I've been a hardcore gamer for over 15 years now and I was really looking forward to this game. I've recently spent about 12 hours playing and I can honestly say I'm done with it. I just don't care to keep going through the story or for that matter any of the side quests. I was captivated by the visual beauty of the game, but after that wore off I started to get more disappointed in the game. My biggest problem with the game is the lack of customization. I was expecting you to be able to modify your weapons, armor, or just get all kinds of useful killing tools. In the 12 hours I put in I found maybe a dozen different weapons and then it stopped. None of them are special, and after awhile you just end up finding the same guns over and over again. Plus you can't really sell the guns because you have to use them to repair the guns your already using. I never felt like one gun was better at something then another gun was. If you put points into small arms then find the most powerful gun and go to town. The only small difference I found was obvious, the shotgun is slightly better close up then the chinese assult rifle. I also liked and disliked the menu interface. I enjoyed the fact that it is integrated into the game so you don't feel so detached, however I hate the fact that you can't see what your armor looks like when you equip it. You where able to do this in Oblivion so why take it out? Well I guess it's not that big of a deal since over the course of 12 hours I found only a handful of different armor types.

I understand that the overall game is huge which just makes the next thing I'm about to say very disappointing. For such a large game the lack of variety amongst enemies is truly sad. You encounter about 3 or 4 different ghouls, some dogs, a lot of raiders, oh and the lovely super mutants where there are only 4 different kinds, one of which is more of a boss character (the behemoth). I've literary listed about half of the enemies in the game, compare this to say other RPGs with pages of enemies and you see the disappointment. The only other bad thing I have to say which may be due to the fact that I enjoy Japanese RPGs is the music. I really wish there was some steam punk music, or anything to make you feel more in the world. This game is supposed to be a AAA title, and although for some it may be I was disappointed. The lack of enemies, and most of all customization really brought the game down. In fact Bioshock has way more customization and it isn't even considered an RPG! I would rent this game just to see how beautiful it is, and who knows it may be the kind of game you enjoy. For me I needed a better more involved story and more to do then walk around looking for my father.

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This game will suck you in and not spit you out for a long time. The open-ended, 'sandbox' design will always leave you wanting to check out just one more area, or talk to one more character, or kill one more Raider before you turn it off.

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if you are a fan of fallout or obivion series i guess that you will still like this game. but if your a shooter fan like me and you didn't care much for oblivion give far cry 2 a try for that game is more fun in the sense of shooting combat. luck stuck me when i tried far cry 2 at my friends and liked it. the reason i say this is because he said he would trade me far cry 2 for fallout 3 if i didn't like fallout 3. now i am the proud owner of far cry 2 and he has fallout 3 because after 5 hours of play i didn't care for playing fallout 3 any more.

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I purposely came into work late today so I can be the first to enter the store to pick up my copy of Fallout 3, (and I was first!). So now I'm at work trying to be productive, but all I can think about is getting home to play this game. Did I mention I read the manual three times today here at work? I should've faked a stomach ache at lunch so I can go home early to play. Well one thing for sure no overtime today for me, I'm out the door on time!

So why am I writing a review and haven't even played the game yet? Well after watching all the trailers, reading the reviews, and about the rewards this game has received, as well as being a fan of the Oblivion series, I'm just that d*mn excited! It's like you knew after playing the first Halo game, 2 & 3 were only going to get better. Well that is the feeling I've been getting since learning about this game.

But to be fair I will write what I thought about the game after a few hours of play tonight.

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First of all the fallout series began with the developer Interplay. They developed the first 2 games in the series. The highly regarded Bethesda Studios took over the project of Fallout 3. The backround of the story is set in around 1960. America has advanced in nuclear technology and is attacked. This leaves nearly the entire Nation in a Nuclear Holocaust. You start the game in an underground vault which served as a Fallout shelter for the people. Outside in the wasteland are hideously mutated creatures. It is a dangerous world to be exploring in.

GRAPHICS:

Bethesda Studios Created the Elder Scroll series including the Game of The Year winner Oblivion and Morrowind. Following the tradition of open world gameplay and the go wherever do whatever you want gameplay is Fallout 3. The game itself in terms of graphics is stunning. There are so many objects on the screen at once and houses and buildings are filled with assortments. Within all this polish are some issues as well. Coming across as floating rocks, Stiff character animations, and some slowdowns in the frame rate. Texture pop up can also be an issue. Non of these really take away from the overall experience.

Audio:

The sound design is also top notch. Voice overs are very well done too. Every gun sounds different in the game from the blast of a shotgun to the discharge of an laser Rifle. There are alot radio stations you can listen to. Which plays music from the 50s and also a violin station. The score adds to the suspense and high flying action with haunting music hitting at all the right times.

Gameplay/Controls:

One of the major selling points of the game is the V.A.T.S. or Vault Tech Assistant Targeting System. With a weapon equiped you simply target an enemy, select a body part, the watch the slow motion kill cam. This is where the game gets very graphic in terms of violence and blood. With heads exploding and organs falling out. Parents be warned THIS IS NOT A GAME FOR KIDS!!! The language is very harsh too. There is a huge selection of weapons and types. Anyone who played Oblivion should feel welcome here. You can finish the main quest in about 20-30 hours but exploring every thing will go well past 100 hours.

