Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition

Arriving in the Capital Wasteland for the first time was a moment I will never forget as a gamer. All RPG fans should have this game in their library.

As of 2025 this game is now unplayable. Even with zero mods or third-party content the game crashes to desktop immediately upon startup, even downloading fan-made patches does nothing to resolve whatever issue is now plaguing this game. Frankly, it's a disgrace that Bethesda is allowing one of it's flagship titles to fall further and further into an unplayable state. Fallout 3 was THE game that got many people, myself included, interested in the Fallout series to begin with. And to see the developer just (for lack of a better term) leave this game to die? It continues to degrade my already low trust in the management of this company. ESPECIALLY when TES3: Morrowind is a much older game, on older technology, and is still a playable game over 20 years later even in vanilla. If I had any ability to do so, I'd ask for a refund, because to be blunt I don't want the video game equivilant of a terminal disease patient clogging up my library. I'll be waiting eagerly for the release of the fan-made Fallout 3 remake in Fallout 4's engine. Because at this point, fans of these games are better developers than Bethesda ever has been, and probably ever will be. TLDR: DO NOT BUY THIS GAME. It doesn't work on modern systems.

Amazing story.. Amazing Ending... AMAZING gameplay and gunplay... not once in my 42 hours of gameplay did i find myself bored.. This was AMAZING

FINALLY RUNS!!! Really good game, but it's not as many unique weapons as there are in NV that has a different look. (Might've been less resources to do that.) Yet I enjoy the guns (not in vanilla ADS) functionality and gameplay.

I used to be a Fallout New Vegas diehard, but after replaying this game I have come around. This game is fun; right off the bat as you exit the starting area you can go ANYWHERE. You can run into many different encounters that may end in defeat, but you learn to run away and live another day. Really makes you feel like a lone wanderer.

I've 100% Fallout 3 (twice). Once I had done so in 2022. This was a playthrough I did after playing Fallout 4. I wanted to see the predecessor to Fallout 4. Twice, I had do so in 2024. So I consider myself knowledgeable on the game. Fallout 3 is not a bad game by any means. Mechanically it suffers in a lot of areas; even for a game in 2008. It thankfully doesn't suffer from Bethesda-Bug-Syndrome; due to patches that have been released. But you'll most likely see a crash once or twice. Depends what mods you have installed (I had none). Fallout 3 doesn't have iron sights that most FPS games have. When you aim your weapon, the gun just moves closer to the screen. I also think as a "Fallout" game, it is poorly done. You remember in Fallout 4 where you felt your choices didn't matter? Or your choices didn't have impact? In Fallout 3 this is where this orginated. Now some of your choices matter, but they aren't felt throughout the wasteland. Granted, Bethesda's true goal was to create a 3D version of the franchise everyone loved in the late 90s, and they did their job successfully. The atmosphere is top notch, and graphics look good (on gamebyro of ALL THINGS). BEFORE YOU BUY: Please get the GOTY edition. You get all 5 DLC packs (one of them continues the main story) and you get to continue playing the game after concluding the original game. The level cap also increases by ten. Some of the DLC is really good/experimental. Barring quality, I would pick the GOTY editon just so you can continue playing after beating the game. What the game does well: Since Bethesda removed traits (brought back in FNV). They incorporated a VATS system. This stops time and throws in a turn-based mechanic into the game. This is the highlight of the game and one of the best things Bethesda added to the Fallout franchise. The basic priniciples are there. Your SPECIAL stats, perks, skills etc... OVERALL: The game is a good FPS/Exploration game. It's also a "decent" RPG, but I think it fails as a Fallout game if you desire consequences to your actions. P.S. hey at least there isn't a voiced protagonist. Right?? (Oops, your character says "dada" in the tutorial. Oh well...)

This game is good but i recommend fellow scientists to get ready to have to deal with many, many bugs.

Disclaimer: This review is based on the game with all DLC content installed. Short review; subject to change or replacement later. Fallout 3 has sparked debate for over a decade, some love it, others don’t. I’ve played every DLC and done multiple playthroughs, and honestly, I think it’s worth your time. It might not be the best Fallout game out there, but with all the DLCs included, it offers a ton of fun and interesting gameplay. Definitely worth sinking a weekend (or three) into.

