Bethesda - games for morons by morons

[ElPresidente]

Oh I know there is nothing wrong with that... just being facetious.

 

[King Crispy]

Yes.

So you finally admit it.

 

[elander_]

nothing wrong with that. its a good RPG in it's own right.

Only because these days retard writing is good.

 

[ElPresidente]

Only because these days retard writing is good.

Oh sweet irony. :D

 

[Claw]

Fuck, I just saw that blowing up Megaton turns (at least) one of its inhabitants into a ghoul. Fuck.

 

[Ladonna]

Bah. I'm enjoying it and I hated Oblivion.

I guess I'm a moron.

Of course this isn't to say that every second of play doesn't have me wishing Troika had made it instead. I miss them so much.

Care to give a full run down on what is good and bad then?

 

[DefJam101]

Fuck, I just saw that blowing up Megaton turns (at least) one of its inhabitants into a ghoul. Fuck.

Indiana Jones 4 logic?

 

[MasterSmithFandango]

Meh... I actually bought it today (I hate money, I guess) and played it until Megaton...

I don't think I really want to play it anymore. It was a chore to get that far. I mean, it's better than Oblivion, I suppose, but that's not an impressive feat.

 

[ushdugery]

It's no longer about making good rpg's just wait for the industry to fall apart around you and make poor to average rpg's and you'll be lauded as a genius instead of competing with actually talented developers.

 

[1eyedking]

SO, what's the end result?

- more retarded games with no more than 3 dialogue options
- that are pussy good/just good/and retarded evil aligned
- low-level fantasy setting - like more knights worshipping God of Steel and fighting orcs with flaming swords!
- More than one ending - when you multiply 'retarded' what do you get?

If anything the success of FO3 will tell dumb publishers that old licenses can still be raped for good money.

Bingo.

 

[shihonage]

Man, when I started up Fallout3 my impressions were negative, then positive when I just got outside, but then negative when I walked around a bit (REALLY SLOWLY), got attacked by monsters that blend in with the monotone scenery, and listened to some absolutely retarded voice acting on the Enclave Radio.

I have no desire to continue playing this game now... I guess I just needed to buy it so I don't feel like an ignorant jackass.

 

[ElPresidente]

Oh come on the game is not that big a chore. If your quitting before hitting Megaton... well... I just don't get it. The game's flaws are not apparent at that stage.

I've spent significantly more time with the game and while it is a good game (no, really... it is... put aside your biases for a moment for Christ's sake) it is not a great Fallout. In fact it isn't in the same league as Fallout.

It is however 100x better than Oblivion. The world is well made, the graphics enchanting, the VATS system is actually quite clever too.

HOWEVER it lacks so much of what made the Fallout series so well loved.

a) Black Humour

This is largely missing from Fallout beyond the amusing ads that show during load screens. It is a real shame and takes a lot of personality out of the game.

b) Clever Writing

The dialogue is far from horrible but it is far from great too. Fallouts 1 & 2 were characterised by fantastic writing and it simply isn't present here. Some dialogue can be fantastic but it makes up less than 5% and is drowned out by the copious amounts of average writing.

c) Character knowledge tracking

Too often you will strike up dialogue with people and suddenly your presumed to have knowledge you don't have. Or - in the alternative - your character acts like they don't know something they do when speaking to a character a second time.

This is an area the original games excelled... you really had to go out of your way to put yourself in a situation where non-existent knowledge was presumed.

Now it isn't bad enough to make the game confusing but it does hurt the immersion factor somewhat.

d) Consequential character development

Skills don't mean dick. Well that's not quite true but bar one or two perks that open up specific dialogue trees you rarelyfeel that your stat makeup is affecting the game. Be that in combat or non-combat situations.

e) Choice and consequence

The seem involving the sheriff and the gent wanting Megaton to go boom has already been discussed. There are a number of times where it feels like player agency should have an impact but it either doesn't (as in the afore mentioned case with the sheriff) or the impact feels forced. None of the subtle nuances of player decisions we found in the original Fallout games are present.

It does have significantly more CnC than Oblivion but when you slap Fallout on your box you are now playing with the big boys and we expect more.

---

Does any of this make it a bad game? Not at all. I'd be lying through my teeth if I said I wasn't enjoying every second of this game. HOWEVER I can't in all honesty say it is of a standard that gives it the right to be called the third chapter in the Fallout franchise. I just can't.

Sorry Bethesda... you made a good game but it is not a strong RPG and definitely a weak Fallout.

 

[shihonage]

Oh come on the game is not that big a chore. If your quitting before hitting Megaton... well... I just don't get it. The game's flaws are not apparent at that stage.

Not apparent to you. Very much apparent to me. This game has no soul. When a game has no soul, I get jaded very early, very fast.

As someone familiar with intricacies of gameplay mechanics, such mechanics alone do not hold my interest. There must be something more. That intangible feeling that makes you want to keep on going.

Emotional investment ? The mediocre writing and voice acting I've already witnessed says otherwise.

That feeling of wonder and wish to explore ? Completely negated by a urine-colored world filled with urine-colored critters and urine-colored humans.

Fun of base gameplay mechanics ? Pipboy inventory management is no less clunky than Fallout 1's inventory. Combat is insultingly stupid. Walking is retardedly slow. In the future, people can't run.

I just deleted my Fallout3 install. Not to sound dramatic or anything, but I've been subjected to mediocrity before. Most games are mediocre. Fallout was a game that was one of the rare exceptions - and I don't have to put up with being put through this caricaturistic, revisionist experience.

I've spent significantly more time with the game and while it is a good game (no, really... it is... put aside your biases for a moment for Christ's sake) it is not a great Fallout. In fact it isn't in the same league as Fallout.

I don't have a bias. My opinions were born out of observation.

 

[ElPresidente]

For how long though? I'm not going to try and force you to like the game or say that you are wrong (because opinions are just that, opnions) but your commenting on the first half-hour of gameplay.

Maybe what I do as part of my living is why I can't get my head around judging a game after experiencing so litle of it.

At the end of the day it is your time and your money. I'm not going to tell you what to do with it.

 

[shihonage]

None of the factors I describe change magically after the first hour of gameplay.

The engine remains the same. This means, the feel of the game remains the same. The interface remains the same. Combat mechanics remain the same. Quality of voice acting and writing remains the same - it's not like they replaced writers after the first hour of gameplay. The urine colored world, as far as I can tell from all the previews and players' accounts... remains urine-colored.

Sure, the game will grow more "complex" as the player triggers more events, gets more "quests" and "equipment", but this kind complexity unto itself does not work as a game-salvaging feature... for me.

 

[dagorkan]

None of the factors I describe change magically after the first hour of gameplay.

The engine remains the same. This means, the feel of the game remains the same. The interface remains the same. Combat mechanics remain the same. Quality of voice acting and writing remains the same - it's not like they replaced writers after the first hour of gameplay. The urine colored world, as far as I can tell from all the previews and players' accounts... remains urine-colored.

So go play Twitcher, bitch and stop whining

 

[shihonage]

So go play Twitcher, bitch and stop whining

Wasn't talking to you, Mr. Crankypants.

 

[DefJam101]

Oblivion was decent fun for the first few hours, lol.