E3 Disclaimer: Kombo’s E3 previews are designed to inform you of what each game at E3 plays like, and what we think of what’s shown. These previews are not reviews, and we reserve final judgment of each game until it is finished and released. These previews offer an honest opinion of what a publisher chose to demo at E3. So, without further ado, read on.
What’s the Game About
The Fallout franchise has achieved legendary status in hardcore gaming circles, it commands a devoted following that continues to discuss, defend, and pick apart the universe’s dark humor and post-apocalyptic storyline to this day. It’s been ten years since the last ‘real’ Fallout title and a lot has changed. Original developer Interplay went out of business and sold the license for the Fallout franchise to Bethesda, who have abandoned the original titles’ turn-based combat and isometric view for first-person, real-time combat . The game shouldn’t feel completely foreign to fans of the original games however, because Bethesda has taken great pains to maintain the series’ distinct aesthetic and signature cynical tone. After drooling over demos for the last year, we finally got our hands on the game today at E3.
What’s Hot
Post-apocalyptic settings aren’t exactly an unexplored setting in the gaming industry, the world of Fallout feels unique among the rest of the barren waste-lands and demolished cityscapes. It actually stirs some of the same feelings as Bioshock’s Rapture, as both games built a hopeful, optimistic society and then destroyed it, leaving the player to uncover the previous generation’s creativity and hubris through subtle environmental clues. Fallout 3 basically satirizes the view of the ‘future’ as imagined from the 1950s, combining old and new (re: imaginary) technology and pop-culture references in a distinctly-American interpretation of the steam-punk style. Yes, there are a lot of crumbling and upturned concrete roads, disheveled buildings and shanty towns, but the world still has a palpable personality thanks to the kitsch 1950s style advertisements, radio stations, and the fact that none of the debris looks particularly traditional. The world is empty and feels dead, but it’s easy to tell it was once alive and charismatic. It’s a world that’s genuinely fun to just explore and get lost in. And believe us, it’s easy to get lost. We didn’t even make it to the first town ‘Megaton’ cause we got caught up hunting down bandits in what used to be a high-school.
The combat in the game works well, and feels a lot more natural and visceral than the combat in Bethseda’s last game, Oblivion. Part of the reason is that most of the combat in Fallout 3 revolves around gunplay, which is just better suited to the first person vantage point. Whereas sword swings in Oblivion felt detached and weak, the weapons in Fallout all feel satisfyingly powerful. We spent most of the game using a handgun variant, but the kickback animation, chunky sound effects, and gory results made every shot and every kill satisfying. The enemy AI was already more impress than what Oblivion offered, as enemies retreated behind corners when they were on their last legs, maneuvered through the hallways to cut us off and attack from behind, and generally did a good job of working in teams. At one point, we exited a building and as the HDR kicked in to simulate our eyes adjusting, we already had one enemy rushing at us with a knife, while two others stayed back and took pot-shots from different elevations. The VATS system, which effectively pauses the game and makes the action turn-based, helps in those situations, as it allows you to analyze for weak points and take precise shots at different body parts. Plus, it’s always there if you just need the action to stop so you can catch your breath.
What’s Not
The inventory system is far improved from the clumsy mess that was Oblivion, but it still feels pretty clumsy. . The menus are broken down a little more intelligently than in Oblivion, so there’s less hammering of the triggers to cycle through stuff. Equipping and using items is kind of a pain in the ass. Up to eight items or weapons can be hot-keyed on the d-pad, but you better have a damn good memory of where you put everything, because there’s no way to tell what you assigned to each direction outside of the item menu. We’re not idiots (no really), but when half the items in the game are some variation of pills or syringes, it gets tough to remember which drug does what, and which drug you assigned to each direction. If you find yourself in the heat of battle and in desperate need of a health boost and four types of pills to choose from, well, it gets a little tough to remember whether up-left was ‘morphine’ or ‘psycho’. Of course, once you run out of space on the d-pad, you’ll have to jump back into the inventory screen, which is always a jarring break in the pace of the action. Hopefully Bethseda will smooth things out a bit more before the game’s release, because it’s a relatively small problem that players will unfortunately have to deal with A LOT.
Outlook
The combat is fun, the world is interesting, and there are nearly endless options for how to make your way through the game. Fallout 3 could shape up to be the best in the franchise.
