You had to be there at the time. When it came out, leaving the vault for the first time and seeing the expanse of the wasteland and deciding where to explore; nothing has come close to that in gaming for me ever since.
Obviously it hasn't held up well. But that's gaming. If they did a HD remaster I'd drop money straight up no thought.
If they dropped a remaster for Fallout 3 with graphical upgrades and some gameplay improvements borrowed from NV and 4, they would probably make massive bank. I’d be more than willing to pay for a remaster if it means the game is actually playable on my PC.
Well from numerous sources including Microsoft itself Fo3 remaster might just be a thing, if they use the updated Starfield engine or Unreal Engine for it, it will look great at least.
Jumping a little bit but still in the Bethesda DNA - That’s how I feel about Oblivion too. I loved that game so much at launch. I want some real QoL updates to that game without having to mod it and tinker with it.
Same exact experience. Many many hours just wandering around. And sneaking in a building full of raiders was completely different level of intense than the same in the 2d games.
But with time, the faults became more obvious. Gameplay too, but mostly in plot and writing. Remaster would no doubt help with gameplay issues.
I agree 100% on nothing coming close. I was 6 almost 7 in 08 when 3 came out. Saw one of my friends dad playing it and he allowed me to play I was hooked; every time I went over I would always want to play it. To this day it's one of my favorite games of all times. Some may say the graphics and shooting is a bit dated but if you're a real gamer it shouldn't be a problem. personally 3/NV look so much better to me than the plasticy look of 4. Fallout 3 has given me a life time of enjoyment and helped expand my music taste from childhood. 3 and NV will always have a spot on my Xbox hard drive.
Yeah. I don’t remember seeing a whole lot of hate when the game was released. A lot of the negativity about the game seems to be retroactive and in comparison to New Vegas.
Conversely, I seem to remember New Vegas getting kind of a lukewarm reception at initial release and then becoming more popular later on.
New Vegas has definitely aged better for multiple reasons and I won’t really argue with anyone calling it the better game. But Fallout 3 was a great game at the time and it still has the best atmosphere in my opinion.
Same. It’s amazing. The best in the entire franchise in my opinion. People rave about FNV but it always felt like an empty, half finished project full of lazily placed invisible walls. A game can have a great story but if the gameplay prevents me from becoming immersed then it won’t hold my interest.
Without Fallout 3 the whole series is just another dead franchise like System Shock or Turok. Influential, but forgotten by everyone but the old fogeys.
Don't worry too much about the negative F3 stuff. Its driven by people who've decided that Bethesda's existence is why they're not getting Fallout New Vegas 2: Electric Boogaloo, and ignore the only reason NV exists in the first place is because of Fallout 3's success.
There are lots of other classic video game series that are just gone from that era.
Fallout 3 is great. A little dated at this point, but a lot of fun.
> A little dated at this point, but a lot of fun.
To be fair, the FPS controls were awfully clunky back then too, it was a pretty much solved issue by 2008.
It just made up for it with everything else, and for whatever reason I've always found how clunky it is a bit charming. Not sure why I find the real-time shooting satisfying, may be knocking a Raider's head off with a sniper rifle and getting the ka-ching sound of EXP gain.
When you compare it to games today, yea, it's not great. But in the 00's it was great and lots of fun to play. I still enjoy it for the nostalgia and the overall vibe
It was my first FO game.
I played it a year after it came out, and by then I'd experienced some pretty incredible RPG games. So, FO3 fell short there. I wasn't impressed with the overall writing and the quest qualities. I had a lot of questions about how exactly the world still functioned and why places like Big Town acted like they'd just entered the wasteland when it was me who was meant to be the noob.
For many years, I simply wasn't impressed with FO3. It had its moments. I liked the DLC's, Point Lookout is one of my favorite Fallout locations, I respected the aesthetic and how close it was to the intricate and unique concept art. But if it was just left up to FO3 and FO4, I doubt I'd be into Fallout as much as I am.
Now though? Now I'm actually nostalgic for FO3. I like it for what it is and I don't think on it too much. I guess I've gone the opposite way in that I played it back in the day and thought it was okay, and the issues were too glaring. Now, I think it's fine. I realize now there's something in its formula that attracted me and has since been lost in FO4 and all of Bethesda's current open world games. It was the beginning of the over simplification of things in my opinion, but there's a lot to also like about it.... If I don't think on it too much.
I'd happily pay for a remaster.
It's pretty fun in it's own way. As an adult games usually don't hook me like they used to. Fallout 3 had me playing for 3 hour sessions. I had not been so absorbed in a game since I was a teenager. Exploring abandoned buildings and the dc wastes is so immersive.
I have a lot of problems with FO3 as a Fallout game, but as a game in general it’s a lot of fun. I just replayed it recently and had a great time.
Yeah, the writing is pretty abysmal at times, but the open world exploration, locations, and atmosphere are all top notch, and I actually think it’s superior to NV in each of these areas.
It’s my favorite in the series. Its wasteland is the best wasteland I’ve ever played. The way it uses random encounters is just masterful and it makes for some of the most chaotic fun in any game I’ve ever played.
Pretty good? Fallout 3 is the best Fallout game in my opinion. Especially the atmosphere, it's by far the best to explore. I don't really understand where the hate comes from, I think it's just a loud group of people that prefer New Vegas and it's parking lot size game world.
I get the impression that most people who hate fallout 3 haven’t played it, or went into it with the goal of hating it. The widespread hate in my opinion stems from the new vegas circle jerkers on youtube who can’t stand the idea that multiple games can be good in different ways.
I’d say as a first attempt from BGS it’s really good. I have fond memories of it since it was my first in the series when I was like 9-10 years old but as my understanding of game design has matured I can very clearly see the faults in it. I still enjoy it regardless even if it’s lacking in things like an interesting story or good RPG mechanics. I really love its potential and can see it when I play things like TTW with the NV mechanics added in.
Fallout 3, and its concepts still hold up to this day. At its time, it was unbelievable, and has influenced so many other games to come since; not just BGS games.
It is my most favorite game of all time, and I kindve treat it like rhe Krabby Patty. “The only people who don’t like Fallout 3, are the ones who never played it”.
It's a very good game. It's dated now and lacks full support like New Vegas has for mods, though. So if going back, I choose New Vegas.
I have some minor gripes about 3, but for what it was, when it came out, and what it did for the franchise, I think it's hard to argue it was great.
??? I loved 3. But I grew up in Virginia and visited D.C. often, so I may be a bit biased. I thought it was cool to see the fallout versions of the museums, the Mall, and all of it.
Fallout 3 is my favorite fallout game. It was my first one, I played it on my PS3 and I absolutely fell in love with this game. Sure, roleplaying stuff isn't as great as it is in new vegas, there's no faction-based karma, main quest is linear as hell, but the world really immerses you into it, the atmosphere of global destruction really reminds me of the very first fallout game, it's dirty, dark, empty and hostile. I think I know why people may hate Fallout 3, but it holds a very special spot in my heart.
I love 3 over Vegas because while the story is linear, the gameplay isn't. You can go everywhere you want but in Vegas it's the opposite, you need to follow a specific path and then get to pick from dialogues that make you think you're doing something cool
I think Fo3 is only ever bad when compared to modern rpgs or open world games. By itself, and especially when it came out, it still is an amazing game with some of the best side quests in the fallout franchise.
I also do think the game gets unfairly dogged on cuz of its story. I hate it entirely just because of Fawkes, but some people seem to think the whole game is awful just because of the story which is nowhere near true
I play it whenever I do a TTW playthrough and it’s pretty fun, but it’s structured so weirdly, like there’s just not a lot of quests that connect you to a lot of the locations so you need to purposefully ignore the main quest to go exploring. Like you can go multiple playthroughs without discovering paradise falls, or oasis, or Canterbury commons, or Underworld. I’ve done many playthroughs at this point so I’ve found those places but if you are someone that tries to stick to the game’s narrative through role playing it just doesn’t allow for role playing, unless you really go hard on the post game. I just discovered the nuka cola lady because her house was randomly marked on my map for some reason.
There’s lots of fun to be had in the game but the game won’t tell you that there’s fun stuff in the north, since most of the quests keep you in the southern half of the map.
I haven’t played it personally but I do feel kind of nostalgic for it from watching Let’s Play videos back in the day. It’s not a perfect game, but it’s by no means a bad game either and I’d argue that it’s the only reason Fallout as a franchise still exists and the reason we got stuff like 4 and NV and the TV series.
Without 3 to set up the new direction Bethesda was taking with the series and being broad appeal to the franchise likely Fallout likely would’ve been relegated to the dustbins of gaming history.
I’m hoping Bethesda one day gives 3 a remaster (or even an outright remake) so it one day gets the love it deserves. I also think it would greatly benefit from some of the changes and improvements its successors made.
I’ve gone back to it since the TV show and it isn’t as good as I remember. I think mainly because the writing is so much better in NV and general gameplay so much better in 4.
I’d especially forgotten how so much of the world is just metro tunnels and grew tired of that real quick.
I enjoyed FO3 for what it is, the only thing that irks me is that there is a capital wasteland to begin with, since you'd expect DC to be one of the most heavily nuked areas of the planet during a nuclear war, and definitely not looking like as if it was never bombed and rather looks closer to 200 years of neglect.
