In 2007, I purchased Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (Game of the Year Edition) after finally jumping into this generations gaming systems. Close to 400 hours later, I decided that game was the best value for my money in terms of content, quality, and overall fun that I would ever play.

I was wrong.

My wife purchased me Fallout 3 in 2008 as an anniversary gift; she knew I'd played the original Fallout games and really enjoyed Oblivion with me, so it was a great gift. To say that I was stunned and enraptured with Fallout 3 would be an understatement; I've played this game with regularity for over a year. It is a huge, expansive, detailed, life-like world with so much to do and see that each time through you can find more and more surprises that you may have missed previously. Toss in all 5 DLCs at a mere $60, and this game is pushing 150 hours of game time just for one play through.

This is an incredibly involved game and isn't for everyone; its the kind of game that takes hold of your imagination and won't let go, so if you have the time to play a game of this depth, I recommend purchasing it immediately, its worth every penny.

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Fallout 3: Game of the Year edition is quite possibly the pinnacle of the action/RPG genre. Considering the original Fallout 3 was astonishing, the GOTY edition only adds to its incredible gameplay and content. It is such an incredible value, having included all five expansion packs (which comes on a second disc). If you've never experienced the world that is Fallout 3, do yourself a favor and get the GOTY edition.

I have the original Fallout 3 on PC, but I wanted all of the expansion packs in an easy, convenient package. I also thought I'd try the game out on a console so that I could see it on my big 40" LCD and see how a controller worked with the game. I decided to get the 360 version rather than the PS3 version due to stories of the PS3 version freezing and crashing. It's unfortunate that Bethesda didn't give the PS3 as much love as the PC and 360. Oh well.

The GOTY edition on the 360 looks and runs great. It doesn't have quite as detailed graphics as the PC version, but it still looks amazing. You can pick up and manipulate just about anything in the environment. NPC's still have that stiff, plasticky look to them, but that's not a deal breaker. When you take into account the grand scope of this game, the developers made everything eye catching.

You'll likely need the strategy guide to get the most out of the game and the expansion packs. I got the limited edition, hardcover guide and am very satisfied with it. It would be easy to get lost in the Fallout world without some direction, but luckily there are a lot of online resources if you prefer that.

For $60, you are definitely getting your money's worth. It's a game that provides almost limitless freedom, so it will consume a lot of your time. That's not a bad thing considering the quality you're getting.

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i actually rented fallout 3 (the regular version) from gamefly. i didnt know what to expect when i got it. i read all the reviews and the game got a 9 out of 10 on some websites, and some peeps left reviews saying how good the game is, but I still wasnt to sure weather i'd like it or not. especially since its an rpg type game and i dont like those kind of games. when i finally got the game in the mail, i popped it in my 360 and started it. when i saw how you can pick your sex, race and facial features as well as give your character a name, i said okay, thats pretty good. as i played the game however, i found it difficult to figure out what to do. i went online to see if i can print out a walkthrough but the ones i seen had a lot of info and i didnt feel like wasting a lot of ink and paper, so i decided to buy the walkthrough from gamestop. its almost 30 bucks but i paid about 7 bucks for it since i had some old games i dont play no more and traded them in. i got home thinking the stragety guide would help but I still couldnt get it. im not really into rpg type games but i decided to give this one a try. the stragety guide i bought has over 700 pages (its the game of the year edition). i went back online and found a stragety guide that i printed out. it was easy to understand and had about 80 pages for me to print out. after that i was able to understand this game and i gotta say its the best game i have ever played. im not even half way through the game and i had it over a week. this game is so huge and has so much to do i probably wont finish until january of 2010. i dont play the game that long neither. about 4 or 5 hours which is why its taking so long but i do enjoy it. im definitely gonna buy this game. i highly recommend this game. its not quite rpg based on the combat. its more action like to me. the graphics is excellent and the guns is really cool to. i love how they made d.c. look like it was actually hit with an atomic bomb. and i also love how you can go between first and third person views. great game.

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You can spend weeks playing this game and still not find all the content that is hidden in it. This is the first game i have replayed three times and the DLC makes it that much more enjoyable. As a GOY edition you get the best value for your dollar.

