Of Deathclaws & Radscorpions: A Fallout Thread

2008 has been an INCREDIBLE year for games

It was essentially Fallout 1.5, but the original formula was good enough that I didn't really care.

OTM. Also bear in mind that Fallout 2 came out EXACTLY one year to the day after Fallout, so they were pretty crammed for time to push it out.

I wouldn't be too bothered about the online fan stuff, what do you expect? It's a deservedly beloved game from a decade ago - add the nostalgia and the internet, you get the expected pre-reaction to a game that hasn't even come out yet. As for me I'm probably going to wait until it drops low enough in price, likely next year.

current list of reviews (copied from elsewhere):

PC Gamer France, 93% - Good variety of quests, lots of replayability

PC Gamer Sweden, 81% - VATS is nice, but there is too much content in a game world that is too small, NPCs feel lifeless

PC Gamer UK, 90% - Excellent dialogue, combat, depth and minigames, but MQ is shortish and it's easy to miss things if you're not paying attention

GMC Italy, 9/10 - Good atmosphere and turn-based combat, lackluster AI and mini-games

OXM '10' - "Between its engrossing story, ginormous world, well-crafted RPG side and white-knuckle FPS combat, Fallout 3 completely, utterly gives you your $60 worth."

Click! 8.75/10 - * Gameplay - 9.25 (Playability: 9.5, Longevity: 9.5, Variety: 9, AI: 9); * Graphics - 8.25 (Appearance: 8.5, Animations: 8 ); * Sound - 9.5 (Music: 9.5, Effects: 9.5); * Technical quality - 7.38 (Fluency: 7, Loading times: 8.5)

OXM UK - '9'

Score (Poland) - 93%

Level (Poland) - 10/10

PSM3 - 9/10 (PS3 version's graphics noticeably inferior to the PC and XBox 360 versions)

havent read any of the fan comments, but oblivion was a dogshit game by a dogshit developer (bethesda) so i can understand some frustration/pessimism by hardcore fans

The stuff that annoyed me was kinda:

fanboys: we want X in a Fallout game.
new review: "bethesda really captures X. blah blah. 9/10"
fanboys: another review purchased by Bethesda/Fallout is not even really about X, it's about Y
new review: "the A,B,C,D elements are fanastic. E falls kinda flat."
fanboys: GOOD JOB FUCKING UP E BETHESDA. LOL HI-FIVE GUYS.

Whatever dudes, have fun being miserable.

well to be fair, when's the last time a video game review meant shit to ANYONE? gaming journalism is uniformly dominated by tardbabies, i wouldn't trust a word of any of that shit

It's not really about the accuracy of Game Reviews, which admittedly is always suspect, it's the fact that negative news = shining truth, positive news = ignored or total bullshit. I mean, I'm not really surprised by this, it's your typically repellent fanboy mindset, but still that shit never ceases to get on my nerves.

OK I FEEL U NOW N/H

"The Fallout 3 team's hometown Best Buy in Rockville, Md. will serve as the flagship location of the midnight events, with special festivities including game kiosks, giveaways, contests, and a live broadcast from the event with DC 101 FM. Game director Todd Howard will be on-hand along with other key members of the development team to sign copies of the game and chat with fans. In addition to the Rockville event, 11 Best Buy stores across the country will be hosting special midnight sales events."

I'll feel like a total nerd, but I'm probably going to that Rockville event. It's only like 20 minutes away.

nice little retrospective up on gametrailers for those who can't be bother playing through fallouts 1/2

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/42026.html

WHAT DO YOU MEAN "CAN'T BE BOTHERED", YOU SONUVA-- actually, that video is a pretty good recap. (Though I disagree about FO2 being significantly harder - it was much longer but also had many more opportunities to buff your character, much better party AI, etc.) The only thing is at the end, the weird thing about the Fallout license is that I believe it is now wholly owned by Bethesda. Interplay is actually licensing it from them to make the Fallout MMO, paying Bethesda royalties on it.

Bankruptcy is a bitch, but from what I understand Interplay brought it on themselves.

Just preordered Fallout 3 an hour or two ago. Do we have a special thread for F3?

reviews are out!

another 10/10 in EG!

http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=270173

I met the developers last night! Nice guys. Game is awesome so far despite weird little things. Animation is awkward and comical sometimes. Combat can get a little wonky. I killed a guard with one bb to the chest (?) and enemies don't really react to getting shot. Only 3 hours in. Spent most of my time wandering around a town chatting with people. Can't wait to get back to it.

http://www.thejhohcableshow.com/pix/1219157885484.jpg

i really love this so far.

Started last night. I found the first hour and a half or so in the vault pretty clunky & kind of boring (in retrospect). I've just stepped outside and already it feels better. I'm hopeful things will pick up from here.