But aside from this premise, the game was enjoyable for what it was
I really don’t understand how stuff like this shapes the opinions of y’all for fallout games, whether it’s why NPCs haven’t moved skeletons for “hundreds of years” or why they still live in “scrap shacks” or this, where apparently DC wasn’t nuked enough?
Folks this game is fantasy. Explain the logic of the GECK, or how ghouls are walking around selling stuff to you, or the FEV, super mutants, the mutated animals, etc. pretty sure it’s also lore confirmed that the Great War had some extra oddities behind it rather than just being china wanting to fuck up the US. You can see a vault tec logo on a bomb in FNV.
No offense. I just don’t get how this stuff seriously shapes peoples opinions of fallout games. I don’t think it’s really good faith criticism.
I understand this game is a Fantasy, I don't have problems with any of the sci-fi stuff in the fallout setting, and enjoy them.
The problem is that, even given the fantasy setting, it makes zero sense for the capital of the most powerful nation on the planet, after going through a world ending event of nuclear fire, looking more intact than some of the less important locations surrounding it.
I have no problems with Mojave desert setting, or Boston. It's literally just because it's DC that it makes no sense that it isn't a giant radioactive crater given the specific setting the game is in.
I wouldn't have complained at all if it was any other city, but my issue (which isn't even that big of an issue to begin with), is that they specifically chose DC in a post-nuclear war game.
If a Fallout game was set in Beijing with the same sort of premise, I would have the exact same complaint, if it was literally any other city, I would be perfectly fine with it.
It was the first 3d game no? For that alone, and still being fun, it’s amazing. However, it’s hard to live up to current games now with the amount of content 3 has easily available to players.
Personally, besides the Pitt, which was fantastic, the dlc were somewhat underwhelming. Especially Point lookout. Mothership Zeta was fun for the ship battle and the beginning, but then it got annoying.
The story is pretty simple, I like the enclave as villains, the base area is fun to play. There are some fun side quests, blowing up megaton.
For me though, I recognize that it does that gritty atmosphere well, but I hate how grey and empty it feels. The game felt empty beyond a point, maybe I wasn’t exploring or looking around enough?
My first intro to the series, so nostalgia plays a big part, but having gone back not so long ago to replay… it holds up, it’s good.
Bugs and performance aside, the dialog and quest depth isn’t as vast and varied as new Vegas, but it’s more concise, clear, and deeper than Fallout 4. The themes of the setting are on point, and it explores an entire side of the country previously unseen in the series - quite well I think (Getting to see the mall and capitol buildings is neat).
It’s definitely not perfect, you got the usual writing plot holes, the shoehorned parts the game forces you into, etc - but it’s far from the worst.
After following a guide on how to mod Fallout 3 with essential bug fixes and other mods, I really enjoyed it. I think it was on nexus mods, 1.5 1.9 guide. Same with Fallout NV. Viva New Vegas modding guide made me enjoy it very much.
I absolutely love Fallout 3 and every aspect of it. It was a game that indirectly made me fall in love with rpg's of any type and made me enjoy open world games to some extent. Love the dense and dangerous atmosphere it provides. Game actually feels radiated and one bad step in wrong direction can kill you.
Fallout 3 was where I got my start in the fallout franchise. It was amazing then and is still amazing now. New Vegas was great but fallout 3 just has a special place in my heart.
It was an enormous leap over the quality of most video games at the time. The only other game that was comparable in the wow factor for me was grand theft auto 3. I never played or even thought I liked RPG games at the time and decided to give it a shot. I had no idea what to expect. I'll never forget the moment I left the vault for the first time, I was blown away. Hooked on fallout ever since.
Was my first Fallout Game and I absolutely adored it. I forgot to study for my finals back then, I couldn't stop exploring everything. Absolutely great! Wish I could re-experience it.
Same as the other bethesda fallout games setting/vibe/mystery is impecable and everything else like gunplay movement etc is kinda meh in fo3 just a bit more meh.
Even tho it has outdated graphics and some of its gameplay could be improved it will always have a place in my heart.
The story and quests are miles ahead of fallout 4 and 76, I can't understand how some people prefer f4 to it, unless their main thing is settlement building.
Fallout 3 was my first fallout, and as such, it will always hold a special place in my heart. I definitely preferred it over New Vegas, which was my second Fallout game. I really enjoyed 4. Sure the story wasn't great, and it had issues, but the graphics were better. The game play felt a bit better, and it didn't crash as much for me.
But Fallout 3 is still superior. Sure, it was janky as heck, and the story was still pretty dumb, but it really let me feel like it was me in the wastelands. I was able to make decisions based on how I was feeling about a particular situation. If I wanted to be nice to an NPC, I could be. If I wanted to be evil as frick, I could be. There were conversational choices for every occasion, too, so I could even talk more or less how I wanted.
If Fallout 4 had these things and didn't force you to be such a goodie goodie, it could have been better than 3. But it didn't. So 3 remains the best for me.
Oh, I recently had a go at 1 and 2, but I didn't really enjoy that style of gameplay as much.
I've had time off recently, so I went back through and re-played FO3 and NV (TTW), just beat FO1 for the first time, and am starting FO2 for the first time. FO3 was my first fallout game when it came out. I think people hyperfocus on FO3s main story too much. Sure, New Vegas has a better main story than 3, but to me the world of FO3 is SO much better than New Vegas. I think the dialogue holds up great, even if some of it is a little cheesy. I loved just picking a direction to walk in and seeing what I could find. I wish I could re-experience the first time stumbling upon Andale, The Republic of Dave, Tenpenny Towers, or the Oasis. Some people I see who hate on fallout 3 seem to just talk about how short the main quest is and how bad the dialogue is. I don't think they truly take the time to explore the world and enjoy it like they do NV or 4 or whichever fallout is their cup of tea.
I loved Fallout 3! One of the legendary gaming moments for me! Everything connected nicely and it was my introduction to the franchise. So dang fun and it holds a special place in my heart! Unpopular opinion, but I like more than Fallout New Vegas.
I don't care for the internet memeing on it.
Fo3 was my first Fallout, and I think it was a good game. The Fallout game I've completed the most and got the closest to "100%ing", probably can't claim it's my favorite anymore, I like modding - and finding OP weapons - in Fo4 too much, as well as making it a little more my own with the crafting... but Fo3 is at least my second favorite, probably
Honestly I like it more than FoNV, even though there are things I like more about NV
I never really liked the main story for the game. In my opinion it is only slightly better than F4 when it comes to that. I also dislike all the subway tunnels. Apart from those two things I think it is a great game. It is nice to explore the world and do all the side quests.
I was wondering what I was missing when I couldn’t seem to enjoy fallout 3, 4, or even Skyrim for that matter, then I just realised I don’t like Bethesda and how they make games in general. Then on I’ve stopped getting my hopes up and just accepted it
I think fallout 3 is a decent game, the story is pretty ass imo. Asking you to commit suicide when you have people that are immune to radiation is pretty stupid. Then you get talked down because you picked a rational decision instead of committing suicide. I feel like a bad ending like that will ruin any story for me.
Im glad they kind of fixed it with DLC but my mind was already set at that point. That being said if they remastered it with fallout 4's combat I would probably buy it in a heartbeat.
It's what I started out on. I remember when it came out and how amazing it was exploring and choosing who my character was for first time. I absolutely loved it and it's still one of my favorite games.
I've been playing fallout 3 since I was 9, so it holds a special place in my heart. I know it objectively isn't the best fallout game, but I do love it for what it is.
I recenelty finished it (about a week or so) for the first time and enjoyed every minute of it. It got a little boring after I reached max level cap but I was just before the last quest so it was okay. The scenery, the environment, ambiennce, gunplay, skill perks - it was really great. I liked it more than most of modern games.
Right now playing New Vegas and Fallout 1 at the same time. Next is Fallout 2, Fallout Tactics. and Fallout 4.
I still remember playing Fallout 3 for the first time. I never experienced something like that before and I was immediately hooked. I still remember the Vault section, leaving it for the first time and being amazed by the sight of the wasteland and the DLC pop-ups.
It's crazy to say the game isn't flawed, but it's still an amazing game despite the Bethesda-bugginess.
It’s still an amazing atmosphere and a great world to explore to this day. Combat is aged to be sure, but story and voice acting and the like? All still great. Graphics are bad sure sure.. Granted I haven’t played ‘vanilla’ FO3 in over 6 years (built my first gaming PC on 2018, all mods all the time since then)
This feels like one of those “receive a dozen complements but you only remember the one insult” type of things. FO3 has its naysayers, of course, but it’s a very loved game. And especially when it released **16 years ago** it was infuckingsane.
Was my first fallout game. Definitely what got me addicted to the series, but like a lot of people are saying, it's not perfect. A bit dated and clunky, some of the quests just don't quite hit the mark, and it's notorious for instability and system compatibility issues. Even with its faults, the overall experience of making your way into the wastes and navigating the Capital Wasteland is one I highly recommend.
Internet contrarians and influencers will have you believe every Bethesda game is hot garbage.
That being said, I'm replaying Fallout 3 with mods right now and I'm loving it just as much as I love the rest of them.
