Fallout 3 – Katy’s first experience with a strategy shooter game

September 4th, 2009

My current obsession: Fallout 3.

I would rather spend my time navigating the Wasteland than doing most other things I can think of. What can I say? I’m in love. Being a first-timer to the Fallout series, and shooters in general (with the exception of L4D) is certainly not doing me any favors. I often panic when approached by enemies, my aim is terrible, I don’t carry enough ammo, and I die… a lot. Nevertheless, i’m learnin’!

To give you a feel for what i’m accustomed to, here are a few of the games i’ve enjoyed over the last few months: Sims 3, Spore, Left 4 Dead, Super Paper Mario, Bully: Scholarship Edition & Rock Band 2. Seeing a bit of a theme there? Lazy games for a lazy girl. Left 4 Dead requires a bit of on-your-toes-ness but I wasn’t even all that great at it. I just love zombies.

Here are a few things i’ve learned about Fallout 3 thus far:

- The game is HUGE! Holy-crap huge. I think you could probably wander forever and continue to find things you’d previously missed. It’s amazing.

- The enemies in the game are awesome. I mean, I hate them, but they’re awesome. There’s a wide array of different mutants, creatures, ghouls and humans who seem to thoroughly enjoy pickin’ on you. Because you created your character to be such a handsome devil, right?

- Just like in real life, KARMA matters. Maybe you don’t believe in that sort of thing, but perhaps you should start. =) From Wikipedia: “Beyond acting as flavor for the game’s events, karma can have tangible effects to the player, primarily affecting the game’s ending. Other effects include altered dialogue with NPCs, or unique reactions from other characters.” I can really appreciate this about the game. It truly gives you the freedom to be whatever kind of character you wish.

- This is the first video game i’ve ever played that makes me jump, out of fear, a lot. What it comes down to is this: Post-Apocalyptic Washington DC is dead quiet unless you find yourself in a battle zone or are amidst a populated area (of which there are few), and giant creatures pouncing on you from behind while it’s been near-silent for the last ten minutes is freaky. Very freaky.

- There’s a whole lot to be done. The storyline is just the beginning. There are 17 side quests in addition to the 14 main quests, so suffice it to say, this game is not especially short, and it is definitely never lacking in action. Did I mention there are DLC add-on quests, too? I haven’t even looked into those yet. Too much to do!

- Liam Neeson plays the voice of the player character’s Dad in the game, and Ron Perlman is the narrator. Oh silly.

Entry Filed under: Video Games