The first FPS RPG I've played that taught me what RPG is all about. Multitude choices are given in every quest leading to different outcomes. You can choose your own journey. The world building, especially different vaults, and characters you encounter are so unique. If you weren't a lore person before, you most likely will turn into one. It knows not to take itself too seriously giving good laughs time to time. Listening to silly radio broadcasts, mapping and using V.A.T. combat system with Pip-Boy greatly heighten the joy of exploration.

My favorite Fallout game is pretty much by far New Vegas, BUT, that is not to say Fallout 3 isn't a great Fallout game, I try not to be an absolute New Vegas supremacist. The only problem I really have with Fallout 3 is that there's no option to side with the enclave or any other faction besides the Brotherhood, so It isn't really an RPG in the same way that New Vegas and 4 are, but that's not much of a big deal. Gameplay is pretty much identical to New Vegas (since it is the blueprint Obsidian used to make New Vegas), so I had no problem getting into it. None of the DLCs are duds, in fact they're all pretty great, and $20 for everything is a pretty insane deal.

I played many hours when it came out, but now that it is available to newer PCs I have given it a few new plays. I like the constant danger and difficulty keeping your equipment functional. I thought I would never want food that delivered more radiation than nutrition, but found myself eating and drinking everything in sight while putting off the radiation problem "later". The factions are simplistic and I have found my character is either very good or very evil with not much chance to follow a middle ground. I guess that alone is reason to try playing it just one more time.

My first Fallout game, and one of my first RPGs. Nostalgia aside, solid game for the year it came out. Bethesda brought their A game.

Honestly a great game, often overshadowed by NV and 4, which are arguably superior entries in the fallout franchise. However, this game stands on its own and it does it well. I found the game to be both encapsulating and fun, albeit probably the slowest start out of all the games, it does what it sets out to do very well and provides a great story and gameplay to compliment the overall experience. Where this game outshines the other entries is the ambiance or "vibes" it can bring to you as a player. The capital wastleland is desolate and it truly feels like what a nuclear wasteland should be. There is nothing goofy or silly like you find in FO:4 and civilization is much more sparse than in NV. I also found the brutality of combat to be extremely fun. Blowing off a raiders head in one shot with a shotgun in Fallout 3 feels way more raw than in the other entries for some reason I can't put my finger on. I found the main quest to be decent, and some of the DLC were fun as well. They are no lonesome road, but the pitt stands on its own as a great and often overlooked DLC fans don't talk about as much, which is a shame since it's an excellent piece of world-building and amazing RPG elements and decision making. Honestly even point lookout is quite good, and invokes a sense of eerie creepiness not easily replicated (though attempted by other DLC such as dead money etc). In fact, it would seem that point lookout actually inspired FO:4's far harbor, which again is something that is often overlooked by fans. Overall I rate Fallout 3 a 7.5/10. It's a great standalone game that is simply overshadowed by two other games which do certain things slightly better, but on its own it still does a great job. If you are a fan of RPGs or Fallout, even if you are part of the younger generation, do yourself a favor and pick this one up. I think any fan of the series will greatly enjoy it.

A solid rpg. It hasn’t aged the best, but it’s worth playing for the role playing elements. I didn’t like the ending I got but just me.

A great game that introduced me to the Fallout series when I played it ten years ago on the PS3. There's plenty of things left to be desired (Especially if you were like me and went and played Fallout 4 and New Vegas before coming back to this game) but still definitely packed full of fun to be had. It'll make the other entries I mentioned even more fun. It was cheap and lots of fun per dollar value in 2025, especially with $80 games now! If you don't mind some old graphics, give it a try!

okay so what the hell. played this game for 5 hours with my eyeballs touching my screen, thought it was real life. super mutant comes out the screen and tears my scalp off or something haha.