*****Be warned after completing the main quest the game ENDS you cant play anymore. So if you want to get the most out of the game try doing some side quests in between main objectives. They can be very rewarding*****

*****Also be sure to save often, while rare there are some game ending glitches. I would recommend having at least 5 saves per character and to save every to minutes to avoid this*****

Overall this game gets a 10/10 With the extra downloadable content coming in the future it adds more to the score.

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Great game, well designed, and very fun.

I suggest this game to anyone who is a fan of either FPS or RPG.

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This game is everything I hoped it would be and more!!! As a big fan of Fallout I & II, I eagerly anticipated this game like crazy and it was absolutely worth the wait! If you like first person shooters and role playing games, you will probably LOVE this game!!!

I noticed a lot of people are complaining about about needing a place to sleep and having trouble getting enough money to buy everything they need. My husband and I didn't really have that problem, but then again we also have the strategy guide which I HIGHLY recommend for everyone who wants to enjoy this game to it's fullest extent. There's a certain quest that once completed gives you your own apartment to live in which instantly solves the lack of a bed to sleep in problem and you can solve the quest somewhat early in the game. As far as people complaining about having trouble getting enough money for everything they want and need in the game, it's a HUGE WORLD and there are tons and tons of places and opportunities to collect/scavenge for items all over the map so finding things to sell for money to buy other things isn't that hard (and it's one of my favorite things to do in the game!).

There are no words to express how entertaining this game can be. If you love first person shooters and RPGs, definitely give this game a try. In my opinion, it's worth every penny for it and the strategy guide! I must warn you though, it can be very addictive!!! I can't stop playing it and I very rarely get sucked into playing any games anymore so that's saying something!!!

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I always read bad reviews first, just to see what people say about a game. In this case, the worst reviews are people who either have system issues (of which I've had none and neither has anyone else I know, possibly a PC issue) or people who simply had no idea what they were getting into.

Let's be upfront here: Fallout 3 is a massive, deep, and involved game. If you'd never played open-ended games, and like very linear approaches, this game might not be for you. The biggest problem I've had so far is that there is simply so much going on and so much for you to do it's probably impossible to do everything in one play through. But that's hardly a problem.

The game has an excellent story, really top notch graphics (at least the environment), perfect sound (both music and sound effects), and a ton of replay value. While you can focus on the main story and be done in 25-30 hours, its really difficult not to get pulled off path just to explore or help any of the people who ask for it. The game world is rendered very well and feels alive, which is exactly the point of an RPG.

I highly recommend this game, but know what you are buying before you do. Read the various commercial reviews if possible, but I couldn't recommend this game more. I will be trolling the Capitol Wasteland for some time...

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Seriously is one of the best games I ever played..

Make sure you don't focus on main storyline though some people have said it is kind of short, Im 12 hours in feel like I haven't even dented it's surface.

this game is HUGE

Do sidequest, explore, everything is rewarding.

BUY THIS.

NUFF SAID

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This is the best RPG title I have ever played on the XBOX 360. I am blown away, Bethesda YOU GUYS are out of this world!! I mean Oblivion was awesome but even that game pales in comparison to this. A word of warning though; this game is not for everyone, especially not for kids. It is a very dark game with some really serious themes. It makes you pause and think about the nature of humanity and possibility of a horrific future. So if you are mature enough and have moved beyond playing super mario, this game is for you. It is something to be experienced.

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This is the best game I have played so far and I recommend it to anyone who likes to play RPGs or strategy games.

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Greatest game on the Xbox 360 to date. There are so many places to explore, missions to complete, and people to talk to. This game can keep you occupied for months. You can rush through the main story in about 15-20 hours, depending on how determined you are. However, the game does not continue after the final mission is completed, so create a save before the final mission so you can continue playing after you beat it. This game IS NOT OBLIVION. I don't know why people keep saying that. There are a few things that are similar to Oblivion, but so many more that are different. The next time you're at the store just buy it. Don't think, just buy it. You'll be glad you did.

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Loving every bit of this game so far. Haven't tried the expansions yet, but so far loving what i'm playing now. i wish the cities where larger with more to do, but in post apocalyptica, i guess its being realistic? anyway, nice one bethesda.

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This game is without a doubt the best game I have ever played. I have spent over 100 recorded hours playing it! It is well, well, worth the money you will spend to buy it. I recommend this game to anyone wo enjoys any sort of video game! Non-predictable and very very entertaining. Keeps you on edge, allows you full freedom to be whatever type of person you want. It's a game that you will play over and over and over. And for an ever better experience downloading the broken steel expansion pack will allow you to continue playing and give you more quests for the main story. Me and my boyfriend are obsessed with it and we've yet to get bored with this game!

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This is the most amazing, most stunning game i have played since i got my 360. Endless Gameplay, awesome graphics, and just an amazing game over all. For those who say that this game is just oblivion with guns... that is only true to some extent. It is an RPG, like Oblivion, and it does have guns, so is that necessarily a bad thing? The only weak part of this game is the shooting, which is still some of the best. V.A.T.S., Pip boy and all other game features are much better than i first expected them to be.

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