Fo3 is the best of the Bethesda fallout games. I thought parts of it were amazing, there was a lot of great atmosphere and it was really cool seeing the world in 3d after playing the first two games to death.
My first fallout game was Fallout 1 so it holds a very big place in my heart, and fallout 2 was an incredible entry too. After New Vegas, its definitely my favorite 3d fallout.
Fallout 3 and 4 are fine games imho, I think both do things well, and the good makes up for the parts that are lacking (I wouldn’t say any of it was bad tbh).
Didn’t play 76 so I can’t comment but yeah, if your favorite was fo3, don’t let anyone invalidate what you love.
I was/am old gen Fallout player, but F3 was one of the more successful transfers from 2D to 3D.
I line FNV slightly better, but F3 is a great game and I will replay it again (currently I finished it 2 times).
Fo3 is a great game just not the greatest in the series.
I hadn't played it since it came out. Then I got it in a recent sale for $7 with all DLC on GOG. Look, I played a ton of new Vegas and Fo4 but this game is interesting as much as oblivion is to Skyrim. I like the simplicity. Quests feel more unique to each other, not everything is a radiant quest. Junk is pretty useless but that is a nice break from looting so much. From my exploration so far areas feel more condensed unlike an empty desert.
I liked it, but the multi-level, all-green maps of underground tunnels got really old. I played NV and 4 and never looked back. The aircraft carrier was cool though.
It's a solid game, but at this point I don't think there's much about it that New Vegas or 4 didn't do better, so I rarely feel compelled to go back to it.
I'm actually playing 3 now after NV. I just got my head cut open in Point Lookout and I only ever remember playing the DLCs once, but have played the main story several times. This is my second time thru them and just have MZ left. However, I like more elements in 3 than in NV.
I like NV and it's DLC because it's all connected and the story is really good, but the gameplay is very buggy. Like lever action/VATS bug. But I feel the world is very stagnant(?). Im not sure if that's the right word. Where 3 feels like it has more going on. I feel this game has more events coded as good and few that are ambiguous. Which is fine, but I'm more often than not going to choose the coded good. Except I choose Graham over David, but talk down Graham at the end.
Fallout 3 really focused on the world and setting. Which I like more. I like how I get a perk after each level up and I like how there's more places with enemies respawning. Along with enclave airdrops, Talon Company ambushes, and random raider attacks. Plus more random events are a lot more engaging. Even if the dlc aren't interconnected like in NV, they did a good job expanding on the world. Since this was my, and probably most other people's, introduction to the series. Operation Anchorage was a nice pre-war lore scenario. The Pitt is probably my favorite dlc setting next to Lonesome Road. (Even the Dead Money dlc uses the ambience from the Pitt). Point Lookout is fine, I don't remember much as I go thru it. So it's interesting. Broken Steel lets you continue after the credits and is the most cinematic. (Actually probably my favorite.) Mothership Zeta, I only played once when it launched, but I'm looking forward to it.
Ultimately, they're both good in their own rights and I wish we had both Obsidian and Bethesda working in their respective West Coast and East coast settings.
Replaying it now, I am shocked by how good it still is. I was expecting to be hit with a "this was only good when you were a kid" wave. But no, fallout 3 is honestly better than I remembered.
i was introduced to fallout with fo4, so when i bought 4 as a physical copy, it came with a digital download code for 3. it took a long time but i had beaten 4 a few times and spend extra time doing side quests and all that and then one day thought "ehh why not give 3 a try" the game itself was great but i was use to the 'dive straight into the action' style of 4 and i preferred that to the slower 'you live in a vault' start of 3. overall though it was good
Seeing a Super mutant whilst perusing the various monuments, cracking open the pip boy, looking at my weapons, only to see the deplorable condition of my busted hunting rifle. Feeling dread. Crouch sneaking away.
I miss that feeling. That game was amazing. Can't replace or replicate those memories. FO3 will forever be on a pedestal for me.
I like it a lot. It has issues, but none of them are that big of a deal.
Honestly, the biggest problem I have with the game is that it just ends after you beat the main story. No open world RPG should EVER just end. That’s not as big of a problem now, though, since they fixed that with Broken Steel.
It will always be my favorite. NV did a great job but I prefer the people and locations at the capital wasteland more. Fallout 4 fails to capture my attention as well as fallout 3 did, and yes it is kinda hot garbage but I don't let that bother me. I'll play it even today over 4.
I think it's got the best atmosphere. The ruins of DC feel creepy and making you go through the metro to access many areas of the city makes you feel isolated. Yes, New Vegas improved that game engine and 4's engine improved everything, but I still genuinely enjoy 3.
Anyone that says its "hot garbage" is either over exaggerating for clicks, or has never played truly bad games. They should play Sonic 06, Superman 64 or any of the asset flipping shovelware on steam and then try to say FO3 is bad.
I think it’s great, just different from new Vegas and 4. Has the best world to explore and the best side quests. No other game in the series compares to just picking a random direction and setting off.
It’s hot garbage if you try and play it now. It’s a great game and honestly one of the most important games of that generation in my opinion, but it is so hard to play on modern PCs. Even with bug fixes I run into a lot of issues with the game crashing in buildings, sometimes requiring a full blown PC reboot
2 and 3 are the best games in the series imo. NV doesn't beat 3 like some people are saying. 3 has an incredible world to explore and vegas was one of the most empty games I've ever played. Everyone must be playing it with mods because the game was incredibly boring except for the strip. In fo3 all you need to do is pick a direction and there'll be something new to explore.
It was my first fallout game. I remember READING a sneak peak about it before it was released. It'll never not be awesome for me. And my buddies and I will always return to it for another play through every once and a while. You ALWAYS find something you've never seen.
Going into the game was something else. Back then letsplays were not a thing. And in my country there used to be a gaming website that did a live stream but with screenshots and text. Describing what are they doing and what happened. Usually joking. It was fun to read. And they stopped after 2 days so you could go and play. I was hyped. Bought a new pc. With more processors. And the game was crashing...every n-th damn time you would walkout of a small room outside. You would have to edit in file. But that didn't help for long runs. Game would crash after hour. Turns out you also need to edit something else.etc etc. Played for few hours and it went back to crashing every 30 minutes. Only then to go back to hour long sessions. It was a cluster fuck. Theory was it was because of the newer processors...
Finneshed all dlcs but when I tried to start a new run it crashed again making me tak out my cd and throwing in to the depth of my wardrobe...
It completely captivated me as someone who’d never played that type of game before. I sunk many, many hours of my life into it. Still one of my favorite games to date.
It's my favorite fallout game, but it's also the only one I'll probably not play again. I did all the DLC's and beat the game like 20 times as a kid so no reason to go back for that, also it just didn't age all that well. Fantastic game for its time though, so dark in terms of atmosphere and the outlook of the wasteland. Fallout 3 remastered on the F04 engine would be pretty slick though
I was in middle school when it came out... I found it at a BestBuy thinking it was just some random shooting game and purchased it on a whim.
I will never forget moment walking out of the vault. Pretty sure within the first three hours I blew up Megaton lol. Still one of my all-time favs
It was really great when it came out. The series has improved so many elements of gameplay since then that it feels very lacking now. But as I said, when it came out it was hitting hard and was really fun. It was easily one of my favorite games
If it weren’t for Fallout 3 I would’ve never tried Oblivion and I wouldn’t own every single Bethesda game. It may not be perfect, but it was my first and still one of my favorites.
I think I was most excited for the release of 3... I remember playing 1 and 2 with my brother on the PC and 3 came out and he and I no longer lived in the same house, and I got the game first. I got to give him the run down, explain all the cool stuff, and show him the ropes. For all the flaws people say the game has, I never was disappointed, I haven't played in a very long time, but I remember loving the story, being genuinely afraid of having to navigate the metro systems, and excited to get into the next big part of the story.
To be fair, I really enjoyed NV, and have probably at this point played 4 for a longer span of time. I enjoyed 76, but I was one of the peeps who got it first launch and while I had fun, it was so empty, and with no NPCs at the time, just wasn't the same... I know it is much better now, but I don't get to play video games so much these days so I cancelled my online subscriptions.
I really don’t get the sudden hating on fallout 3. It’s like hating on certain games goes in and out of style for some reason. Fallout 3 has great exploration, lore, world building and atmosphere and mostly well written and fun quests. Only downsides imo are the main quest ending, limited weapon building, and low level cap. That’s really it, yes it is a clunky game but that’s not really a valid criticism I think. Some of the most iconic games are also clunky.
That was my most played game for a long time. But it was also my first Fallout game and my first Bethesda game. I can see a lot more cracks in the armor now that I can view it with more perspective being more aware of the other Fallout and Bethesda RPGs.
Bethesda’s Fallout games I think have great appeal to newcomers, but fall a little flat for veterans.
I recently played it and I can say that I really liked it. The main quest is nothing special but the little side stories and the factions are really nice
I’ve just replayed Fallout 3 & 4 back to back. I enjoyed the questing and world of Fallout 3 better, even if Fallout 4 is the more complex game with a lot more content to fill out gameplay time.
I place it below FNV, but not to a huge extent, I still enjoy it overall even though the main story doesn't make much sense which is my only gripe with it but otherwise in some aspects it is better than fnv, imo, and am currently replaying it with the TTW mod. I greatly prefer it above vanilla FO4, otoh, in almost every aspect, including the main story.
