10-29-2008, 07:55 AM
Well.
I knew I was going to be impressed but damn.
#1: The opening is fantastic. It lays a great foundation for the story while doing an excellent job of familiarizing you with the control system. The G.O.A.T. is an interesting concept...it's a series of multiple choice "What would you do" questions that determines your skill points. You can still change your skill point spread, of course, but this is a neat way to do it.
#2: The combat system ain't bad. If you're so persuaded, you can run through like a standard FPS, and probably not miss anything. But if you're a veteran fallout player, the VATS system is pretty sweet, and a great way to take a look at your combat situation, and make aimed shots to cripple or kill an enemy. I do wish there were some kind of weapons-cycle hotkey or at least the ability to change a weapon quickly. The PIP-Boy system to change stuff works OK, but something a little quicker would have been nice.
#3: There are kids! And drugs! And prostitutes! (No prostitute kids on drugs though, at least that I could find.) I always thought this was one of the really neat things about Fallout/Fallout 2. You play GTA, and you wonder what kind of amazing birth control is in the Liberty City water, because there aren't any kids around. Fallout wasn't afraid to address the fact that the world's a tough place, and after a nuclear war it'd be even tougher, especially for kids. It was edgy then, and it works now too.
#4: Man, it's beautiful. I was always pretty captivated by the Oblivion engine anyway, but this goes above and beyond. It's gorgeous.
I only played it for about an hour last night before the Caps game, but I seriously considered calling in sick today just to spend the day at home with a bag of chips and a 2 liter of 'dew. It's that good. Even after only playing for an hour and only barely making it out of the Vault, I can already see that there's going to be a second playthrough in my future. There are just too many choices to make to only be satisfied with one playthrough. I was hoping this would be the case, as I so rarely buy brandy-new games, but I think I'll probably get my money's worth. I did this with Mass Effect, and I think it'll work just as well here. Going to go through first as a fine, upstanding, champion of the poor and downtrodden paladin, and then maybe I'll be just a really cruel dickhead the second time through.
Even based on an hour of play, I highly recommend it. If even close to the same amount of thought went into the rest of the game as the first hour, I can't think of a better way to spend 60 bucks. (Or 50, if you've got a ballsy enough PC.) It isn't perfect, and it isn't for everyone, but if the idea of it intrigues you even a little, I think you owe it to yourself to buy.
I knew I was going to be impressed but damn.
#1: The opening is fantastic. It lays a great foundation for the story while doing an excellent job of familiarizing you with the control system. The G.O.A.T. is an interesting concept...it's a series of multiple choice "What would you do" questions that determines your skill points. You can still change your skill point spread, of course, but this is a neat way to do it.
#2: The combat system ain't bad. If you're so persuaded, you can run through like a standard FPS, and probably not miss anything. But if you're a veteran fallout player, the VATS system is pretty sweet, and a great way to take a look at your combat situation, and make aimed shots to cripple or kill an enemy. I do wish there were some kind of weapons-cycle hotkey or at least the ability to change a weapon quickly. The PIP-Boy system to change stuff works OK, but something a little quicker would have been nice.
#3: There are kids! And drugs! And prostitutes! (No prostitute kids on drugs though, at least that I could find.) I always thought this was one of the really neat things about Fallout/Fallout 2. You play GTA, and you wonder what kind of amazing birth control is in the Liberty City water, because there aren't any kids around. Fallout wasn't afraid to address the fact that the world's a tough place, and after a nuclear war it'd be even tougher, especially for kids. It was edgy then, and it works now too.
#4: Man, it's beautiful. I was always pretty captivated by the Oblivion engine anyway, but this goes above and beyond. It's gorgeous.
I only played it for about an hour last night before the Caps game, but I seriously considered calling in sick today just to spend the day at home with a bag of chips and a 2 liter of 'dew. It's that good. Even after only playing for an hour and only barely making it out of the Vault, I can already see that there's going to be a second playthrough in my future. There are just too many choices to make to only be satisfied with one playthrough. I was hoping this would be the case, as I so rarely buy brandy-new games, but I think I'll probably get my money's worth. I did this with Mass Effect, and I think it'll work just as well here. Going to go through first as a fine, upstanding, champion of the poor and downtrodden paladin, and then maybe I'll be just a really cruel dickhead the second time through.
Even based on an hour of play, I highly recommend it. If even close to the same amount of thought went into the rest of the game as the first hour, I can't think of a better way to spend 60 bucks. (Or 50, if you've got a ballsy enough PC.) It isn't perfect, and it isn't for everyone, but if the idea of it intrigues you even a little, I think you owe it to yourself to buy.
1987 Oldsmobile Cutlass 442