FO3 feels exactlly like Oblivion - a hands-on preview

[Chimera]

What I find most irksome is the lack of internal consistency.

For instance, the premise is that the vault from which you "escape," number 101, was never intended to be left and you are actually born inside. As such, we can infer that you have no prior knowledge of the former outside world and are unlikely to have been educated regarding it... yet, on leaving the vault you can "find an old leaf blower, combine it with a lawnmower blade and create your own portable rocket launcher."
Would ANYONE care to take a stab at explaining that one?

Honestly, even were such a thing possible (the rocket-launching capabilities of a leaf blower have never been readily apparent to me), how would a vault-dwelling citizen know how to construct such a thing? Is 101 the survivalist-horticulturist's bunker?

EDIT:
I generally attempt to refrain from obvious remarks like this one, but really, how daft are the authors of this puff-piece?

"Like Oblivion you'll only realise [sic] how incredible Fallout 3 is when your character starts to develop...and you're powerful enough to explore the really interesting parts of the map."

Wait, could you run that by me again? Like Oblivion? Is this the same Oblivion in which your character could "explore the really interesting parts of the map" after having developed to the incredible level of 2? You know, the game where you could beat every quest, conquer every challenge and head every guild at that same exact level?

 

[elander_]

We find the hostages, rescue them, lead them back to Bigtown and receive our reward. If you want to refuse your reward,

LOL Oblivion improved to the level of Neverwinter Nights choices and consequences.

In fact, at times it feels exactly like Oblivion in terms of mission structure and the way you navigate the world. We loved Oblivion so we aren't complaining, but if you found Cyrodiil's vast openness daunting or the RPG mechanics too complicated, Fallout 3 might not be the game for you. Especially since the game is ten times as customisable.

Customization doesn't increase complexity for the player neither adding more gameplay. It only gives him more ways to things your style for customization and have more fun with more gameplay. For example kill with conventional guns or energy guns. This is well know for anyone with a basic knowledge on usability.

 

[barker_s]

Supermutants - giant, violent monsters spawned from the fallout of the nuclear war

ummm, wat?

So, FEV is not canon anymore? I wonder if that's just this guy's ignorance, or Bethesduh are really pissing all over the setting.

Oh, and another brilliant piece from the article:

until a Deathclaw - a monster mutated from a grizzly bear - tears it into pieces

Seriously guys, wtf?

 

[theverybigslayer]

Like Volourn said, modern games are better than ancient ones, so Fallout3 > Fallout1

 

[Vault Dweller]

Of course it is. It has better graphics.

Todd Howard: "I'm a firm believer that better graphics make a better experience!"

 

[gamefan]

Graphics do help, but game play is more important.

 

[Black]

Graphics do help, but game play is more important.

No, it's not. Shut up. You obviously know nothing. Just ask Todd.

 

[Volourn]

"Like Volourn said, modern games are better than ancient ones, so Fallout3 > Fallout1"

FAIL

 

[Vault Dweller]

Attack of the plants:

http://www.nma-fallout.com/forum/viewto ... 600#509600

Hey alright I joined the forums just to post in this topic. First off, like most people here Fallout 2 is really my all time favorite game, I would rank Xenogears above it in terms of uh, favorisity? But all in all I don't think I've plugged more hours into a single player game than I have Fallout 2. So many fond memories.

I guess I am nearly alone on this forum because I am one of the select few that really liked Oblivion. I played it almost nonstop for a good week before I finished it, completely circumventing the main quests to do all of the assassin and thief guild related quests. The gameplay never got boring to me, while it doesn't have the replayability that Fallout 2 has (Oh man the first time I discovered Skynet was in the game (The only party member I never had previously) I immediately made a new character just to put some in that science skill.

But now I'm rambling, I guess my point is, Oblivion was a rock-solid game and Bethesda is one of the most consistently overly positive reviewed developers out there, and Fallout 2 is one of my favorite games ever made so Fallout 3 is nothing but the single gaming event I am looking forward to this year. (Since Age of Conan was well, complete shit and blue shells are freaking gay in Mario Kart)

But for all you naysayers, I just have to say it is waaaay to early to judge a game. And just because you don't like certain elements that a developer is putting in doesn't mean you have to call it bargain bin material or complete crap. That is just jumping to an entirely irrational decision just to keep your own pride and seem cool because you don't conform to modern gaming changes. Obviously this isn't going to be a trash game, obviously it is going to be hugely successful simply because it has the name Bethesda attached to it and has had a strong cult following for the prequels, which are probably the most underrated games of all time. Robot horse? Who the hell cares? If a freaking robot horse is a game ruiner for you than that means you are straight up looking for a reason to hate a game.