Just got this. I'd be interested in someone selecting certain post-war pop tunes as a 2ndary soundtrack. I'd ask ILM for their own tracklist suggestions, but...you know.

How long you think it'll be before someone cobbles together their own pipboy with some wrist straps and an iphone? maybe 12 hours or so?

if I had this on 360 I would probably set up an all-dub playlist for it with like all the early 80s scientist records as a starting point

Is it true that certain people in DC have been unnerved by the promo adverts showing a destroyed capitol?

Yep, it's been boingboinged.
Now that I just got past my first (wounded) deathclaw and marauded the shopping center, I got to say this is so addictive and fun and engaging. Improved Oblivion basically with a much more agoraphobic and nihilistic setting. I've been real happy with the pirate radio on the PIPboy, but I suppose I should put together a thirties soundtrack of swing/jive/pop for backup. Will post here once I've created.

You know what had some great music that would probably fit into the Fallout setting? The Bioshock Licensed Soundtrack.

Heh. True.

I'm zipping a disc of thirties and forties mood music; a bit more diverse than what Bioshock and Fallout offer, but a good time nonetheless: Gene Autry, Raymond Scott (Dinner Music for a Pack of Hungry Cannibals, duh), Billie Holiday, Betty Hutton, Louis Jordan, Nat King Cole, The Carter Family, The Five Jinks, Doris Day and more! It's just long enough to be ripped to a disc and then put on your 360 HD for fallout fun. I'll post briefly.

Here go; it's quickly thrown together, but not bad for a half hour of track pickin':
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=WOSUBSQ5
I'd be curious to hear how this sits.

Btw, I finally beat that bastard GTA IV mission. (off-topic)

Congrats!
I need some DC folk to let me know how true this hews to actual topography/landmarks.

Ok, so this is scarily addictive and ridiculously fucking awesome so far. I've already logged 20 hours (school and work obligations gonna nail me next week). Haven't even really touched the main quest yet. The sidequests are mostly excellent and feature a surprising amount of different outcomes. The game feels huge but not stretched thin. The replay value I imagine is ridiculous. I'm super impressed overall, it's worthy of the Fallout name.

i definitely agree with the scarily addictive tag. first time in a long time that i've done that thing where i thought 10 minutes had past and it was an hour. so far i am impressed but not yet blown away. when i first arrived at Megaton and did my early exploring it really did feel like i was just back playing Oblivion, but the more i play it the less i find i can rely on the tactics and the approach i used playing that game, which i am very pleased about.

forks, have i told you recently that i love you? thanks for sharing :D

^co-sign; awesome upload forks, have been listening to all morning while staring wistfully at my unopened copy of fallout 3 and weeping

glad you like it; I went heavy on the morbid. Let me know what it's like to kill wasters while listening to strange fruit.

thanks for that soundtrack forks! it's great.

the only problem with listening to good music when playing video games is that for the rest of your life you will associate those songs with playing a video game and to me that is depressing

Not if the game's good!

Yeah! For me, GTA III and "Penny Lane" are inextricably linked.

blue suburban skies indeed

i find it kind of grim

I have a permanent link with the original Tomb Raider and Substance 1987 by New Order. Still don't know how I feel about that.

Large chunks of Stankonia are forever linked to FFTactics.

according to experts.

So forks, is there a way to play this inside the game (like as one of the radio stations), or do I just need to stream it through the XBOX?

Continued off-topic: (Computer World and Super R-Type for me)

You would want to rip it to your hard drive and then stream through xbox, yes.
The further I get into this game the more vast it feels. Just got a house with requisite robot butler and am on the third chapter of Moira's crazy book and am ready to take some time off from that particular quest batch. I can't walk out the door without some oddball thing happening: robot firing lasers at me, three man merc hitsquad after my bounty, giant crab men chasing me down the street, fire ants that breathe actual fire, mine infested bridges... it's always something new!
I am regularly struck by how uncomfortable I am killing folks who've set up little shelters under bridges or in utility sheds; they see me running up the hill with an assault rifle and of course they're going to start firing. Then I kill them and take all their stuff. And _I_ get the good karma?

Thank god for fast travel.

You would want to rip it to your hard drive and then stream through xbox, yes.

I play my music via an external hard drive using the USB port in the back.

whoa Forks you just made this game sound superb

haha he really did.

I'll make a second disc of this stuff if it's that welcome.

Anybody else notice that the "at-rest" theme background music in the overworld is a direct lift of the theme from Roy Budd's 'Get Carter'?
Compare:

pls make a second disc, if it's not much trouble (not that I've been able to play the game). I'm just greedy : )

I merged your unOST w/the bioshock OST for a slightly less morbid fallout 3 megamix