I didn’t know what to expect from Fallout 3. I knew there were earlier games in the series, but I’d always struggled with isometric RPGs. Something about that perspective made me feel disconnected from my character, which is the opposite of what you want in an RPG. The only exception was Diablo, but that was more about chasing loot than getting pulled into a story.
Playing through the introduction, living out my character’s early years, I still wasn’t sure what I was in for. It felt almost like a shooter, but the dialogue was sharp, and the dark humour shone through right from the start. Escaping the Vault to search for my character’s father, I didn’t quite know what kind of game Fallout 3 was trying to be.
Then the Vault doors opened.
I stepped out into the blinding sun and saw the ruined sprawl of the Capital Wasteland for the first time. I looked around, taking in the collapsed highways and skeletal buildings, and thought:
Ah. I recognise you now.
I’d been a huge fan of Oblivion, spending countless hours chasing every quest and exploring every corner of its world. Now, I was faced with what felt like Oblivion in an alternate, post-apocalyptic future—and I couldn’t have been happier.
I ignored the quest marker and set off in a random direction, free to explore in a world that seemed to say, Go on, see what’s out there.
Unfortunately for me, what was “out there” turned out to be a nearby ruin where I ran into the local raiders. Let’s just say they weren’t exactly welcoming—and their idea of a meet-and-greet involved shooting first and not asking questions later. Not the friendliest start, but it was the perfect introduction to Fallout 3’s chaotic, darkly funny world—and I was hooked from that moment on.
