none of them really change the way your character will play out. (a good portion of them are just bonuses to skills) I've heard that increasing your skill in a weapon type increases the damage it does, but I can't really tell. As far as I know it only increases your accuracy in VATS. Also there really are very little consequences to any of your actions. There are a few points scattered throughout the game but they are fairly obvious. Your dialogue options end up being either, "I'm a good guy, I'm the guardian of the wastes!" or "I'm an evil dude, I'm going to kick some puppies!" I guess this game tried to be more sand box like, but all of the things you are supposed to do instead of the main quest are just irritating. In return the main quest is incredibly short. According to steam I beat it in 4.2 hours on my first time through.… Expand
  27. JeffD
    Feb 3, 2009
    7
    I played the original Fallouts. Heck, I played the CGA game Fallout was based on back in the 80s. They were all classics: well-written, atmospheric, and they just gelled well. Unlike most diehard Fallout fans though, I also thought Oblivion was a masterpiece, albeit for different reasons: huge and beautiful gameworld, lots of options, lots of fun stuff to do just tinkering around in the I played the original Fallouts. Heck, I played the CGA game Fallout was based on back in the 80s. They were all classics: well-written, atmospheric, and they just gelled well. Unlike most diehard Fallout fans though, I also thought Oblivion was a masterpiece, albeit for different reasons: huge and beautiful gameworld, lots of options, lots of fun stuff to do just tinkering around in the sandbox. For my money, Fallout 3 is weaker than either the original two Fallout games or Oblivion. It really is pretty much "Oblivion with guns", which I would have been fine with, except a lot of what made Oblivion so enjoyable is missing here. You can explore all you want, but real, meaningful choice is very nearly as absent in this game as it was in Bioshock. There is only one way for the main story to proceed -- there are console-style artificial barriers placed at key moments in the story to prevent you from disrupting the narrative. Furthermore, in the original Fallouts, you could play as a diplomat OR a hacker OR a gambler or whatnot -- there were almost always meaningful *alternatives* to shooting. In this Fallout, you have to have Small Guns AND Repair AND Science AND Lockpicking to get anywhere -- they aren't alternatives, they're all mandatory -- and usually there is only one way to handle a problem. The primary radio station just sounds like a broken record. VATS isn't a turn-based alternative to real-time combat, it's just like a "special attack" system to add targeted shots onto FPS combat (if you use only VATs, you'll only get to shoot about half as frequently as if you alternate between FPS (while your APs charge) & VATS. Etc. In summary, lots of problems here. Be that as it may, expectations were pretty insane for most people, and resurrecting a classic franchise is dangerous business, and for a first effort at a Fallout game, I think Bethesda did OK. Not great, not awful. The game does have its moments, no question, and I'm optimistic that with another iteration, Bethesda's Fallout will become more polished and (importantly) differentiated from Oblivion and take on character of its own. Worth playing, but don't get your hopes up too high.… Expand
  28. Arthur
    Aug 18, 2009
    7
    A very entertaining game. I had fun playing it. I am sure I would have scored it higher except that I spent much time on side quests, getting to level 20 (max) before getting very far with the story. What a disappointment when I found out you can't level up from 20. I kind of felt that my time was somewhat wasted and it killed the game for me. Don't do what I did, focus moreA very entertaining game. I had fun playing it. I am sure I would have scored it higher except that I spent much time on side quests, getting to level 20 (max) before getting very far with the story. What a disappointment when I found out you can't level up from 20. I kind of felt that my time was somewhat wasted and it killed the game for me. Don't do what I did, focus more on the main story, you will have more fun!… Expand
  29. HarveyB
    Jan 13, 2010
    7
    Fallout 3 is a good game but certainly not the great game people are claiming it to be. For the most part, the story is average, not in the leagues of Mass Effect and Half-life 2. But it does not border on pretentious either. The gameplay is a mixed bag, part of it is the great V.A.T.S system that Bethesda incorporated which is simply brilliant. the other is the very poor shooting Fallout 3 is a good game but certainly not the great game people are claiming it to be. For the most part, the story is average, not in the leagues of Mass Effect and Half-life 2. But it does not border on pretentious either. The gameplay is a mixed bag, part of it is the great V.A.T.S system that Bethesda incorporated which is simply brilliant. the other is the very poor shooting mechanics when not using the V.A.T.S system. The shooting controls are sticky and unresponsive. As far as the graphics go, they are impressive for a open world game. The dialogue is smart and funny at times, although when it comes to making decisions it wont matter which one you pick as the story wont be strong enough to make you care. on a positive note however, this game will keep you occupied searching every place in the wasteland for valuables and weapons.… Expand