I played this on the xbox 360 for a bit till it took a shit or red ring of death. I picked this up for my steam deck and it works great. It's a good game as far as xbox 360 era things go. It's a decent game and worth a play through, especially if you have some time to get games in at work on the steam deck.

this game still claps .. i remember me and my bro grinding when we were 12 getting all the unique weapons off orcideas videos. i just put in 60 hours and can say its an even better experience now. this game is perfect. its the best fallout by far. i know it says i've played like 40 minutes but thats because i had to rewrite the .ini cuz it kept crashing. ez fix. btw moira brown could get it

since youve never heard of it before. its great, map is buggy, poorly aligned, crashesfairly often, but still prefer playing it on pc vs console

Great game, but good lord getting it to boot for the first time was a hassle. Definitely some fiddling to do before you can play.

This game is an absolute legend. It is worth playing over and over.

1 of the best games ever made but if your depressed it the best last game to play untill you turn 30

I haven't finished the main storyllne yet but having the GOTY edition with all the DLCS means the game won't just end, if I do, so it's ok either way. That said, I came close enough to the end before the game crashed to see what was what, and am going to do some other things first. I'm a completionist, like to do everything I can rather than run through the game at top speed, and played Fallout4 GOTY obsessively, got all the achievements but that one maximum settlement happiness, so you could say I licked the plate clean on Fallout 4. There was nothing left to do, but try Fallout 3 and I actually find it better than Fallout4! I can't really pin down why, but somehow it just seems more real, more immersive. More exciting. VATS (Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting) was something I didn't bother with in Fallout4, found it interrupted the flow of combat too much for too little gain. In the early game of Fallout 3, I learned to used VATS. It was that or die over and over. Went back to not using it, and went heavy on a sneak/snipe playstyle once I got strong enough. But I think it's safe to say Fallout3 is more challenging. Also more dark in my opinion. It doesn't pussyfoot around with language and content. It's not a kid game, and it unabashedly aims at adult sensibilities in a gritty post-apocalyptic world, which I appreciate in recent times where it seems like swear words are a no-no evern in ostensibly mature games. Fallout3 lacks the irritating sense of being childproofed and sanitized. Part of the map are open to exploration, and other partrs are annoyingly closed, (a lot of metro stations prevent you from simply climbing over rubble piles and going around; you MUST go into the station or get nowhere) so I dislike any part of a game map funneling me, but it is what it is. There's still ample open barren wasteland to traverse in search of new locations, never fear. After getting deeper into the story, it does feel like Fallout4 is a watered-down version of Fallout3. Don't get me wrong, I spent more hours than I'm proud to admit, exploring every nook and cranny and ending in FO4 and enjoyed every moment of it, But of the two, 3 is more exciting, I think. 4 has a settlement system, and deeper crafting. That can be a pro or a con depending on who you are. At least in FO3, I will never have to hear Preston telling me another settlement can't wipe its own arse without my personal assistance! Might update once I complete this game but so far it has been tons of fun.

This version is the perfect training ground leading to Fallout 4. It expands well into the story of the fall of civilization and permits players to deviate from the story line. I suggest roaming the map and exploring. Learn to live the game and "off the land". Controls are simple and game play is entertaining even this many years since the making of this chapter. It's never the exact same twice.

For it's time it was a great single player shooter, adventure game. I will never forget my time playing this game.

Fallout 4 is a better game. Less frustrating as you can use Keyboard assignments for more choices. Useful for quick access to weapons, armor, aids, map access. Control of character walking and running in Fallout 3 is cumbersome. Use of VATS is less effective. My greatest frustration in DC and Fallout 3 is the difficulty moving through the map. The massive destroyed buildings are often huge barriers. The Metro tunnels are often blocked. Lots of wasted time rather than just enjoying the game. I like the concept of the game traveling through DC looking for Dad. If less frustrating I would give it a 5.

Dear New Players (Who came from watching the Fallout TV Show) 312 Hours spent playing this game on my own PC, another 300 hours spent playing on my girlfriend's PC, Possibly more than 500 hours spent on playing this game on consoles. That is the total of 1100 Hours of Fallout 3 spent. It was all worth it. This game is the GOAT. IT WON GAME OF THE YEAR FOR A REASON! If you are massively into a Dark dystopian open world RPG games with a hint of Wacky Humour. This game is for you! For new players, play vanilla first (Obviously) and then install TWO TALE OF WASTELANDS mod in your second run after completing the game. You will have the best time of your life. Don't listen to those Fallout New Vegas gate keeping t*ats who hate fallout 3 for some stupid reason. You have the right to enjoy every Fallout game without being judged. (Spoiler Alert... Liam Neeson gets to be your dad. How cool is that)

