Fallout 3

While in function it’s nothing like those that came before it, Fallout 3 captures the only thing that was fundamental to those beloved isometric masterpieces of the past: a world reborn from apocalyptic ash. The weathered hills and the tattered Washington cityscape of Fallout 3, spawned from the heat of Cold War hysteria, are more than just futuristic doom and gloom; for those born in its landscape, a time close to our present is their battered history. Idealists would have it back in all its ostensible happy-go-lucky glory, while those unhinged from nostalgia see an old world long gone and a new one taking shape from the rubble. Continue »

A massive bulkhead door slumbers open; it creaks, it groans and it gapes to expose a tunnel. There is light at the end of it. You begin walking through; a shrivelled corpse is curled up at the side. One of the many, they probably clawed at the vault doors for entrance, looking for solace in a world burnt asunder. The walk continues up the passageway, no turning back now, and you come upon a weathered door to the outside world.

A stark white light shines on fresh eyes and the journey of Fallout 3 begins. As a vault dweller, born to a 1950’s style happy-go-lucky underground existence, you have never before seen the true daylight. Nor the ravages of the apocalyptic war that had you stuck in there in the first place. Continue »

Some gamers are in a fuss about Fallout 3, but you can’t please people with rather irrational expectations — unless of course you stick with decade old design choices. For those without pipe dreams, or a fundamentalist attachment to nostalgia, Fallout 3 is everything it should be. Here are a slew of new screens and an interview with the game’s producer, Todd Howard.

Post-apocalyptic robots, greasers, birthday parties, dismemberment; Fallout 3 has got it all. Expanding upon the very short teaser released a few days ago, Bethesda is blowing the lid of their truly spectacular rpg. After the jump is the “Shelter” trailer as well as a gameplay presentation, which were shown at Microsoft’s press conference earlier this morning.

At Microsoft’s E3 Press Conference this morning, Todd Howard, producer of Fallout 3, announced that exclusive downloadable content will be available only for Xbox 360 and Windows platforms. No word on what it might be or when it will release, though when an official release date is announced for the game we may get a better indication.

Over on the Bethesda forums a second fan interview has been posted, providing fresh details on Fallout 3, the third entry in the almost frighteningly revered apocalyptic RPG series. The interview covers everything from the inability to kill children (oddly, two questions are asked about that one… weirdoes), to dialogue trees, to the freedom of player choice and much, much more.

Also included were a few brand new screens, one of which shows off the appropriately named Megaton Bar, with its ominous interior and equally unsettling bartender.

Updated: The full interview is below, enjoy.

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If it ain’t broke don’t fix it? Diablo III looks appropriately classic with its top down isometric view, but some people can’t shake the feeling that it might be little too déjà vu. Fallout 3’s producer, Ashley Cheng, shares his feelings on his personal blog:

I must say I am disappointed that Blizzard has stayed on the conservative side in terms of design with their updates to Diablo and Starcraft. Diablo will be interesting since World of Warcraft has a lot of Diablo-like qualities. I have no doubt, however, that they will be incredibly fun, addictive and polished games. Blizzard is the top of the class when it comes to game development – nobody does it better.

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