  30. qoobah
    Nov 4, 2008
    7
    While the atmosphere and artistic direction of the game is exceptional, it seems that Bethesda refused to acknowledge what developments have been made in cRPG genre in recent years. The dialogue is plain abysmal when compared to a gem like Mass Effect, they are often too long or too short, depending on situation, and the fact that the main character never utters a word doesn't help. While the atmosphere and artistic direction of the game is exceptional, it seems that Bethesda refused to acknowledge what developments have been made in cRPG genre in recent years. The dialogue is plain abysmal when compared to a gem like Mass Effect, they are often too long or too short, depending on situation, and the fact that the main character never utters a word doesn't help. Facial expressions are virtually nonexistant, and the fact that the world "freezes" when you talk to someone is a giant dent in immersion. Also, one on one dialoges often feel stiff. Oblivion with guns? Very much so, for better or worse. Personally I favour tightly knit and involving story to sandbox game experience, and that might be part of the reason why Fallout 3 didn't quite suit me, but that aside, there are some issues that I have with the game regardless. The above mentioned dialogue system is one thing, but there is quite a lot of bugs and glitches around the world that make exploring it even more painfull. In general, if the dialogue and character intaraction have been given the same amout of care as the world creation and artistic direction, this could have been a real gem. But with Bethesda staying fixed on their game design idea refusing to adapt acknowledged improvements made by other games, this is "only" an enjoyable title.… Expand
  31. SteveK.
    Nov 6, 2008
    7
    I've been a gamer for nearly 20 years and would say that video games are my favorite pastime. So i was really excited when my copy finally arrived. But the introductory sequence was a first disappointment and a good primer of what to expect from the rest of the game. The graphics, especially inanimate objects, are really good and this and the excellent art direction are the main I've been a gamer for nearly 20 years and would say that video games are my favorite pastime. So i was really excited when my copy finally arrived. But the introductory sequence was a first disappointment and a good primer of what to expect from the rest of the game. The graphics, especially inanimate objects, are really good and this and the excellent art direction are the main sources of atmosphere in the game. Rivet City, the barren wastelands, Megaton...awesome. But in regard to animation the game is mediocre at best. The 3rd person view looks downright ridiculous. The facial expressions of NPCs are a joke. They look like puppets. Even such oldies like No One Lives Forever with like 10 polygons per face had better animation and more charisma to their characters. Another flaw is imho the writing (both dialog and characterization) which fluctuates greatly in terms of quality over the course of the game and is seldom great, often barely okay and sometimes just bad. Often one is under the impression that Bethesda tried too hard sometimes. Most characters remain one-dimensional and only a few examples of the humour are good examples. Same goes for the quest design. Some are really good, but especially the main quest and the god-awful ending are real bummers. Not only that, but the tradition of the fallout series to show the consequences of the choices that you made in the past is reduced almost beyond recognition. The VATS combat system mostly works but you can not turn off the slow motion death cam (gets really annoying) and the real-time combat between the VATS phases is lackluster at best and totally inferior to 'real' shooter games. The classical soundtrack is, aside from the brooding main theme, utterly forgettable but you can turn on the radio and listen to pre-50s pop songs while travelling the wastes. Great, but needs more songs imho (i believe there is a music folder to put your own tracks in). So writing, story, animation, characters and combat are less than stellar but in terms of postapocalyptic atmosphere this game is up there in atmosphere heaven together with (also flawed) gems like the two STALKERs. It's good fun but not the exceptional achievement most 'professional' reviews make it out to be. Surely, it has exceptional ambition, but the execution is somewhat lacking. A classic case of an hyped up gaming press imho… Expand
