IGN said:As improved as Fallout 3 is, it still feels like Oblivion in a lot of ways (even if you can't sprint -- though you do move faster if your weapon is holstered). The world map works exactly like Oblivion's, as you can fast travel to places you've already been. Hitting select brings up Oblivion's "time pass" feature as well, buying you time to recover or move the in-game clock along to a more desirable point. Even the inventory system and interface is taken right out of the last Elder Scrolls, so there should be a high level of familiarity for returning players here. For me, that's a good thing, though, as the game seems to strike just enough of a balance between the "new" and the "classic" to advance the engine...
When coupled with other elements such as limited environmental damage (cars blow up, etc), the fact that monsters avoid combat if they think they can't win, and the player ability to "surrender" to another NPC during combat by holstering your weapon, the world of Fallout 3 becomes real pretty quickly...
...it's as deep as the ocean, handles responsively, and brings enough fan-service from Bethesda's two franchises to make it a strong contender for the best RPG of the year.
GameSpy said:we met a bartender with horribly scarred skin that wanted to speak with us for a bit. The fact that one of your first responses to him is "GAH, F@&#! What are you?!?" gives you a pretty good idea of the game's particularly sick brand of humor...
As we walked, we scavenged a bit and found a rifle similar to ours in an old mailbox...
...Any game that allows you to wipe a whole town off the face of the Earth (especially after meeting its citizens) is alright by us.
I have nothing to add, really.