I purchased Fallout 3 the day it came out. I had not heard much about the game other than a recommendation from a friend who has played the entire Fallout series and thought that i would like it. The point that persuaded me was when i was told by another friend that it uses the Oblivion engine. I became addicted to Oblivion when it came out and was excited for a game with similar play and feel but otherwise totally different.
Lets start with the obvious differences; Oblivion is a fantasy based game that mixes the RPG side of games like Neverwinter Nights 2 with a FPS. It is based in it’s own world, with it’s own races, classes, etc. Fallout 3 is based in post-apocalyptic Washington DC. You are a human (your only choice to start) and you have no special abilities.
Many aspects of the games are similar, the controls, the leveling and feats. I am having a tough time deciding which one i prefer more though. I thought it would be Fallout hands-down, but i feel myself wanting to play Oblivion again. I’ll go over a few things with some screenshots for clarification (and something to look at).
Graphics
Having not played Oblivion in a while, and not on my 8800GT, i still recall the graphics as being stunning. Im going to give Fallout the benifit of the doubt because it has 2-3 years on Oblivion and the graphics had BETTER be improved.
Here are some examples of characters:
Also here is a Fallout horizon and an Oblivion sunset.
Gameplay
Gameplay in each are very similar. There is one defining characteristic that sets Fallout apart though. This is the use of VATS which is reminiscent of the slowtime in Max Payne. This allows you to basically pause the game in combat and select which part of an enemy you would like to shoot. There are many factors that go into this and just because you want a head shot doesn’t mean you are always going to hit.
There are some things that were changed from Oblivion that i think was for the worse. My major beef right now is with lock picking. In Oblivion it was quite a challenge. However with Fallout it is a joke. I have picked ~30 locks and broke 2-3 bobbypins. In Oblivion i remember i couldnt get enough picks.
Much more to say, but that shall come later (possibly…)