  32. NatH.
    Nov 6, 2008
    7
    While technically a great game overall in spite of its many small bugs and glitches, Fallout 3 does nothing to offer the intelligence and complexity of its predecessors. Fans of the original two games may remember them as thoughtful and thought inspiring, with good writing and quests that often forced the player to make tough ethical decisions with true consequences and no right or wrong While technically a great game overall in spite of its many small bugs and glitches, Fallout 3 does nothing to offer the intelligence and complexity of its predecessors. Fans of the original two games may remember them as thoughtful and thought inspiring, with good writing and quests that often forced the player to make tough ethical decisions with true consequences and no right or wrong answer. Fallout 3 has practically none of the things that made the other games so great. In pure looks and aesthetics it does wonderfully as an heir to the Fallout title, but it is up to you to decide what you expect from games and wether or not this one can live up to those expectations. If you want an expansive, open sandbox world full of dolls to play dress up with, you will love this game. If you were looking for a game that will make you think, look elsewhere.… Expand
  33. SeanM
    Nov 17, 2008
    7
    A 10 rating is pure hyperbole...A perfect 10. No flaws, the best ever. No way! Honestly, I just found the game to be rather short, depressing and un-inspired. Not a terrible game but I received more pleasure out of PONG (yes I'm old) asteroids, defender, dig-dug, pac-man the list goes on and on. In there time these were FUN games. Fallout 3 is not a bad game, it's just not fun.
  34. zotune
    Jan 5, 2012
    7
    Taking me nearly 50 hours to complete the GOTY edition, Fallout 3 is one massive game. The DLC's seemed sort of random and went all over the place, but certainly added value to the game. The game froze up on me a couple of times, and with the exception of the VATS targeting system, the gameplay isn't the best of it's class - the combat system is vast in options but nowhere close to asTaking me nearly 50 hours to complete the GOTY edition, Fallout 3 is one massive game. The DLC's seemed sort of random and went all over the place, but certainly added value to the game. The game froze up on me a couple of times, and with the exception of the VATS targeting system, the gameplay isn't the best of it's class - the combat system is vast in options but nowhere close to as smooth as most modern shooters. The engine is very impressive however, and although no element of Fallout 3 appears to be perfected, it's what makes the game so ambitious and huge - allowing developer Bethesda to experiment with so many things that enables their games to stand out from the crowd. And the player being able to chose how to play the game is a fine example of such, allowing the player become further engaged in the story with a more unique and personal experience. However, looking through thousands of boxes and running errands gets tiresome after a while, and these are just two examples out of hundreds where the game has a tendency to become repetitive - especially considering its length. Furthermore, with the exception of its vastness, the story seemed to be lacking in comparison to the Mass Effect series - which also have far superior Character Models, Enemy AI, as well as a talking Main Character. All in all I enjoyed the game and appreciate the developers efforts, but Fallout 3 could use a little more polish, which is one of the primary reasons it doesn't appeal to the casual gamer.… Expand
  35. GhettoGarden1
    Jun 24, 2011
    7
    I honestly love this game. But I do have plenty of problems with it.
    Pros:
    Good Radio: GNR made me smile with the quality music from back in the day. Interesting Storyline: The game took me plenty of time to finish, and of course, the storyline was quality. Walking distance: You have to take a break from linear storylines, right? You gotta take a break and see the scenery once in    I honestly love this game. But I do have plenty of problems with it.