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Going to try and keep this one short. This is Oblivion done right. If you like post-apocalyptic games, western rpgs, and/or sandbox style games you need to own this. If your looking for a true sequel to the original Fallouts then yes you will be dissapointed; this game is not turn based. Judge it on its own merits and prepare for months of gaming delight. My only complaint is combat out of VATS is a tad bit clunky, specially coming from shooters but after a few hours you adapt and its not a big deal. Also have to watch out for important wandering NPCs getting their head blown off, but this could also be seen as realism and a variable for multiple playthroughs.

And be sure to do a full install, it really helps with load times.

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This was by far one of the best deals I have ever came across in my life! I not only got one of the greatest RPS (Roleplaying Shooter),I not only got it for 10 dollars less than retail price, I not only got free shipping, but I got all of the expansion packs with it! This was a 160 dollar value (Game plus the expansion packs, not including shipping), I got for 50 dollars FLAT!!!! Enough said!

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At first I was sort of sceptical about Fallout, and decided to pick it up because of all of the GOTY DLC. I was hooked from the first 10 minutes on. I managed to put in over 53 hours in two weeks, and have every intention of playing through again with evil karma. It is incredibly immersive, and easily worth the 60 dollars.

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I love this game wholeheartedly and cant wait for the Fallout: New Vegas Collector's Edition.

I do however recommend that if you have a capable PC to buy this game for PC and download the G.E.C.K. If you like to mod for games this is a great one to mod for. There is a huge community for modders for Fallout 3 and the things you can do are seemingly limitless. For example you can...

Add new perks, have ridable mounts, have new companions, new housing options, change the animations, add an expanded arsenal of weapons and armor, wear disguises to fool different factions.

It is a must in my opinion to play this game to its fullest.

Cheers,

Billy

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I don't have ANY of the add-ons (which probably adds a ridiculous amount of awesome to the original) but this game is still the best game I have ever played. Just buy this now with all the add ons and it will take so much of your life and you wont mind one bit.

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This is the best way to experience Fallout 3. The game originally sold (retail) for $59.99 and each of the DLCs are $10...and there are 5 of them. So in total, if you buy the regular version of the game and purchase all the DLCs separately, you're spending over $100. If you savor the game and explore all of the content, you'll clock at least 150 hours of gameplay. The graphics, sound, and atmosphere in this game are brilliant. The only drawback is that the game is slightly glitchy, in that sometimes your game may freeze or the game character may get stuck in a rock or something to that effect. While it doesn't diminish the 5 star ratings I gave this game, it can be a bit frustrating especially if you've completed a significant quest and didn't save right after. My solution is to always keep a current save file you can revert to if you experience a rare glitch...the game creates an autosave file and while it has never happened to me, I have read how some auto-save files have become corrupt and therefore unusable. Don't let this dissuade you from playing the game...you'll miss out on a fantastic adventure with multiple paths and plot twists.

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A great world that sucks you into so that you feel as if you are there. A wonderful blend of first person shooter and RPG elements. The V.A.T.S. combat system is amazing and will have you in awe.

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Bethseda has been putting out some really amazing games over the last couple of years. Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion was an amazing game which I loved loved loved. When I heard Fallout 3 was Oblivion with guns...I knew I had to get it. It has been a very hard year not owning the game and playing it, but luckily the 360 has plenty of killer games that have kept me busy. Anyway, #1 is you can't beat the price. My friend spent $110 to get all of the downloads +the game, and even though he had a great time, invested over 150 hours into the game, I had a hard time swallowing $110 investment. Can't beat the GOTY price at all.

#2 the game has an amazing story. I already knew the ending of the original game (friend spoiled it and yes I was pissed), but it didn't matter. Why? There is so much to the story that it was like the second star Wars trilogy for me. Everyone knows Anakin becomes Vader, but its how he got there that is interesting. Same thing here.

Finally, graphics are off the chain. Even a year later the game is still one of the best games out there. It's running off a modified version of the Oblivion engine, and its just a pleasure to watch.

