Reviews// Fallout 3

Neeson is responsible for the character who gives your character's entire life (and therefore, game) story its meaning. He's your dad, and it's your role to hunt him down once you're away from Vault 101. I hope that isn't giving too much away.

So, we're out and about in the PADFistic game-world. Now, here in the SPOnG office we have a number of people who are hung up on graphics. They have pointed out to me that the movements of the protagonist bear a striking resemblance to those seen in PS2 games. In short, on both consoles, the third-person view does not bear any kind of comparison with, for example, Snake in MGS4 or Mr Bellic in GTA IV. It also has to be said that the PS3 version does suffer from some hideous anti-aliasing in the environment, while the occasional piece of log or rock or plank popping-up and then telescoping as you draw away from it doesn't help matters.

But guess what? The game world is also not brown, ochre or grey. That's what I said. The palette of this game diverges from what I've become used to in other PS3 and 360 titles in that it uses colours.

It must also be said that I am far, far more concerned with game-play, and by a game actually delivering on promises like 'open world' and 'expansive' and 'forking story' than I am about whether it looks like a whore in rogue's make-up. Frankly, it was only because of other SPOnGers standing around me saying, “God that looks rubbish” that I emerged from the game itself and said, “Sure. It doesn't look perfect”. I then put my head down and got back onto using a control system that, for me, is one of the most enjoyable I've used in years.

That could have been the killer for FO3 because it's a mix of good, old, robust RPG stats and inventory balancing with an out-and-out first and third-person shooter. The former I've long been able to contend with (going back to too many hours with paper systems). With regard to the latter I've always been a little slow of hand and wit to be called expert. Like walking or drinking ale, it takes me slightly longer than other people to swivel, look up and left, select the correct weapon and take a head-shot accurately.

So, the introduction of a pseudo turn-based targeting system could almost have been written for me. The V.A.T.S. (Vaultec Automatic Targeting System as far as I'm concerned) has been a source of some contention among those gamers who see it as making life just too simple. It's also been criticised for being PC rather than console in nature.