Reviews// Fallout 3

A quick side-problem here. The maps - both local and world, although more especially the local one – are only vaguely useful. I found that I was actively mislead on a couple of occasions by the local map apparently indicating a long hallway in front, despite the bloody huge wall that was actually there.

Back to your decision – and my love for this game which occasionally reminded me of the first time I played Doom (or, more accurately, Ultima Underworld). After making brain interact with environment, inventory and skills you defeat the super mutants or insane people or raiders or any of the other character types that are out to get you. Surely, you feel, this must lead to a prize of monumental proportions. Maybe a bobblehead (the ownership of which is of enormous benefit to your well-being) or a huge stash of ammo? Maybe an ally! Possibly a stimpak or some more whisky to help with your habit.

In many other video games, you will be right. Inevitably you will be right. In Fallout 3, not so much. You search filing cabinets, boxes, tins, behind doors, inside bodies. All are empty or contain items that could potentially be of use but probably are not – and which will weigh you down anyway.

You put all that effort in; you deflect yourself from your main or sub-quest (easily selectable by the way – like everything else) only to discover very little indeed.

You exit the cave, building, vault, house... near-as-damn it empty-handed and demoralised. Then you level up!

All that activity has paid off. You set off again, having sorted your inventory properly; re-selected a quest; repaired some weaponry; armed with slightly more experience.

Alternatively you do gain a single-item prize...

Bear in mind that all of that had nothing whatsoever to do with the main 'game' and the revelation (or not – I'm not spoiling here) at the end. All of that was simply playing a video game – a single-player game.

That was all about the action. Now for the tricky issues of 'forking story' and 'moral/ethical choices'. I opted to play as a girl; I like to experience new things. I also opted to give this girl, let's call her Zuzu, shoes so goody that she could be called “Little Ms Goody-Eight-Shoes”.

Like GTA IV before it, I also wanted to play through with a minimum of actual violence against my fellow PADFristic Washingtonian residents, be they man, woman or beast (or ghoul or bloatfly). Having been particularly decadent and selfish in real life, I wanted much karma (yes, karma is there to be had or lost). This meant that even when confronted by an easy lock to pick to gain entrance to a location that just reeked of experience points, I would not pick that lock. Given the opportunity to insult someone rather than be pleasant to them, I'd choose the latter. Yeah, I was going to play this game in such a sickeningly sweet way that the NPCs would create a canal of vomit for me to travel along to ultimate victory.