Fallout 3 E3 Previews

Another round of hands-on previews coming straight from E3. Chud.

I came out completely convinced that this is going to be one of the best games of the year, but Fallout purists, take note- This game is not what you’re used to. I know a ton of the more hardcore fans hate that they’ve changed the turn-based combat and setting somewhat, but as a fan myself, trust me, it’s got the feel of a Fallout game. It’s got the humor down, and the setting- well, it’s the best post-apocalyptic landscape you’ve seen in a game yet. On the flipside, Oblivion fans have no reason whatsoever not to rejoice. This is definitely a more refined version of that incredible game.

totalplaystation.

Since then, Bethesda has added a few significant improvements which up the (cool and useful) factor by about 100. We almost missed it, but when spending AP points, a bar at the bottom shows you how much a successful shot will damage the enemy you’re targeting. This can usually safely be ignored, unless however, if you land a headshot. As you line up your shot and pull the trigger, the bullet casing ejects and a cinematic camera takes control, dragging you along the flight path in slow motion bingo. Your shot lands your target square in the face, causing it to rip off with a gruesome stream of blood. With well placed shots like this, who needs health bars? The V.A.T.S. system decreases in accuracy the further away you get, however, so don’t expect to be making those kind of shots all of the time.

Two notable creatures that we had the pleasure of vanquishing from the land were a wild dog (which came out of nowhere) and a crazed bee. Trust us, after a(n) (un)healthy dose of radiation, those things are terrifying. Sure, you’ve got your random humans scattered about (some of which attacked us first), but you’d do better to befriend as many of them as you can. Unless you’re a total jerk, that is.

Electronic Theatre.

E3 2008 held a playable demo of a title that, much like Fable II, is reportedly now complete, and the time between now and launch will involve tweaking and tidying-up. The demo opens with the player standing at the doors to the Vault. Opening the doors reveals a blinding flash of light, followed by a view of an incredibly detailed horizon. Prior to this, the title acts much like it’s effective-sister release, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. The player will play select moments from their characters childhood in order to develop their unique attributes, before travelling out into the world as if leaving the dungeon for the first time in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. However, even now, FallOut 3 is exponentially better looking than The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.