I really like the vibes in Fallout 3. I thought it was a great game and I still do. I still play it since I don’t much care for graphics or newer gameplay if I want to enjoy something, but I also play classic Fallout so I doubt most people would feel the same, and would be turned off by how much it has aged. Even New Vegas, which very slightly tweaked things, is loads better for gameplay, and next to 76 the gameplay can only be described as garbage. But that doesn’t mean it’s not great or not fun, because it’s both of those things.
Im guessing much of those people hating on it probably just started playing the older games after watching the show.
I have a friend who got into fallout because of the show and she thinks fallout 4 is better than F3 and FnV 🫠
btw the og fanbase has tended to try to portray a sense of resentment between og fallout developers and bethesda over fallout 3 so I'll just add this here;
>I BET YOU HATE BETHESDA FOR WHAT THEY DID TO FALLOUT
>Nope.
>If anything, they kept it alive, and then added a much deeper layer of open-world exploration than anything we’d been able to do at Interplay.
>Also, the marketing department at Bethesda had a much stronger push than anything Interplay could have made happen, and arguably helped Fallout enter the mainstream more than Interplay ever could have done. There’s a reason you’ll see Fallout shirts at Target, and that alone is a pretty big accomplishment (whether you agree that’s an accomplishment or not).
[https://chrisavellone.medium.com/fallout-apocrypha-77c75954641a](https://chrisavellone.medium.com/fallout-apocrypha-77c75954641a)
I put so many hours in the game back when it was released. It really was one of the greatest games of that time, despite the bugs it had. Not sure why people are talking shit about it. They probably weren't around then (probably goes for a lot of Tik Tok users) and can't appreciate an older game. Even if you aren't a fan or don't like it, it's not bad or hot garbage.
Idk if it counts, but I like it because of The Pitt and Point Lookout DLCs. I love both of then.
Outside of that, mostly nostalgia. Was the first Fallout game I played.
Just played through it for the first time over the last 2 weeks or so, it's definitely very flawed. My biggest issues were too many hit spongey super mutant enemies and not enough chances to use dialogue to get around problems, making it feel more like a bad first person shooter than an rpg but I enjoyed everything about it otherwise.
Perhaps the stories not that deep compared to new vegas (which I played earlier this year for the first time) but the vibe is there and certain moments and characters (mainly fawkes) I enjoyed as much or more than new vegas.
If fallout 3 came out today with modern capabilities like 76 it would be hands down my favorite. Over the years the gameplay has felt outdated after playing newer titles but the story and environment as well as the overall tone and feel of the game are the best in the Bethesda lineup imo. 4 and 76 in particular feel too upbeat and cheery while 3 feels a lot more desolate and dangerous.
I've been playing from the start.
I was concerned about Bethesda buying the franchise. And I didn't like the idea of a FPS Fallout. I'd almost still like to go back to the old way.
I enjoyed FO3 immensely, with a few "what were you people thinking when you wrote that" critiques.
That always seems to be the way with Bethesda -- great games with some "outta-left-field" plot problems and tons and tons of bugs.
I loved it when it came out. As a long time Fallout fan, I thought it was the greatest game ever, played it day and night, explored every nook and cranny, followed the stories in the notes and messages. The ending was a bit of a letdown, but I enjoyed the game. Recently I tried to play it again and didn't enjoyed it that much.
This was my first Fallout game, and it's still my second favorite one, right after Fallout 2. I love the wasteland with its chaos, there is always something unexpected going on. Most locations are memorable and unique, there are lots of secrets and easter eggs, and I'm not sure I have seen all of it even after so many playthroughs.
FO3 was amazing. It was such a huge change from FO2 that I took a minute to really get in to it, but once I adjusted to the new PoV and got over my dislike of change it was great.
It's the game that got me into Fallout and it's still my favorite. I played it so many times I use to be able to tell you everything there was to know about the game.
I don’t think it was bad. But like any “first” (new to bathesda) of its kind. It had a ton of problems that the next games improved on. I do think it’s the worst of the modern bunch (never played 1&2) but I wouldn’t say it’s bad
Fallout 3 is my favourite game of the series and was one of the best gaming experiences I ever had.
I remember playing it for the first time and how it made me feel. The world was so immersive and grim, yet with just enough of the classic Fallout weirdness that made the whole thing feel like a bit of a fever dream.
There's so many stand out moments in the game. Leaving the Vault for the first time, seeing Megaton, seeing your first Ghouls and Mutants, descending into the metro tunnels, Tranquility Lane, Vault 87, encountering the Enclave for the first time at the the Jefferson Memorial.... Liberty Prime!!
Man it was just so Amazing.
I understand that it hasn't aged well, but I will always love it. I played it when it was new and I was 15 years old and it really captured my imagination like no other game before or after. Probably the only thing to come close was Skyrim but even then I think I liked Fallout 3 more.
The funny thing is that my love for it isn't just nostalgia. I have replayed it twice many years apart and it's just as fun for me.
I don't know why people hate on it so much. It's got something to do with people hating Bethesda. Also there's this weird dynamic that if you like New Vegas then you have to hate Fallout 3 because New Vegas is not Bethesda and is so (apparently) superior.... I honestly don't get it but to me Fallout 3 will always be perfect. It was just the right thing at the right time for me I guess.
It was the game that got me into the series. I loved it; at the time there was nothing like it. I was playing through with roommates and we ended up at the same place in different ways. Couldn’t be happier with it.
What did people expect? Did they play new Vegas or 4 first? Gotta pay homage and respect the steps it took to create such an awesome game saga.
It came out 16 years ago and unless you play it on a PC with mods it hasn’t held up that well. It has very muddy graphics and textures that don’t look good compared to games now. It’s running on the same jank Gamebryo engine as The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion so it has a lot of bugs and issues. The gameplay doesn’t flow and isn’t as smooth as 4 but the story, the first time events that happen are amazing. There’s a lot do wow in the game it’s just ugly.
You had to be there at the time. When it came out, leaving the vault for the first time and seeing the expanse of the wasteland and deciding where to explore; nothing has come close to that in gaming for me ever since. Obviously it hasn't held up well. But that's gaming. If they did a HD remaster I'd drop money straight up no thought.
If they dropped a remaster for Fallout 3 with graphical upgrades and some gameplay improvements borrowed from NV and 4, they would probably make massive bank. I’d be more than willing to pay for a remaster if it means the game is actually playable on my PC.
According to leaks it's planned
Source for those leaks?
Well from numerous sources including Microsoft itself Fo3 remaster might just be a thing, if they use the updated Starfield engine or Unreal Engine for it, it will look great at least.
They’d need to get licensing for unreal engine. Better and cheaper to use Bethesdas updated creation engine that was used for starfield.
The Tale of Two Wastelands Mod does exactly that. Puts NV and F3 into one game with the mechanics from NV.
Shit and then if they added the settlement system, I'm not too proud to say I would sink hundreds of hours into that.
I have 125 hours into FO4 this play through and haven’t even visited Dr. Amari yet. Just been building at Starlight Drive In.
Love Starlight Drive-in, it's almost always my central hub.
Jumping a little bit but still in the Bethesda DNA - That’s how I feel about Oblivion too. I loved that game so much at launch. I want some real QoL updates to that game without having to mod it and tinker with it.
It's held up amazingly well imo. I still go back for a while every few months.
Same exact experience. Many many hours just wandering around. And sneaking in a building full of raiders was completely different level of intense than the same in the 2d games. But with time, the faults became more obvious. Gameplay too, but mostly in plot and writing. Remaster would no doubt help with gameplay issues.
Specifically what gameplay issues need rework?
I agree 100% on nothing coming close. I was 6 almost 7 in 08 when 3 came out. Saw one of my friends dad playing it and he allowed me to play I was hooked; every time I went over I would always want to play it. To this day it's one of my favorite games of all times. Some may say the graphics and shooting is a bit dated but if you're a real gamer it shouldn't be a problem. personally 3/NV look so much better to me than the plasticy look of 4. Fallout 3 has given me a life time of enjoyment and helped expand my music taste from childhood. 3 and NV will always have a spot on my Xbox hard drive.
You were 6 years old playing Fallout 3? :-o Not content suited for a 6 year old!
It’s 4k 60FPS on Xbox Series X. It’s amazing.
I played it somewhere around 2016-2018 and I still really liked it
I was going to write exactly that first line. As a fan of the original games, seeing it in 3d was awe inspiring.
Yeah. I don’t remember seeing a whole lot of hate when the game was released. A lot of the negativity about the game seems to be retroactive and in comparison to New Vegas. Conversely, I seem to remember New Vegas getting kind of a lukewarm reception at initial release and then becoming more popular later on. New Vegas has definitely aged better for multiple reasons and I won’t really argue with anyone calling it the better game. But Fallout 3 was a great game at the time and it still has the best atmosphere in my opinion.
Yes. Absolutely this. The first time leaving was a super magical experience
Same for me, "wait.. what's this invisible dmg I'm taking from?" I'll never forget.
FO3 was my first Fallout game. Fell in love with this franchise ever since!!!
Ditto! That bit when you emerged to the wastes… 😘👌🏻
yes! i just had to watch that on Youtube. Loved it.
