Fallout 3 is a good game and I write this in complete sincerity. One should approach a playthrough of this game much differently than they would with a playthrough of Fallout: New Vegas. This is because the latter is a traditional RPG while the former, despite being marketed as an RPG, is more of an action-adventure dungeon crawler with light RPG elements. Both of these games are good games but have vastly different appeal. What can be expected from Fallout 3 is an extremely amusing journey through a wonderfully crafted post-apocalyptic DC with a satisfying gameplay loop.
The reason why I discount role-playing in this game is that it’s something possible only in theory. You ARE presented with choices throughout the game (when the game isn’t forcing you to side with a particular faction or complete a quest in a certain way) and there are plenty of opportunities to define your character as an individual yet most of what this game has to offer is only available by playing a certain way; that is, in adherence to Bethesda Morality. Take on armies of slavers single-handedly with very little incentive to do so! Protect destitute sheepish wastelanders from armed gangs! Clear out an entire city block filled with fire ants along with an entire nest of them just because some random orphan asked you too! These are just a few examples of the silly situations the game thrusts upon the Lone Wanderer and not choosing the ethical option will effectively see you missing out on most of the game’s content. The game’s karma system is equally silly. A few egregious examples of it would be the time I lost karma for shooting a wastelander who dared me to shoot him and defending my home at Tenpenny Tower from ghouls who intended to launch an assault on it. In my opinion, it’s best to just ignore the karma system altogether and when it comes to quests, just do whatever you find to be most amusing. Also, as many Serious Hat video essayists have so brilliantly pontificated about, the world of post-apocalyptic DC is not at all immersive, but in my opinion, this is a good thing. The world of Fallout 3 is genuinely hilarious and it’s as though everything in the original Fallout games that could be considered zany was dialed up exponentially. And of course this game has that old Bethesda charm which made their games so memorable. Nuka Cola is kino. Super mutants are kino. Killing super mutants is kino. Little Lamplight is kino. Harold the Tree is kino. Mothership Zeta is kino. Megaton is kino. Nuking Megaton is kino. Suffice to say, this game is quite the spectacle and will leave you wondering upon completion of a quest, what else is out there in the Capital Wasteland?
I feel as though that especially since the advent of Starfield, the older Bethesda games have come under a lot more scrutiny not just in terms of story and worldbuilding but gameplay too. Countless anecdotes found in youtube comments of people talking about how the game is literally (not metaphorically) unplayable have left me wondering, did they play the same game as I did? The build I chose at the start of the game prioritised strength and aptitude with multiple different weapon types so I’d always have a plethora of armaments at my disposal for whatever the Capital Wastelands had in store for me. It’s hard for gameplay to become dull and repetitive when you are constantly changing weapons. Blowing people’s heads off with a combat shotgun and VATS is also always a fun option. Bethesda created a truly epic world with the Capital Wasteland especially the inner city ruins and the abandoned metro system. The soundtrack composed by Inon Zur also does a great job immersing you in exploration. This may be a controversial take but I also quite like the level design in this game enough so to recommend this game as a dungeon crawler.
Overall, this game certainly isn’t a masterclass in terms of writing, completely lacking the severity such a setting should convey but nonetheless for the reasons I have outlined above, it has my recommendation and endorsement.