This game is the worst of the main 3d fallout's but im not saying that its bad as its still really good but the story is really focusing on the south of the wasteland so if you rush through the story you'll probaly never go to oasis or other northern settlements and locations but that doesnt mean the story is bad as its pretty great.

it's fun but you gotta download the fall out 3 intel bypass package and drag and drop just the zipped file in Porgramfiles(86) > steam > common > fall out 3 goty

Fallout 3 is a great game, sunk 20 hours into it, must say the Main Game is my favourite part, environment, storytelling, gameplay and depth is amazing. Loved the Karma system and random side quests, loved the main story. The Pitt is my favourite DLC, and second goes to Anchorage, then the rest follow with Point Lookout being my least favourite with Mothership Zeta. Broken Steel is good, enemies just a bit spongy.

I love the story, I love the goofy NPC behavior, I love the atmosphere! Hard to complain about a game this fun and with so much to do.

I don't know why my playtime for this game won't update, but i have spent wayyy more than 9 hours playing this game. It's not my favorite fallout game, but i have played through it twice (once un-modded and once during a TTW playthrough) and it is very charming. It can feel a bit empty and tedious at times, and i wish the enclave had more of a presence in the story, but it's whatever. It's definitely the middle of the road when it comes to fallout games, not the best and not the worst.

It's a good game but scarcity of a good quests is visible. The game is often comparing Fallout New Vegas in graphics and quest lines. The game consist quests that are even better than in Fallout New Vegas but it's a small part, diversity is thin. Visually it was good to visit Washington's buildings and monuments. Overall it looks like Fallout 4 with less graphics and emptier world.

This game lets me role play as a manipulative psychopath who is so charismatic that he can talk himself out of almost every situation. 9/10

El juego es bueno, la historia principal probablemente se pueda terminar en 20 horas en un primer playthrough. Los DLC están bien logrados; Point Lookout sobre todo, es uno que disfruté bastante, aunque sí tuve problemas cuando explota la Mansión Calvert. Fuera de eso, el juego empieza a tener errores alrededor de las 12 horas de juego continuas, pero nada que cerrar el juego y volver a abrirlo no lo solucione.

huge fallout fan here i would love to be able to play this game again but i am unable to! Once I load my save as soon as i encounter an enemy the game freezes and i have to shut off the computer. wish this would get fixed

W A R N I N G This game doesnt work for windows whatsoever,do not buy for PC.

This game just does not work through steam anymore. Not worth whatever they may be charging because it literally will not even start.

Tried to play this dumb ahh game and download mods to make the game better shit broke my ssd and now steam wont download any other games and is breaking everything

