Fallout 3

I loved Fallout and Fallout 2, among the first batch of games I played on my first Mac. I finally got around to playing Fallout 3 in 2023, well beyond its 2008 release. I put several hours into it but didn't stick with it for some reason. In December I installed it again, created a new character, and started from the beginning. This time I played it through until the end. The isometric perspective of the first two games was replaced with a 3D world. I played most of it with the default first-person view but you can switch to a third-person view as well. Although it can feel like a first-person or third-person shooter, it is a role-playing game at heart. You create a character with customizable attributes, skills, and perks. You manage a limited inventory of items including weapons and armor. There is dialogue and character interaction and a story broken into various missions. Although the game progresses in real-time, there is a combat mode called V.A.T.S. (Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System). It pauses the real-time action and allows you to target a specific body part of an enemy. The chance of hitting is based on your character's skills and abilities as well as distance to target, cover, and other factors. I used V.A.T.S. in combat a lot.

Once I got rolling, I was committed to finishing the game. I got to see the cinematic ending but the game wasn't over! Because I have the Game of the Year Edition of Fallout 3, there were five add-on packs included. I will play through them in order and write about it when I finish.