    Pros:
    Good Radio: GNR made me smile with the quality music from back in the day.
    Interesting Storyline: The game took me plenty of time to finish, and of course, the storyline was quality.
    Walking distance: You have to take a break from linear storylines, right? You gotta take a break and see the scenery once in awhile.
    Riveting Storyline: The game kept me addicted throughout the entire game.
    DLC: The DLC increases the overall game length from a 20 hour main story, plus 5 hours of side quests, to about 50 hours main story, plus 30 hours of side quests.
    Now, thats all the pros I can think of at the moment, so lets get to the bad parts.

    It is RIDDLED with bugs: Half the time, I'm walking around the wasteland, getting caught in boxes of abraxo cleaner.
    Horrible AI: The AI in this game, is laughable. It's significantly worse than the AI in HL2 before the big patch.
    Weapons: All the weaponry that you get, misses 9 out of 10 shots, while the enemies weapons hit 9 out of 10 shots.
    Graphics: This game was made in 2009. Why do the graphics look like they were made in 2002?
    Talking: Why is it, that whenever your talking with someone, they have a straight face, and their arms are crossed, even when crying?
    This is everything I can think about right now, but in the end, the good outweighs the bad, but if Bethesda gave it an extra year, they might have had a masterpiece on their hands.    … Expand
  36. somethingguy912
    Dec 15, 2012
    7
    I'm not going to try to compare this game with the previous Fallout expansions, considering that converting from a isometric view to a full on First Person Shooter completely falters the arguments between each two. In an open-world setting, Fallout 3 is quite like Skyrim or Oblivion in a lot of ways, since Bethesda knows how to make an RPG setting, with interesting locations, dynamicI'm not going to try to compare this game with the previous Fallout expansions, considering that converting from a isometric view to a full on First Person Shooter completely falters the arguments between each two. In an open-world setting, Fallout 3 is quite like Skyrim or Oblivion in a lot of ways, since Bethesda knows how to make an RPG setting, with interesting locations, dynamic settings (at some points), and curious characters. Apart from Skyrim and Oblivion's leveling system, you gain experience based on finding locations, completing quests, or just killing creatures. At leveling up you can spend your points freely on any skill set, and you can choose a perk based on your level and your skill set. This is a great quality that Skyrim borrows from, and in a good way at that. Although, you will have to face having to talk to NPC's by directly staring at you to death from Oblivion, but dialogue options are more enhanced from just making a sentence from one word. Onto the negatives. the biggest annoyance I've had with this game was that you can't aim down the sight of any gun other than the ones with a scope. All that happens is that you zoom in while awkwardly shooting creeps from the hip. A lot of the weapons you'll find regularly break down (except for the Hunting Rifle, which will be your best friend for a while) and are hard to repair, because you can only repair a weapon's quality equivalent to your skill set, so if you have 30 repair you can only repair a weapon up to 30% quality, which is annoying as hell and makes you want to get repair to 100 immediately. Most unique weapons you find have the same model as the normal gun, like a Terrible Shotgun to a Combat Shotgun. When night falls, it can be especially painful to traverse around the wasteland as the graphic feel for the game is also quite choppy too, making everything blend, and your Pip-Boy light won't do much else to improve upon that. The combat itself is quite static, with the guns feeling often glued onto you, and the movement impaired and the VATS becoming a little tired and repitive with your motions. On a Story level, though, the game is interesting, and how you begin the game is quite clever and thematic as well. It doesn't overburden you with everything at hand, and manages to introduce to you the lore of the game in a realistic settting. Also, exploring the wasteland does make you feel like you are exploring a wasteland, with so many ruined buildings of old, crawling through the many interlayers of metro stations. But, the metro station also causes a lot of issues with using markers or waypoints, as they will needlessly through theirselves all over the map to get to a location that would be much easier to get to directly on foot. Rad will become a constant issue to you if you are not wary, and many hostile creatures and mutants shall try anything they can to destroy you. This franchise had to take a big step from simple PC computersto more complex systems, with a new development team and all to make sure that everything about the lore from the original was kept sacred, and for the most part, it has. It has some choppy motions and awkward combat situations, but Fallout 3 will be interesting to partake in the story behind it all.… Expand
  37. johnbobs1
    Jan 16, 2015
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I playing Oblivion and Skyrim and falling in unashamedly falling in love with them both, I heard about their Bethesda sibling, Fallout 3. It was allegedly a game with a big reputation, and being made by Bethesda, I knew I would one day have to buy it, despite not being particularly partial to shooting / action games.