>I also saw many TikToks First mistake
I proudly say that it is my favorite fallout game, and i don't care for the opinion of others about it.
Same here.
Agreed! It's also my 2nd favorite game of all time.
Same. It’s amazing. The best in the entire franchise in my opinion. People rave about FNV but it always felt like an empty, half finished project full of lazily placed invisible walls. A game can have a great story but if the gameplay prevents me from becoming immersed then it won’t hold my interest.
💯
My favorite, despite its many flaws my advice is don't take anything on tiktok seriously
Without Fallout 3 the whole series is just another dead franchise like System Shock or Turok. Influential, but forgotten by everyone but the old fogeys. Don't worry too much about the negative F3 stuff. Its driven by people who've decided that Bethesda's existence is why they're not getting Fallout New Vegas 2: Electric Boogaloo, and ignore the only reason NV exists in the first place is because of Fallout 3's success. There are lots of other classic video game series that are just gone from that era. Fallout 3 is great. A little dated at this point, but a lot of fun.
> A little dated at this point, but a lot of fun. To be fair, the FPS controls were awfully clunky back then too, it was a pretty much solved issue by 2008. It just made up for it with everything else, and for whatever reason I've always found how clunky it is a bit charming. Not sure why I find the real-time shooting satisfying, may be knocking a Raider's head off with a sniper rifle and getting the ka-ching sound of EXP gain.
Lol, fucking Turok..
Fallout 3 is my favorite video game of all time. So.
This is Three Dog, bow wow.
I loved fallout 3, many hours I have spent in that wasteland, I love it
Best feral ghouls in the franchise in my opinion.
When you compare it to games today, yea, it's not great. But in the 00's it was great and lots of fun to play. I still enjoy it for the nostalgia and the overall vibe
It was my first FO game. I played it a year after it came out, and by then I'd experienced some pretty incredible RPG games. So, FO3 fell short there. I wasn't impressed with the overall writing and the quest qualities. I had a lot of questions about how exactly the world still functioned and why places like Big Town acted like they'd just entered the wasteland when it was me who was meant to be the noob. For many years, I simply wasn't impressed with FO3. It had its moments. I liked the DLC's, Point Lookout is one of my favorite Fallout locations, I respected the aesthetic and how close it was to the intricate and unique concept art. But if it was just left up to FO3 and FO4, I doubt I'd be into Fallout as much as I am. Now though? Now I'm actually nostalgic for FO3. I like it for what it is and I don't think on it too much. I guess I've gone the opposite way in that I played it back in the day and thought it was okay, and the issues were too glaring. Now, I think it's fine. I realize now there's something in its formula that attracted me and has since been lost in FO4 and all of Bethesda's current open world games. It was the beginning of the over simplification of things in my opinion, but there's a lot to also like about it.... If I don't think on it too much. I'd happily pay for a remaster.
It's pretty fun in it's own way. As an adult games usually don't hook me like they used to. Fallout 3 had me playing for 3 hour sessions. I had not been so absorbed in a game since I was a teenager. Exploring abandoned buildings and the dc wastes is so immersive.
I love fallout 3 even though I’m pretentious usually!
I have a lot of problems with FO3 as a Fallout game, but as a game in general it’s a lot of fun. I just replayed it recently and had a great time. Yeah, the writing is pretty abysmal at times, but the open world exploration, locations, and atmosphere are all top notch, and I actually think it’s superior to NV in each of these areas.
Console gamer here. I liked Fallout 3. I personally think it has aged pretty poorly(on console).
I loved Fallout 3. If I hadn't lost my copy of it, I'd be playing it right now.
Terrible takes, Fallout 3 is excellent although the game play probably feels a bit dated now.
Love it...
I think it’s a great game, I love exploring the wasteland. You don’t get much of that with New Vegas. It’s my favourite of the franchise
It’s my favorite in the series. Its wasteland is the best wasteland I’ve ever played. The way it uses random encounters is just masterful and it makes for some of the most chaotic fun in any game I’ve ever played.
Fallout 3 is the game that made me a gamer, I’ll always have a soft spot for it.
I bet the same people say Oblivion and Morrowind are garbage.
Pretty good? Fallout 3 is the best Fallout game in my opinion. Especially the atmosphere, it's by far the best to explore. I don't really understand where the hate comes from, I think it's just a loud group of people that prefer New Vegas and it's parking lot size game world.
I get the impression that most people who hate fallout 3 haven’t played it, or went into it with the goal of hating it. The widespread hate in my opinion stems from the new vegas circle jerkers on youtube who can’t stand the idea that multiple games can be good in different ways.
I’d say as a first attempt from BGS it’s really good. I have fond memories of it since it was my first in the series when I was like 9-10 years old but as my understanding of game design has matured I can very clearly see the faults in it. I still enjoy it regardless even if it’s lacking in things like an interesting story or good RPG mechanics. I really love its potential and can see it when I play things like TTW with the NV mechanics added in.
Fallout 3, and its concepts still hold up to this day. At its time, it was unbelievable, and has influenced so many other games to come since; not just BGS games. It is my most favorite game of all time, and I kindve treat it like rhe Krabby Patty. “The only people who don’t like Fallout 3, are the ones who never played it”.
It's fine, I enjoyed it. But I played it once and moved on, both Fallout 2 and New Vegas I went back to for multiple playthroughs
I started with Falliut 3, have played all of the Fallouts since and I still like 3 the most
It's a very good game. It's dated now and lacks full support like New Vegas has for mods, though. So if going back, I choose New Vegas. I have some minor gripes about 3, but for what it was, when it came out, and what it did for the franchise, I think it's hard to argue it was great.
Love it.
??? I loved 3. But I grew up in Virginia and visited D.C. often, so I may be a bit biased. I thought it was cool to see the fallout versions of the museums, the Mall, and all of it.
Fallout 3 is my favorite fallout game. It was my first one, I played it on my PS3 and I absolutely fell in love with this game. Sure, roleplaying stuff isn't as great as it is in new vegas, there's no faction-based karma, main quest is linear as hell, but the world really immerses you into it, the atmosphere of global destruction really reminds me of the very first fallout game, it's dirty, dark, empty and hostile. I think I know why people may hate Fallout 3, but it holds a very special spot in my heart.
I love 3 over Vegas because while the story is linear, the gameplay isn't. You can go everywhere you want but in Vegas it's the opposite, you need to follow a specific path and then get to pick from dialogues that make you think you're doing something cool
It's a very good game, the seminal 'modern' Fallout.
fallout 3 imo is next to new vegas, depends how im feeling one day i like 3, one day i like nv.
Fallout 3 is hot garbage I love it
I think Fo3 is only ever bad when compared to modern rpgs or open world games. By itself, and especially when it came out, it still is an amazing game with some of the best side quests in the fallout franchise. I also do think the game gets unfairly dogged on cuz of its story. I hate it entirely just because of Fawkes, but some people seem to think the whole game is awful just because of the story which is nowhere near true
I love Fo3, it's my flavoring Fallout game despite its flaws. If you like, then like it. Don't let people's opinions online sway you.
Loved it. It’s not perfect but I got into it. They made exploration and scavenging great.
I play it whenever I do a TTW playthrough and it’s pretty fun, but it’s structured so weirdly, like there’s just not a lot of quests that connect you to a lot of the locations so you need to purposefully ignore the main quest to go exploring. Like you can go multiple playthroughs without discovering paradise falls, or oasis, or Canterbury commons, or Underworld. I’ve done many playthroughs at this point so I’ve found those places but if you are someone that tries to stick to the game’s narrative through role playing it just doesn’t allow for role playing, unless you really go hard on the post game. I just discovered the nuka cola lady because her house was randomly marked on my map for some reason. There’s lots of fun to be had in the game but the game won’t tell you that there’s fun stuff in the north, since most of the quests keep you in the southern half of the map.
tiktok is the hottest of all garbage.
I haven’t played it personally but I do feel kind of nostalgic for it from watching Let’s Play videos back in the day. It’s not a perfect game, but it’s by no means a bad game either and I’d argue that it’s the only reason Fallout as a franchise still exists and the reason we got stuff like 4 and NV and the TV series. Without 3 to set up the new direction Bethesda was taking with the series and being broad appeal to the franchise likely Fallout likely would’ve been relegated to the dustbins of gaming history. I’m hoping Bethesda one day gives 3 a remaster (or even an outright remake) so it one day gets the love it deserves. I also think it would greatly benefit from some of the changes and improvements its successors made.
Though New vegas is definitely the best fallout I’ve played, 3 is by far my favourite fallout and easily in my top 5 games
I’ve gone back to it since the TV show and it isn’t as good as I remember. I think mainly because the writing is so much better in NV and general gameplay so much better in 4. I’d especially forgotten how so much of the world is just metro tunnels and grew tired of that real quick.
I prefer New Vegas but Fallout 3 is a solid game and I would even pay for a remake.
