You've probably read a lot about Fallout 3. Until you've actually played Fallout 3, however, you don't understand. You don't understand just how big the game feels, just how open the game seems and just how much freedom the game appears to offer.

We've only had four hours with the post-apocalyptic RPG and we're already overwhelmed. Although we have yet to complete a single mission or quest on the main storyline, we've already made dozens of momentous choices and altered the fate of the world and characters around us in irrevocable ways.

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Showing restraint, however, could reward you in other ways. Fallout 3 tracks your karma and reacts accordingly. Develop a bad enough reputation and the game’s good guys will send contract killers to take care of you. Develop a goodie-two-shoes reputation and bad guys might do the same.​