Ephemeris of the Mind (Game Review) Fallout 3
Time to read: 4 min read
Game Cover
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Past Fallout review:
Platform played on: Xbox 360, PC
Review
Fallout 3 takes place in a world ravaged by nuclear war. You play as a resident of a vault, an underground bunker constructed to protect its inhabitants from the nuclear wasteland. One day, your father leaves the vault and you follow in his footsteps in order to understand why he left.
I first bought this game in middle school, but I could never get past the janky ragdoll death scenes and the rough aesthetics of the characters. After returning to this game in high school, my perception of it has changed completely and it’s now one of my favourite RPGs because of its depth, both in the gameplay and in the lore.
Unlike the original Fallout, Fallout 3 can be played in either first- or third-person. The depth of gameplay is vastly expanded, from the detailed character progression, to the different gear and weapons which can be found, to the revamped V.A.T.S. system which introduces turn-based combat elements. The depth of gameplay allows for great flexibility in how a player wants to play Fallout 3. Furthermore, the setting of the game, the Capital Wasteland (a ruined version of Washington, DC), is huge and extremely detailed. There are hundreds of marked and unmarked locations with their own unique lore and layout. This also isn’t a case of quantity over quality; the lore is actually really good and oftentimes fits into a larger narrative. I often find myself reading up on the different locations on the wiki after exploring them, as there is just so much lore scattered around in the form of notes and voice recordings. The different lores are often dark and macabre, and are some of the best sci-fi post-apocalyptic stories I’ve come across.
EDIT (January 14, 2023): There is now a new independent Fallout wiki.
Exploring the Capital Wasteland
Conclusion
Some of the best lore in gaming.
Overall rating: 9.3
DLC Reviews
There are five DLCs which were released for the game. Each of the DLCs are unique and add to the game, although some more than others.
Operation: Anchorage
This DLC mostly takes place in a simulation of the alternate historical event where the US Army takes back Anchorage, Alaska, from Chinese forces. The player plays a member of the US Army and has to complete specific objectives, such as clearing different locations. The gameplay is stripped down to navigating linear levels and fighting Chinese forces. The DLC gameplay feels much more like a first- or third-person shooter rather than an RPG. While it’s certainly unique, this DLC is not as good as the main Fallout 3 game.
Overall rating: 7.3
The Pitt
The next DLC takes place in post-apocalyptic Pittsburgh, where the entire (sane) population of humans consist of slavers and slaves. The player is swept up in the conflict between slavers and slaves, and can choose to side with either faction. The new location is rich in new lore, which is rooted in real-life Pittsburgh history (such as being the center of steel manufacturing in the US). This DLC is a solid addition to the main game.
Overall rating: 8.2
Broken Steel
This DLC continues the main storyline and adds both new story and additional player level progression. The player now joins the Brotherhood of Steel’s assault on the remainder of the Enclave forces. The story negates the original ending of the game but the additional level progression (lifting the level cap from 20 to 30) is very welcome. Hitting level 20 is very quick in the game, so having the additional level progression keeps the game more interesting. The DLC also showcases the results of the player’s actions from the main story, which I found very interesting.
Overall rating: 8.4
Point Lookout
This DLC takes place in the Point Lookout State Park in Maryland. This swampy locale is huge and features many interesting locations and characters. This is probably my favourite Fallout 3 DLC. The Lovecraftian atmosphere and storyline are creepy and very interesting to explore. Point Lookout feels like a smaller version of Fallout 3, bursting with dark humour and filled with explorable locales.
Overall rating: 8.8
Mothership Zeta
The fifth and final DLC is out of this world, literally. This DLC takes place aboard an alien spaceship, where the player battles aliens and meets diverse characters kidnapped by the aliens over the centuries. The story is actually pretty solid and the aesthetics are reminiscent of a vintage sci-fi movie. The levels are a tad repetitive, though.