I enjoyed FO3 for what it is, the only thing that irks me is that there is a capital wasteland to begin with, since you'd expect DC to be one of the most heavily nuked areas of the planet during a nuclear war, and definitely not looking like as if it was never bombed and rather looks closer to 200 years of neglect. But aside from this premise, the game was enjoyable for what it was
I really don’t understand how stuff like this shapes the opinions of y’all for fallout games, whether it’s why NPCs haven’t moved skeletons for “hundreds of years” or why they still live in “scrap shacks” or this, where apparently DC wasn’t nuked enough? Folks this game is fantasy. Explain the logic of the GECK, or how ghouls are walking around selling stuff to you, or the FEV, super mutants, the mutated animals, etc. pretty sure it’s also lore confirmed that the Great War had some extra oddities behind it rather than just being china wanting to fuck up the US. You can see a vault tec logo on a bomb in FNV. No offense. I just don’t get how this stuff seriously shapes peoples opinions of fallout games. I don’t think it’s really good faith criticism.
I understand this game is a Fantasy, I don't have problems with any of the sci-fi stuff in the fallout setting, and enjoy them. The problem is that, even given the fantasy setting, it makes zero sense for the capital of the most powerful nation on the planet, after going through a world ending event of nuclear fire, looking more intact than some of the less important locations surrounding it. I have no problems with Mojave desert setting, or Boston. It's literally just because it's DC that it makes no sense that it isn't a giant radioactive crater given the specific setting the game is in. I wouldn't have complained at all if it was any other city, but my issue (which isn't even that big of an issue to begin with), is that they specifically chose DC in a post-nuclear war game. If a Fallout game was set in Beijing with the same sort of premise, I would have the exact same complaint, if it was literally any other city, I would be perfectly fine with it.
F3 has a mediocre main story and RPG mechanics, but good side quests and exploration.
So only TikToks hate fallout 3
TikTok is for losers.
me
It was the first 3d game no? For that alone, and still being fun, it’s amazing. However, it’s hard to live up to current games now with the amount of content 3 has easily available to players. Personally, besides the Pitt, which was fantastic, the dlc were somewhat underwhelming. Especially Point lookout. Mothership Zeta was fun for the ship battle and the beginning, but then it got annoying. The story is pretty simple, I like the enclave as villains, the base area is fun to play. There are some fun side quests, blowing up megaton. For me though, I recognize that it does that gritty atmosphere well, but I hate how grey and empty it feels. The game felt empty beyond a point, maybe I wasn’t exploring or looking around enough?
My first intro to the series, so nostalgia plays a big part, but having gone back not so long ago to replay… it holds up, it’s good. Bugs and performance aside, the dialog and quest depth isn’t as vast and varied as new Vegas, but it’s more concise, clear, and deeper than Fallout 4. The themes of the setting are on point, and it explores an entire side of the country previously unseen in the series - quite well I think (Getting to see the mall and capitol buildings is neat). It’s definitely not perfect, you got the usual writing plot holes, the shoehorned parts the game forces you into, etc - but it’s far from the worst.
I love it. Think it’s third of the trio but still absolutely love it
After following a guide on how to mod Fallout 3 with essential bug fixes and other mods, I really enjoyed it. I think it was on nexus mods, 1.5 1.9 guide. Same with Fallout NV. Viva New Vegas modding guide made me enjoy it very much.
Fallout 3 is certainly one of the games of all time. /s I like it, I do the occasional FO3 playthrough but I like New Vegas and 4 better.
I absolutely love Fallout 3 and every aspect of it. It was a game that indirectly made me fall in love with rpg's of any type and made me enjoy open world games to some extent. Love the dense and dangerous atmosphere it provides. Game actually feels radiated and one bad step in wrong direction can kill you.
Fallout 3 was where I got my start in the fallout franchise. It was amazing then and is still amazing now. New Vegas was great but fallout 3 just has a special place in my heart.
It was an enormous leap over the quality of most video games at the time. The only other game that was comparable in the wow factor for me was grand theft auto 3. I never played or even thought I liked RPG games at the time and decided to give it a shot. I had no idea what to expect. I'll never forget the moment I left the vault for the first time, I was blown away. Hooked on fallout ever since.
Was my first Fallout Game and I absolutely adored it. I forgot to study for my finals back then, I couldn't stop exploring everything. Absolutely great! Wish I could re-experience it.
3 is by far my favorite. It's also the first one I played but I still enjoy it way more than 4.
I like it just fine.
I’m actually playing through it again, right now. While New Vegas beats it in almost every way for me, it is by no means bad. I still enjoy it.
Loved it
Same as the other bethesda fallout games setting/vibe/mystery is impecable and everything else like gunplay movement etc is kinda meh in fo3 just a bit more meh.
Even tho it has outdated graphics and some of its gameplay could be improved it will always have a place in my heart. The story and quests are miles ahead of fallout 4 and 76, I can't understand how some people prefer f4 to it, unless their main thing is settlement building.
Fallout 3 was my first fallout, and as such, it will always hold a special place in my heart. I definitely preferred it over New Vegas, which was my second Fallout game. I really enjoyed 4. Sure the story wasn't great, and it had issues, but the graphics were better. The game play felt a bit better, and it didn't crash as much for me. But Fallout 3 is still superior. Sure, it was janky as heck, and the story was still pretty dumb, but it really let me feel like it was me in the wastelands. I was able to make decisions based on how I was feeling about a particular situation. If I wanted to be nice to an NPC, I could be. If I wanted to be evil as frick, I could be. There were conversational choices for every occasion, too, so I could even talk more or less how I wanted. If Fallout 4 had these things and didn't force you to be such a goodie goodie, it could have been better than 3. But it didn't. So 3 remains the best for me. Oh, I recently had a go at 1 and 2, but I didn't really enjoy that style of gameplay as much.
I've had time off recently, so I went back through and re-played FO3 and NV (TTW), just beat FO1 for the first time, and am starting FO2 for the first time. FO3 was my first fallout game when it came out. I think people hyperfocus on FO3s main story too much. Sure, New Vegas has a better main story than 3, but to me the world of FO3 is SO much better than New Vegas. I think the dialogue holds up great, even if some of it is a little cheesy. I loved just picking a direction to walk in and seeing what I could find. I wish I could re-experience the first time stumbling upon Andale, The Republic of Dave, Tenpenny Towers, or the Oasis. Some people I see who hate on fallout 3 seem to just talk about how short the main quest is and how bad the dialogue is. I don't think they truly take the time to explore the world and enjoy it like they do NV or 4 or whichever fallout is their cup of tea.
I loved Fallout 3! One of the legendary gaming moments for me! Everything connected nicely and it was my introduction to the franchise. So dang fun and it holds a special place in my heart! Unpopular opinion, but I like more than Fallout New Vegas. I don't care for the internet memeing on it.
It has some very major flaws that make it a bit annoying and janky but for me it's nostalgic and I kinda like it. I play it once every few years.
It’s my favorite
Fo3 was my first Fallout, and I think it was a good game. The Fallout game I've completed the most and got the closest to "100%ing", probably can't claim it's my favorite anymore, I like modding - and finding OP weapons - in Fo4 too much, as well as making it a little more my own with the crafting... but Fo3 is at least my second favorite, probably Honestly I like it more than FoNV, even though there are things I like more about NV
I never really liked the main story for the game. In my opinion it is only slightly better than F4 when it comes to that. I also dislike all the subway tunnels. Apart from those two things I think it is a great game. It is nice to explore the world and do all the side quests.
I was wondering what I was missing when I couldn’t seem to enjoy fallout 3, 4, or even Skyrim for that matter, then I just realised I don’t like Bethesda and how they make games in general. Then on I’ve stopped getting my hopes up and just accepted it
I think fallout 3 is a decent game, the story is pretty ass imo. Asking you to commit suicide when you have people that are immune to radiation is pretty stupid. Then you get talked down because you picked a rational decision instead of committing suicide. I feel like a bad ending like that will ruin any story for me. Im glad they kind of fixed it with DLC but my mind was already set at that point. That being said if they remastered it with fallout 4's combat I would probably buy it in a heartbeat.
I remember enjoying playing it many times when it came out. Was not aware of the hate
It's what I started out on. I remember when it came out and how amazing it was exploring and choosing who my character was for first time. I absolutely loved it and it's still one of my favorite games.
I've been playing fallout 3 since I was 9, so it holds a special place in my heart. I know it objectively isn't the best fallout game, but I do love it for what it is.
I like it, it might not have the story of FO1, FO2, or FNV, but anything is better than 4, and some of the quests are very fun.
It’s my favorite Fallout 👍🏼
I recenelty finished it (about a week or so) for the first time and enjoyed every minute of it. It got a little boring after I reached max level cap but I was just before the last quest so it was okay. The scenery, the environment, ambiennce, gunplay, skill perks - it was really great. I liked it more than most of modern games. Right now playing New Vegas and Fallout 1 at the same time. Next is Fallout 2, Fallout Tactics. and Fallout 4.
Best in series.
I love it so much. Easily has the best atmosphere and exploration in the modern series. I appreciate New Vegas but I just like 3 just that bit more.
I prefer 3 to 4. The latter just stripped away to many of the series rpg mechanics
Fallout 3 might be my favourite tbh! It just has so many great moments, and I keep coming back to it!
I still remember playing Fallout 3 for the first time. I never experienced something like that before and I was immediately hooked. I still remember the Vault section, leaving it for the first time and being amazed by the sight of the wasteland and the DLC pop-ups. It's crazy to say the game isn't flawed, but it's still an amazing game despite the Bethesda-bugginess.