so, this game is absolute crap that will probabbly even not launch i do not reccomend it to anyone when you have better alternatives like: - fallout 1 and 2 (quite hard to get into, but when you will understand primary things i must say it is still really good) may be a lot cheaper sometimes in bundle than this game will ever be on any discount - fallout new vegas - better almost everything, more welcoming into fallout universe for new player than old trio 1,2,tactics and is a lot cheaper than f3 (at least when i last time seen it) like most people say, that fallout 3 was huge step, and huge revolution in fallout i must agree, but only in graphics in any other aspect, this game is not just huge, its gargantuic step back comparing to oldschool games - map is huge, but someone throught that it doesnt need anything interesting in it, it seems like no one had really a idea what to put there, like, is real D.C. that boring too? i mean, it looks really good, it gives perfect frist impression when we leave the vault, dark and dangerous looking, but in fact is just empty shit, and defending it with "it's post apo, what did you expect? tons of cities and other shit? of course it is empty" should think twice, have you guys played new vegas? tell me why this game could make it way way way better whan fallout 3? even old fallouts make it better tho! because these doesnt made huge open world, instead have plenty of locations packed with content and unique quests in fallout 3, most of the time your only quest in pip boy is main line, and exept this one i found TWO QUESTS that actually lasted longer than a ten minutes and made me go from one location, to new one with more quests (to this last thing with more quests, it wasn't two, just one with terpenny tower in megaton can get you into next, not linked quest (from quests i have found)) because most of them sets you in only one location and lasts only a while, and true old school fallouts do it too, but these do not have huge, empty world to show, everything there works fine and fallout new vegas, with mojave desert full of content plenty of quests make you go to other place, whole main quest makes you go through whole world, when fallout 3 main line is set in small map fragment, where you go from location to location where again two of them may result giving you more quests and to see other content you must look for it in rest of the wasteland, and most of them is focused in one location and is just boring it wouldn't be that bad i think if world had more things to actually see, like after frist two hours you will probabbly see every enemy in the game exept enclave maybe, but it is questionable thing because you can end this game in two hours if you don't care about "exploring" in my frist attept i ended it in 8h, and i felt like somebody actually stole my time this game have huuuge problem with being an rpg in quests, in items, and in skills (perks) - you see, you reallt rarelly have option to do quest im more than maybe 1.5 ways (if we count killing an quest giver and ending a quest as 0.5, and in plenty of times you cannot do even that) - items in this game are really... boring,,, these repeate themselwes over and over, you have full of miniguns in eq, maybe rocket lunchers, and absoulute classic - hunting rifile, theres maybe 9 weapons exept uniques - better variations of these 9, and armors that means - raider armor for frist 1/3 main storyline and free enclave armor (one of the best) for rest 2/3 anything better you my find in non dlc are worse but efficient medic armor (unique) and T-51b slightly better and impossible to repair (that means armor for ten minutes) and in dlc its hell-something armor with is just better and uglier enclave one (highest damage treshold) and biggest joke - whinterized T-51b with is same as T-51b BUT ITS BUGGED so it doesn't lose any durability, and this is best armor, yeah, thats it - it doesn't have an real build possibilities exept guns and energy weapons, and perks are mostly like "+5 -5 to this and this skill" booooooooringgggggg what about these dlcs? i must say, i haven't done mothership zeta and never ended this swamp like thing because while plaing i felt asleep and by accident pressed alt + f4, and that was best accident of my life but rest are at maximum for two hours of play for each, really nothing to say more companions are just... ehhhhh for most of them you need karma equal to thier preferences (stupid robot wants neutral karma from me but i did a quest and now i have good karma so i cannot take him T . T what a nonsense) but i guess it is my own problem well, at the end for the God's sake BUUUUGS AND CRASHESSS this game just crashes so damn often, more than other bethesda games idk how but it does bugs? bro, no pipboy interface, like blank screen, bugged npc that doesn't work, no subtitles in chats with npc from time to time (for people not good in english it is huge struggle) and they are your, primary, from beggining to end, companion, worst of all in this game whats funnny this game like a said probabbly wont work for many people haha, it just doesnt launch XD you see fallout3 never deserved a GOTY, and doesn't deserve a remake because if it would be good, bethesta should make completly new game and pack every place with content (i know it will sell even in this damn quality because people like it for nostalgia or smth) and it's sad how people see in this game something more than walking simulator not worth any money if you want to play a good game, try new vegas (i know that tutorial in goodsprings is a struggle, but really trust me it's not that bad later) or tighten your buttocks and try 1 or 2 (not tactics, please, DO NOT TRY TACTICS) i spend probabbly 90h in primary version and another 18 in GOTY edition and i regret every single hour of looking for quests in belive that one of them will be actually good you are buying it on your own risk... but well maybe you will like it?

What the hell was that?? Such a shitty story, no hard choices, only good or bad no grey choices. It fucks the whole idea of fallout, its post post apocalypse not post apocalypse. Go play New Vegas instead!

This game is a Masterpiece, BUT, if You own a decent gaming PC & you do not know how to use mods, DO NOT BUY THIS GAME ON STEAM! It is not optimized and plays very poorly or Not at All. Play it on XBOX.