Bottom line get game now!!!

one thing:::::BUY THE STRATEGY GUIDE!!! There is so much to the game, and if you don't have it...frustration WILL set in. Go get it! I had one for Oblivion and it made a huge difference. Same goes for Fallout! Have fun!

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The whole Fallout series has been fun and 3 didn't disappoint. I would highly recommend this game to anyone who loves open-world, quest-type games.

This game is especially fun since you can custom tailor your experience in the game... depending on your actions, how you interact with others and whatnot the entire story changes.

*thumbs up*

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Even though Fallout 3 has been out for two years, it can be argued that it is one of the richest and fun RPGs out there for the current consoles, and since the game of the year edition features all expansions, someone can easily find 200 hours of gameplay, a great deal.

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Ever wondered how humanity would survive after the fallout of nuclear war? How seemingly normal people would react if they went from a life of relative luxury to that of a hostile, radiation and violent super-mutant filled, environment? The previous 2 Fallout games explored this angle through bird's-eye view RPGs (similar to Runescape and Diablo), but Fallout 3 explores this idea through first and third-person shooter perspective in the wasteland that was once Washington DC and the surrounding metro area. You assume the role of the "lone wanderer," a survivor in Vault 101 that exits the sanctity of his/her home in search of their father. Along the way you battle super mutants, heavily mutated scorpions, crabs, bugs, and robotic remnants of the US Army. You also interact with a large variety of people (with full voice acting) and either help or hinder their efforts to survive.

You can become a bastion of hope, a harbinger of death, or play Switzerland and remain completely neutral with every choice you make. Combining dialogue features akin to Knights of the Old Republic and Mass Effect, you alone, determine the fate of the Capitol Wasteland.

Thus endeth the introduction.

To any of you, who have not played Fallout 3 and wanted to enjoy a great open-ended RPG with a LOT of exploring, I strongly encourage you to check out this packaging and NOT get the original version of the game. Ignore the fact that it costs less because you're getting more bang for your buck here.

Why, you ask? Well, let me explain from the perspective of someone who bought the game (at full price) when it originally came out in 2008.

For a few of us, the Fallout 3 Game of the Year package is a slap in the face since we spent full price on the game and 1/4th that for every expansion set out there (see my review on Broken Steel/Point Lookout) and then this complete package set comes out less than a year after the release of the original game.

Oh well, my heart will go on! :P

In the meantime, the Game of the Year packing has got to be the best idea Bethseda has come up with since they re-released the first two Fallout games and expansions on the PC. It includes not just the game itself but all five expansions including the new Mothership Zeta (which I am currently playing and having a blast with). This means newcomers to Fallout 3 will not have the misfortune of playing the game for 30-50 hours, beating the game and then realizing that the ending sucks and there's nothing else to do. That was the curse of the original game, however, with the Broken Steel expansion not only do you raise the level cap from 20 to 30 but you have post-ending game content with and open-ending game play as well.

While Broken Steel is probably the nicest expansion in the Game of the Year edition, the newest one not yet available for mass (offline) purchase is Mothership Zeta. Released, so far, only as a download on XBox Live, Mothership Zeta was not available for those of us who do not play online so its inclusion into this packing really makes a difference. Not to mention I have heard that many original glitches, such as audio loops causing the game to fail advance the story, have been fixed.

In fact, my Broken Steel/Point Lookout expansion caused my game to go into a dialogue loop at the very end of the game and, since I used nothing but autosave like an idiot, I could not revert and try again. What I ended up doing was erasing all the expansions I had on my Xbox hard drive and, using the expansion disk from the Game of the Year packaging, reinstalled them and the glitch was fixed. If you experience the same problem I had, try this method.

Other than that, the other expansions (such as Operation Anchorage and The Pitt), offer little more than extra quests and more gear including some slick weapons. Point Lookout, however, offers more of the same but with a massive new map for exploration and the farming of new weapons.

All in all, Fallout 3 Game of the Year packaging is a must have for any newcomers to Fallout 3. Not so much for veteran players since we've already spent waaaaay too much on everything already. I only bought it because I was using my brother's copy in the meantime. :P

Peace out!

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