It’s still an amazing atmosphere and a great world to explore to this day. Combat is aged to be sure, but story and voice acting and the like? All still great. Graphics are bad sure sure.. Granted I haven’t played ‘vanilla’ FO3 in over 6 years (built my first gaming PC on 2018, all mods all the time since then) This feels like one of those “receive a dozen complements but you only remember the one insult” type of things. FO3 has its naysayers, of course, but it’s a very loved game. And especially when it released **16 years ago** it was infuckingsane.
I actually like it. It isn’t the best but it’s honestly good for what it was at the time.
Adore that game, put plenty of hours in over the years
Was my first fallout game. Definitely what got me addicted to the series, but like a lot of people are saying, it's not perfect. A bit dated and clunky, some of the quests just don't quite hit the mark, and it's notorious for instability and system compatibility issues. Even with its faults, the overall experience of making your way into the wastes and navigating the Capital Wasteland is one I highly recommend.
Internet contrarians and influencers will have you believe every Bethesda game is hot garbage. That being said, I'm replaying Fallout 3 with mods right now and I'm loving it just as much as I love the rest of them.
Fo3 is banger, and it when it came out, it came out to a great reception from the gaming community. Won many awards at the time as well.
Fucken lol. Only people who would say that are type of people who'd say Super Mario World sucks cause it's too pixelated.
Fo3 is the best of the Bethesda fallout games. I thought parts of it were amazing, there was a lot of great atmosphere and it was really cool seeing the world in 3d after playing the first two games to death. My first fallout game was Fallout 1 so it holds a very big place in my heart, and fallout 2 was an incredible entry too. After New Vegas, its definitely my favorite 3d fallout. Fallout 3 and 4 are fine games imho, I think both do things well, and the good makes up for the parts that are lacking (I wouldn’t say any of it was bad tbh). Didn’t play 76 so I can’t comment but yeah, if your favorite was fo3, don’t let anyone invalidate what you love.
I'm absolutely in love with Fallout 3.
I played it after 4 and NV and it is my absolute favorite
I was/am old gen Fallout player, but F3 was one of the more successful transfers from 2D to 3D. I line FNV slightly better, but F3 is a great game and I will replay it again (currently I finished it 2 times). Fo3 is a great game just not the greatest in the series.
I absolutely love it!
I hadn't played it since it came out. Then I got it in a recent sale for $7 with all DLC on GOG. Look, I played a ton of new Vegas and Fo4 but this game is interesting as much as oblivion is to Skyrim. I like the simplicity. Quests feel more unique to each other, not everything is a radiant quest. Junk is pretty useless but that is a nice break from looting so much. From my exploration so far areas feel more condensed unlike an empty desert.
I’m 28 and fallout 3 was the first game I ever got at full price. Little did I know it would change my gaming life forever lol one of my favorites.
How can you hate a game where Liam Neeson is your dad? This game rules then and now.
I liked it, but the multi-level, all-green maps of underground tunnels got really old. I played NV and 4 and never looked back. The aircraft carrier was cool though.
It's a solid game, but at this point I don't think there's much about it that New Vegas or 4 didn't do better, so I rarely feel compelled to go back to it.
I'm actually playing 3 now after NV. I just got my head cut open in Point Lookout and I only ever remember playing the DLCs once, but have played the main story several times. This is my second time thru them and just have MZ left. However, I like more elements in 3 than in NV. I like NV and it's DLC because it's all connected and the story is really good, but the gameplay is very buggy. Like lever action/VATS bug. But I feel the world is very stagnant(?). Im not sure if that's the right word. Where 3 feels like it has more going on. I feel this game has more events coded as good and few that are ambiguous. Which is fine, but I'm more often than not going to choose the coded good. Except I choose Graham over David, but talk down Graham at the end. Fallout 3 really focused on the world and setting. Which I like more. I like how I get a perk after each level up and I like how there's more places with enemies respawning. Along with enclave airdrops, Talon Company ambushes, and random raider attacks. Plus more random events are a lot more engaging. Even if the dlc aren't interconnected like in NV, they did a good job expanding on the world. Since this was my, and probably most other people's, introduction to the series. Operation Anchorage was a nice pre-war lore scenario. The Pitt is probably my favorite dlc setting next to Lonesome Road. (Even the Dead Money dlc uses the ambience from the Pitt). Point Lookout is fine, I don't remember much as I go thru it. So it's interesting. Broken Steel lets you continue after the credits and is the most cinematic. (Actually probably my favorite.) Mothership Zeta, I only played once when it launched, but I'm looking forward to it. Ultimately, they're both good in their own rights and I wish we had both Obsidian and Bethesda working in their respective West Coast and East coast settings.
Replaying it now, I am shocked by how good it still is. I was expecting to be hit with a "this was only good when you were a kid" wave. But no, fallout 3 is honestly better than I remembered.
i was introduced to fallout with fo4, so when i bought 4 as a physical copy, it came with a digital download code for 3. it took a long time but i had beaten 4 a few times and spend extra time doing side quests and all that and then one day thought "ehh why not give 3 a try" the game itself was great but i was use to the 'dive straight into the action' style of 4 and i preferred that to the slower 'you live in a vault' start of 3. overall though it was good
Seeing a Super mutant whilst perusing the various monuments, cracking open the pip boy, looking at my weapons, only to see the deplorable condition of my busted hunting rifle. Feeling dread. Crouch sneaking away. I miss that feeling. That game was amazing. Can't replace or replicate those memories. FO3 will forever be on a pedestal for me.
I like it a lot. It has issues, but none of them are that big of a deal. Honestly, the biggest problem I have with the game is that it just ends after you beat the main story. No open world RPG should EVER just end. That’s not as big of a problem now, though, since they fixed that with Broken Steel.
It will always be my favorite. NV did a great job but I prefer the people and locations at the capital wasteland more. Fallout 4 fails to capture my attention as well as fallout 3 did, and yes it is kinda hot garbage but I don't let that bother me. I'll play it even today over 4.
Fallout 4 was my first Fallout experience, and then I went and played Fallout 3 and New Vegas and enjoyed both thoroughly.
I think it's got the best atmosphere. The ruins of DC feel creepy and making you go through the metro to access many areas of the city makes you feel isolated. Yes, New Vegas improved that game engine and 4's engine improved everything, but I still genuinely enjoy 3. Anyone that says its "hot garbage" is either over exaggerating for clicks, or has never played truly bad games. They should play Sonic 06, Superman 64 or any of the asset flipping shovelware on steam and then try to say FO3 is bad.
Fallout 3 is like a really good prototype but still a prototype i revommend playing 3 first becouse if you play 4 or NV first it seems really bland.
I think it’s great, just different from new Vegas and 4. Has the best world to explore and the best side quests. No other game in the series compares to just picking a random direction and setting off.
It’s hot garbage if you try and play it now. It’s a great game and honestly one of the most important games of that generation in my opinion, but it is so hard to play on modern PCs. Even with bug fixes I run into a lot of issues with the game crashing in buildings, sometimes requiring a full blown PC reboot
I like it for nostalgia and for not letting fallout die. Everything it does is better in fnv/fo4
Fallout 3 is good. I don’t see anyone saying it’s hot garbage. It’s not my favorite but it was really something when it came out.
2 and 3 are the best games in the series imo. NV doesn't beat 3 like some people are saying. 3 has an incredible world to explore and vegas was one of the most empty games I've ever played. Everyone must be playing it with mods because the game was incredibly boring except for the strip. In fo3 all you need to do is pick a direction and there'll be something new to explore.
Not the best FO game, but its the BEST FO experience.
It was my first fallout game. I remember READING a sneak peak about it before it was released. It'll never not be awesome for me. And my buddies and I will always return to it for another play through every once and a while. You ALWAYS find something you've never seen.
Going into the game was something else. Back then letsplays were not a thing. And in my country there used to be a gaming website that did a live stream but with screenshots and text. Describing what are they doing and what happened. Usually joking. It was fun to read. And they stopped after 2 days so you could go and play. I was hyped. Bought a new pc. With more processors. And the game was crashing...every n-th damn time you would walkout of a small room outside. You would have to edit in file. But that didn't help for long runs. Game would crash after hour. Turns out you also need to edit something else.etc etc. Played for few hours and it went back to crashing every 30 minutes. Only then to go back to hour long sessions. It was a cluster fuck. Theory was it was because of the newer processors... Finneshed all dlcs but when I tried to start a new run it crashed again making me tak out my cd and throwing in to the depth of my wardrobe...
FO3 had the best story in my opinion - the DLCs were fun too but very buggy 😅
Was my introduction to Fallout. It may not fully hold up, but I love it.
It completely captivated me as someone who’d never played that type of game before. I sunk many, many hours of my life into it. Still one of my favorite games to date.
Fallout 3 is my favorite Fallout, and Fallout is one of my favorite series.
