Into the Trenches

Over at Visual Crack I’ve started a series of posts based on my most anticipated games of the rest of this year. The first post concerns my most anticipated game, Fallout 3. Because I announced the posts on Visual Crack, I’ll continue to post them there first, but I’ll copy the posts over here, also, for those of you who don’t want to sift through all the other stuff we talk about over there or go to a completely different blog (though I would suggest you at least check out the parent blog; we’ve got lots of cool stuff there).

Without further ado, my Fallout 3 post from Visual Crack:

As a franchise much beloved by those who have played it, the news that Bethesda was taking over the development of Fallout 3 was greeted with great wariness on the web. Having never played any of the Fallout games myself I can’t really speak for those who were less than enthusiastic at this announcement.

What I can tell you is that my anticipation for this game was second only to GTA IV at the beginning of the year. Now I’m all about the Fallout.

The initial grab for me was the teaser trailer. There’s no game play, no action, I doubt it’s even a real cut scene from the game. But… wow. The music is a perfect contrast to the video and even for the game itself. The posters are reminiscent of the 50’s in their style, which makes sense due to that era really focusing the Cold War and, subsequently, nuclear holocaust on the American mind. At the end we are treated to a voice-over by none other than Ron Perlman, the man who did the voice-overs for all the Fallout games (and who is also responsible for a wicked cool portrayal of Hellboy on the silver screen).

From the reading I’ve done online a big fear among Fallout faithful has been that the most recent installment will be more FPS than RPG. I think this fear has been a big reason why Bethesda has been touting the new control scheme so heavily. You can’t read an article about Fallout 3 without hearing about V.A.T.S. (Vault-tec Assisted Targeting System). It’s sounding very much like an RPG with FPS elements (though Bethesda is careful to note they are not making an FPS and that you will have a hard time getting through the game if you choose to play it that way).

I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve never been particularly big on playing RPGs. Turn-based systems drive me crazy mostly because I’m not the type of person that likes to wait and exchange hits. The closest I can come to dealing with a turn-based system is playing World of Warcraft. I know video game nerds everywhere will be outraged that the battle system is the main reason I refuse to play any Final Fantasy games. I tried to play Final Fantasy VII and couldn’t get past the first battle. I suck at turn-based games. I own it.

In any case, what I’ve seen of V.A.T.S. has me excited to give it a try. I’m really digging the news that you can shoot in real-time and go into V.A.T.S. for more precise targeting (though as with all turn-based games there is no guarantee you’ll actually get a hit).

The beloved character Dogmeat is also making an appearance. What’s so cool about that? Well, apparently you can tell Dogmeat to go find stuff you need and he’ll go find it. But, he doesn’t just disappear off-screen for a couple of seconds, then magically reappear with what you asked for. He could be gone for hours looking for the item you requested. It will definitely add an element of realism to the game. Let’s face it, when was the last time you looked for something that wasn’t readily available and found it right away?

The choices that you have to make in the game are interesting to say the least. The only example I’ve seen is enough to peak my interest immensely: You have to decide whether or not to activate a dormant nuclear bomb. If you activate the bomb you destroy Megaton, the town built around the bomb, effectively deleting any quests you could have done there. If you choose not to destroy Megaton you can’t do any of the quests associated with its destruction. The choices you make could drastically alter the outcome of the game, which Bethesda has said will include over 200 endings.

But the thing I’m most excited about at this point is the beginning of the game where you develop your character. You literally “grow up” learning what you need to know the play the game. Of all the games I’ve played that have tutorial levels this is, quite simply, the most original idea I’ve ever heard. From birth to the day you finally leave Vault 101 in search of your father you learn how the world of Fallout 3 works. On top of that, your choice in physical attributes will affect how your father looks, effectively creating a family resemblance. Very cool.

Given all that (and I’m sure there’s much more I haven’t written about) it should come as no surprise that this is my most anticipated game of the year. For up-to-date info check out the excellent Fallout 3: A Post Nuclear Blog. For pictures check out the gallery.