    Fallout 3 is of course far from being an all out blaster, and involves plenty of exploration and variation in its quests. The game backgrounds are also a feast to look at; majestic, atmospheric and brilliantly drawn.
    However, despite all of this I was still ever-so-slightly let down by the game. I just couldn't quite get into it in the same way as I had with the Elder Scrolls series. While not entirely dis-similar to those games, Fallout 3 feels like the slightly inferior distant cousin that you never quite got on with (?!).
    Graphic backdrops may be superb, but foreground objects that litter the game, such as shopping trolleys, rubble, boxes etc etc are often poorly drawn and blocky. Character animations could also have been better. Quests are a little repetitive and and the fighting sequences are often frustrating and not particularly imaginative, despite the addition of a specialized slo-mo style combat system.
    Overall, I found myself pleasantly occupied for quite a few days by this more than competent game, but I was never particularly immersed in it. I have since put in down and found myself with little urge to pick up where I left off.
    A decent but thoroughly over-rated game. Buy Skyrim instead!    … Expand
  38. Charlybs
    Jan 22, 2018
    7
    Un Skyrim pero post-apocalíptico en la ciudad destruída de Washington D.C. Muchas misiones secundarias. Graficamente no sorprende. Mundo abierto muy grande, muchos objetos, muchas horas de contenido pero puede llegar a aburrir.
  39. MLR_9902
    Dec 17, 2019
    6
    Fallout 3 started of very well with high potential. I instantly became addicted to playing and enjoyed it right up until near the endgame which was when I realized how incredibly short the main story is, then there's the side missions which really aren't that interesting to play as well as that they aren't worth the rewards. This really took the fun out of it for me. I got tired goingFallout 3 started of very well with high potential. I instantly became addicted to playing and enjoyed it right up until near the endgame which was when I realized how incredibly short the main story is, then there's the side missions which really aren't that interesting to play as well as that they aren't worth the rewards. This really took the fun out of it for me. I got tired going through the same formula. So after I finished the game I uninstalled it. To me Fallout 3 is good but forgettable at best. I really don't think it's worth all the praise.… Expand
  40. SimonHofling
    Mar 5, 2020
    7
    While I did enjoy parts of this game, one thing that quickly became very obvious was that this was a dumbed down and shallow action-oriented world compared to the bizarre worlds of Fallout 1 & 2 which were ripe with black humor, cultural references and moral ambiguousness. Bethesda essentually made a sci-fi action rpg and placed it within the Fallout universe, while ignoring many keyWhile I did enjoy parts of this game, one thing that quickly became very obvious was that this was a dumbed down and shallow action-oriented world compared to the bizarre worlds of Fallout 1 & 2 which were ripe with black humor, cultural references and moral ambiguousness. Bethesda essentually made a sci-fi action rpg and placed it within the Fallout universe, while ignoring many key concepts of what was defining elements of Fallout in terms of storytelling, dialogue and style. As part of this, different factions, groups and characters were reimagined in a way that I do not consider to be coherent with what was presented in the original games. All in all, it is obvious the target group for this game wasn't fans of the original Fallout games, but rather fans of Bethesda games. If playing Fallout 1 & 2 was like reading a captivating russian sci-fi novel, playing Fallout 3 was more like watching a hollywood action movie.… Expand
  41. YigidOx2
    Jan 31, 2021
    6
    There are features that come to mind when it comes to Fallout. Nothing less, no more. The dark theme is a bit annoying, but of course it would be absurd to be chirping after nuclear. However, they could not achieve that balance. I think it's better to play NV and 4 instead. But maybe you can really like the story. Then this game would be very good.