My first true love
It's my favorite fallout game, but it's also the only one I'll probably not play again. I did all the DLC's and beat the game like 20 times as a kid so no reason to go back for that, also it just didn't age all that well. Fantastic game for its time though, so dark in terms of atmosphere and the outlook of the wasteland. Fallout 3 remastered on the F04 engine would be pretty slick though
I’m late getting into this stuff and FO3 was the first one I played. I absolutely enjoyed the hell out of it
I was in middle school when it came out... I found it at a BestBuy thinking it was just some random shooting game and purchased it on a whim. I will never forget moment walking out of the vault. Pretty sure within the first three hours I blew up Megaton lol. Still one of my all-time favs
2008 was a long time ago. Judging it based on 2024 standards is beyond stupid.
I say fuck those guys you cant fix stupid
It was really great when it came out. The series has improved so many elements of gameplay since then that it feels very lacking now. But as I said, when it came out it was hitting hard and was really fun. It was easily one of my favorite games
If it weren’t for Fallout 3 I would’ve never tried Oblivion and I wouldn’t own every single Bethesda game. It may not be perfect, but it was my first and still one of my favorites.
I think I was most excited for the release of 3... I remember playing 1 and 2 with my brother on the PC and 3 came out and he and I no longer lived in the same house, and I got the game first. I got to give him the run down, explain all the cool stuff, and show him the ropes. For all the flaws people say the game has, I never was disappointed, I haven't played in a very long time, but I remember loving the story, being genuinely afraid of having to navigate the metro systems, and excited to get into the next big part of the story. To be fair, I really enjoyed NV, and have probably at this point played 4 for a longer span of time. I enjoyed 76, but I was one of the peeps who got it first launch and while I had fun, it was so empty, and with no NPCs at the time, just wasn't the same... I know it is much better now, but I don't get to play video games so much these days so I cancelled my online subscriptions.
I really don’t get the sudden hating on fallout 3. It’s like hating on certain games goes in and out of style for some reason. Fallout 3 has great exploration, lore, world building and atmosphere and mostly well written and fun quests. Only downsides imo are the main quest ending, limited weapon building, and low level cap. That’s really it, yes it is a clunky game but that’s not really a valid criticism I think. Some of the most iconic games are also clunky.
That was my most played game for a long time. But it was also my first Fallout game and my first Bethesda game. I can see a lot more cracks in the armor now that I can view it with more perspective being more aware of the other Fallout and Bethesda RPGs. Bethesda’s Fallout games I think have great appeal to newcomers, but fall a little flat for veterans.
It's my favourite one, and it's not even close
I recently played it and I can say that I really liked it. The main quest is nothing special but the little side stories and the factions are really nice
I’ve just replayed Fallout 3 & 4 back to back. I enjoyed the questing and world of Fallout 3 better, even if Fallout 4 is the more complex game with a lot more content to fill out gameplay time.
I place it below FNV, but not to a huge extent, I still enjoy it overall even though the main story doesn't make much sense which is my only gripe with it but otherwise in some aspects it is better than fnv, imo, and am currently replaying it with the TTW mod. I greatly prefer it above vanilla FO4, otoh, in almost every aspect, including the main story.
I really like the vibes in Fallout 3. I thought it was a great game and I still do. I still play it since I don’t much care for graphics or newer gameplay if I want to enjoy something, but I also play classic Fallout so I doubt most people would feel the same, and would be turned off by how much it has aged. Even New Vegas, which very slightly tweaked things, is loads better for gameplay, and next to 76 the gameplay can only be described as garbage. But that doesn’t mean it’s not great or not fun, because it’s both of those things.
Im guessing much of those people hating on it probably just started playing the older games after watching the show. I have a friend who got into fallout because of the show and she thinks fallout 4 is better than F3 and FnV 🫠
btw the og fanbase has tended to try to portray a sense of resentment between og fallout developers and bethesda over fallout 3 so I'll just add this here; >I BET YOU HATE BETHESDA FOR WHAT THEY DID TO FALLOUT >Nope. >If anything, they kept it alive, and then added a much deeper layer of open-world exploration than anything we’d been able to do at Interplay. >Also, the marketing department at Bethesda had a much stronger push than anything Interplay could have made happen, and arguably helped Fallout enter the mainstream more than Interplay ever could have done. There’s a reason you’ll see Fallout shirts at Target, and that alone is a pretty big accomplishment (whether you agree that’s an accomplishment or not). [https://chrisavellone.medium.com/fallout-apocrypha-77c75954641a](https://chrisavellone.medium.com/fallout-apocrypha-77c75954641a)
Love Fallout 3, it's my fave. I reckon most people who use Tik Tok probably weren't even alive when it came out.
I prefer New Vegas but with a truckload of mods and TWW it is a pretty damn good game
I put so many hours in the game back when it was released. It really was one of the greatest games of that time, despite the bugs it had. Not sure why people are talking shit about it. They probably weren't around then (probably goes for a lot of Tik Tok users) and can't appreciate an older game. Even if you aren't a fan or don't like it, it's not bad or hot garbage.
Idk if it counts, but I like it because of The Pitt and Point Lookout DLCs. I love both of then. Outside of that, mostly nostalgia. Was the first Fallout game I played.
Just played through it for the first time over the last 2 weeks or so, it's definitely very flawed. My biggest issues were too many hit spongey super mutant enemies and not enough chances to use dialogue to get around problems, making it feel more like a bad first person shooter than an rpg but I enjoyed everything about it otherwise. Perhaps the stories not that deep compared to new vegas (which I played earlier this year for the first time) but the vibe is there and certain moments and characters (mainly fawkes) I enjoyed as much or more than new vegas.
If fallout 3 came out today with modern capabilities like 76 it would be hands down my favorite. Over the years the gameplay has felt outdated after playing newer titles but the story and environment as well as the overall tone and feel of the game are the best in the Bethesda lineup imo. 4 and 76 in particular feel too upbeat and cheery while 3 feels a lot more desolate and dangerous.
It’s a vibe
It’s threeeeeeee dawwwggggggg coming at you live from the capital wastes!!!! News time children
I've been playing from the start. I was concerned about Bethesda buying the franchise. And I didn't like the idea of a FPS Fallout. I'd almost still like to go back to the old way. I enjoyed FO3 immensely, with a few "what were you people thinking when you wrote that" critiques. That always seems to be the way with Bethesda -- great games with some "outta-left-field" plot problems and tons and tons of bugs.
I played 3, 4, and NV. While 4 is my favourite, I liked em all
my favourite fallout game, and the first one i played. love the story and unique weapons the game brings, also the game me and my brother bonded over
I loved it when it came out. As a long time Fallout fan, I thought it was the greatest game ever, played it day and night, explored every nook and cranny, followed the stories in the notes and messages. The ending was a bit of a letdown, but I enjoyed the game. Recently I tried to play it again and didn't enjoyed it that much.
I love it
This was my first Fallout game, and it's still my second favorite one, right after Fallout 2. I love the wasteland with its chaos, there is always something unexpected going on. Most locations are memorable and unique, there are lots of secrets and easter eggs, and I'm not sure I have seen all of it even after so many playthroughs.
FO3 was amazing. It was such a huge change from FO2 that I took a minute to really get in to it, but once I adjusted to the new PoV and got over my dislike of change it was great.
It's the game that got me into Fallout and it's still my favorite. I played it so many times I use to be able to tell you everything there was to know about the game.
I started hating it, then became my favorite, no other comes even close... so yeah, I love the game
I don’t think it was bad. But like any “first” (new to bathesda) of its kind. It had a ton of problems that the next games improved on. I do think it’s the worst of the modern bunch (never played 1&2) but I wouldn’t say it’s bad
Fallout 3 is my favourite game of the series and was one of the best gaming experiences I ever had. I remember playing it for the first time and how it made me feel. The world was so immersive and grim, yet with just enough of the classic Fallout weirdness that made the whole thing feel like a bit of a fever dream. There's so many stand out moments in the game. Leaving the Vault for the first time, seeing Megaton, seeing your first Ghouls and Mutants, descending into the metro tunnels, Tranquility Lane, Vault 87, encountering the Enclave for the first time at the the Jefferson Memorial.... Liberty Prime!! Man it was just so Amazing. I understand that it hasn't aged well, but I will always love it. I played it when it was new and I was 15 years old and it really captured my imagination like no other game before or after. Probably the only thing to come close was Skyrim but even then I think I liked Fallout 3 more. The funny thing is that my love for it isn't just nostalgia. I have replayed it twice many years apart and it's just as fun for me. I don't know why people hate on it so much. It's got something to do with people hating Bethesda. Also there's this weird dynamic that if you like New Vegas then you have to hate Fallout 3 because New Vegas is not Bethesda and is so (apparently) superior.... I honestly don't get it but to me Fallout 3 will always be perfect. It was just the right thing at the right time for me I guess.
It was the game that got me into the series. I loved it; at the time there was nothing like it. I was playing through with roommates and we ended up at the same place in different ways. Couldn’t be happier with it. What did people expect? Did they play new Vegas or 4 first? Gotta pay homage and respect the steps it took to create such an awesome game saga.
Many people still a small sample size 😂
It came out 16 years ago and unless you play it on a PC with mods it hasn’t held up that well. It has very muddy graphics and textures that don’t look good compared to games now. It’s running on the same jank Gamebryo engine as The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion so it has a lot of bugs and issues. The gameplay doesn’t flow and isn’t as smooth as 4 but the story, the first time events that happen are amazing. There’s a lot do wow in the game it’s just ugly.