I can't defend Fallout 3 yet, I have not put my hands on it for a full playthough. But for that exact same reason I don't think you can slam it, because all that makes you seem is a lil arrogant and probably an interwebz douchebag.

This is a massive wall o text and more than I was aiming to write, so a "too long didn't read" might be completely deserving, but all I can say is that the article has gotten me so pumped for Fallout 3 that I cannot wait for the day my Pip Boy alarm clock arrives at my door.

 

[fastpunk]

until a Deathclaw - a monster mutated from a grizzly bear - tears it into pieces

Umm, yes, of course... I can see the similarities...

Q: Do you have an underlying message in Fallout 3 - apocalyptic movies and books usually do...

A: Different people sacrifice different things to survive, and blowing them into bloody-chunks is often hilarious.

Someone deserves a big fat dumbfuck award!

 

[jaylittle]

Holy shit. This game might actually be worse than I thought. Wow.

 

[JarlFrank]

"Like Volourn said, modern games are better than ancient ones, so Fallout3 > Fallout1"

FAIL

It's nice that you finally realize how something you said was absolute fail.

 

[Badgermaster]

If you thought seeing the Imperial City in Oblivion was a 'wow' moment, this will blow you away.

If you thought seeing the Imperial City in Oblivion was a 'wow' moment, odds are you'd be mesmerized for hours by a ball of tinfoil.

 

[obediah]

Of course it is. It has better graphics.

Todd Howard: "I'm a firm believer that better graphics make a better experience!"

I don't get it. Maybe this quote is more offensive in context, but on it's own it's just a simple statement that nearly everyone would agree with. Even us old fucks that haven't bought a graphics card in 5 years, will play our old games in EGA instead of CGA when available.

 

[Ausir]

Problem is, Bethesda believes in good graphics with inferior art. Oblivion has better graphics than Morrowind, but Morrowind definitely has better art.

As for FO3 dialogues, I'd love to tell you all about them, but I'm under NDA.

 

[Badgermaster]

Problem is, Bethesda believes in good graphics with inferior art. Oblivion has better graphics than Morrowind, but Morrowind definitely has better art.

Definitely.

Good art direction is more important than graphic quality, in my opinion. Good art direction also has longevity, whereas graphic quality is outdated every couple years.

 

[Araanor]

This might be dumber than Oblivion. Whoa.

 

[JarlFrank]

Also, Bethesda only put work in graphics that can be printed in magazines as screenshots - their animations always look clunky and suck. But oh, that doesn't matter as long as everything's shiny!

 

[fastpunk]

This might be dumber than Oblivion. Whoa.

Well, Bethesda's a always setting new standards.

 

[Brother None]

Uh, was the 'nuka-cola bottle caps as money' announced before? I must have missed it somewhere, but somehow I don't believe I could actually miss something that is so high on the retardometer.

Eh?

 

[Darth Roxor]

In what ways do you feel you've captured the minutiae of survival in a post-apocalyptic landscape - will the player have to search for food/shelter in the game?
I think it's the minutiae of the Fallout world. Say you are hurt in the game, and you come across a destroyed grocery store, and inside you find an old vending machine with some Nuka-Cola, you can drink the cola to heal yourself, but then the bottle cap also acts as the game's money. So you heal a bit and get a "cap" that you can use to trade. Just that tiny event is grounded in the reality of the world you're in.

 

[Ausir]

You do know that bottlecaps were the currency in Fallout 1?

 

[MetalCraze]

Uh, was the 'nuka-cola bottle caps as money' announced before? I must have missed it somewhere, but somehow I don't believe I could actually miss something that is so high on the retardometer.

Eh?

Fallout 1 is retarded

 

[Drog Black Tooth]

Personally, I find this Fallout 3 hype preposterous. Why there's no gameplay video yet? The game's mostly finished and should be in the last stages of beta testing already, I'd presume. It seems like they have nothing worthy to show off. And people on most forums (even on gamefaqs!) aren't looking forward to it. I'm not sure what audience they're targeting.

This very well could be the end for Bethesda.

 

[Darth Roxor]

Ok, my bad, crucify me, but I didn't quite play F1 much, but F2 had normal coins used as currency.

the idea of bottle caps as money is stupid anyway