  42. GioGiorno
    Jun 28, 2020
    7
    Não sei muito o que achar desse jogo, ele me inseriu no mundo de Fallout antes de começar a jogar o 4. O sistema de mira é muito precário, mas as main quests e side quests são muito bem feitas e como você pode ESCOLHER como fazer algo é muito bom! A missão de explodir ou não a cidade é questão de como você pode seguir o jogo sendo o anjinho e fazendo o bem a todos ou diabo na terra pósNão sei muito o que achar desse jogo, ele me inseriu no mundo de Fallout antes de começar a jogar o 4. O sistema de mira é muito precário, mas as main quests e side quests são muito bem feitas e como você pode ESCOLHER como fazer algo é muito bom! A missão de explodir ou não a cidade é questão de como você pode seguir o jogo sendo o anjinho e fazendo o bem a todos ou diabo na terra pós apocalíptica.… Expand
  43. genesisdoes
    Oct 2, 2020
    7
    Fallout 3 was the long awaited return of the post apocalyptic role playing series that had been locked away in a vault for over 10 years. Under new developer and publisher, Bethesda, the series was changed to a first person roleplaying game with heavy emphasis on real time combat. It was critically acclaimed at the time but has since dwindled in reputation and I can honestly see why.

    I    Fallout 3 was the long awaited return of the post apocalyptic role playing series that had been locked away in a vault for over 10 years. Under new developer and publisher, Bethesda, the series was changed to a first person roleplaying game with heavy emphasis on real time combat. It was critically acclaimed at the time but has since dwindled in reputation and I can honestly see why.

    I first played Fallout 3 in 2008 and had honestly never played a game like it. I played it very consistently on Xbox 360, not doing much outside of exploring. This is why I never beat the main quest until now. Upon playing it, I definitely wasn't blown away. I played through this game the day after I beat Fallout: New Vegas and that might be the worst thing you can do if you want to appreciate this game. It's by no means a bad game but with a mediocre story, less interesting environment and worse combat than New Vegas, I have little reason to go back to this one.

    Fallout 4 may have even less roleplaying elements than Fallout 3 but at least it offers me things that New Vegas can't such as building settlements and the vast character customization. Sadly, despite it's obvious quality, I can't see myself revisiting Fallout 3 very often.
    I beat this game in November of 2019.    … Expand
  44. Dom007
    Feb 13, 2021
    7
    This game has a cool atmosphere and theme but that's all I really like about it. It's main story is very weak and way too short, although the dlc's do make up for this. The characters are somewhat good but mostly forgettable, and like all Bethesda games its very bug persistent. The dlc's do somewhat make this game better, but I just didn't enjoy it as much as I wanted too unfortunately.

Awards & Rankings

3
#3 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2008
3
#3 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2008
2
#2 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2008

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
93

Universal acclaim - based on 84 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 83 out of 84
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 84
  3. Negative: 0 out of 84
  1. GamingExcellence
    95
    Fallout 3 is an experience in itself, and while it may not offer as much replay value as Oblivion, it’s so much more then an “Oblivion with guns”.
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  2. Kikizo
    90
    From the hollow wind blowing down through subway tunnels, to the radioactive dust clouds swirling throughout the wasteland, up to the buzzards circling the encampment where the bodies of 30 slave traders lie; Fallout 3 is as much a game as it is a training sim for the coming apocalypse.
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  3. GameSpot
    90
    In fact, Fallout 3 is leaner and meaner than Bethesda's previous efforts, less expansive but more intense, while still offering immense replay value and quite a few thrills along the way.
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