Fallout 1 and 2 are my favorite RPGs of all time, so I've been half excited about and half dreading this game for many years. Thus I am very late to the party. ;) Fallout 3 was good fun, despite the many crashes (about 50 or so; I play on Windows 10) and what has now become Bethesda's design signature: industrial-scale copy-paste. I think they (mostly) nailed the atmosphere of Fallout 1 and 2, particularly due to the sound design. Voice acting is solid too, even if the same handful of actors are recycled across dozens of roles. At least it’s not quite as blatant as it was in Skyrim. The performances themselves were strong. However... Fallout 3 is bloated with filler. I was reminded of Starfield's "loot the same item from the same containers thousands of times" mechanic. For example, once while playing, I was in a room and I got deja vu. Did I accidentally load a save from before I already looted this room? Then I realized that it was an office room identical to another that I had already explored, with the same loot, the same furniture layout, the same debris, the same texture stickers on the floor, the same overturned bucket, the same boxes, and the same broken fan in the exact same fallen-over position next to the same desk. The kicker? The rooms were right next to each other. Here's a radical idea: if you don’t have the time or budget to make content worth exploring, maybe stop stuffing buildings with empty calories. Don’t waste my time. And speaking of filler, there's a baffling quantity of content that includes none of the lore—terminals, notes, holotapes, anything—that made Fallout 1 and 2 so rich. What little there is in many areas of the game tends to be buried, as if the game is embarrassed to show it. It sends a clear (and frankly condescending) message: if you want scraps of Fallout’s once-proud worldbuilding, you’ll need to trudge through a wasteland of copy-pasted rooms and meaningless loot to find it. That’s not immersion. That’s homework. Still, the fun was there. For fellow Fallout 1/2 fans who’ve put this one off: Normal difficulty becomes a cakewalk after the first 10 hours or so, and you’ll hit the level cap—and nearly max out every skill—well before the end, especially with the DLC. Crank up the difficulty early to keep things interesting. And don’t hesitate to play a jack-of-all-trades; unlike the originals, this game won’t punish you for spreading your points around. Fallout 3 may be bloated and shallow compared to its predecessors, but between the atmosphere, strong audio work, and bursts of genuinely satisfying gameplay, I still found myself pulled in. It’s not a classic—but it is a ride. Just be prepared to dig through a lot of rubble to find the gold. 7/10

even after 10 years I keep coming back and starting new play throughs just so I can attempt to capture the magic again.

This game gets way too much hate from New Vegas chuds, and people who got their opinions from a hbomberguy video uploaded nearly a decade ago. This game walked so New Vegas could run. Period. Is this game perfect? No. It is a Bethesda title, there's going to be some jank. Does this deliver an authentic post nuclear apocalypse experience? Absolutely. This game doesn't have the same political scheming and broader philosophical pondering found in New Vegas's writing because it was never about that. New Vegas is in essence a story about how people pick up the pieces of a bygone age and decide on what guiding principles will carry them forward. Fallout 3 is simply a tale of exploration and survival in a hostile land filled with the husks of civilization and how that can look. The setting is phenomenally bleak and I think there's an overall grim atmosphere oozing from every corner of this title that no other modern Fallout title has been able to replicate thus far. Basically? Liam Neeson is your dad. 10/10

fallout 3 does not appear to be installed and the installer could not be found fallout 3 does not appear to be installed and the installer could not be found fallout 3 does not appear to be installed and the installer could not be found Tried uninstalling, reinstalling, granted admin privilege etc. Please keep making games that just work™

Be me. - A 10 to 11-year-old watching a video on gaming creepypastas. -Video mentions Fallout 3: Numbers Station, then starts with their love of Fallout 3. -Part of me wonders how good this game is, and with my older brother's PS4 that we shared, and PS Now. I'm able to play Fallout 3. The first playthrough was followed by numerous crashes, deaths, and an overall loss of direction, but the music and just a part of me wanted to keep playing. -Learns how lockpicking and terminal hacking work from my older brother while playing. -It only follows the main quest and Moria Brown's W.S.G. quest. - Then, during the geek part, encounters Fawkes. - dies a lot during Raven Rock. -Then suddenly, Fawkes becomes my first ever companion. -Then, after beating the game, confused as to why I can't play again after beating the game. -Afterwards, I see my brother playing New Vegas, and I start playing that. -learns a few months later about both 3 and New Vegas's DLCs, and tries accessing them, but cannot. -and again because of the older brother's old HP laptop..(He's a big factor in me being a fan.) I'm able to download Steam and finally play the games I've wanted to play. But because it's so old, it plays games at 20 fps, but it doesn't bother me. -tries playing Fallout 3, keeps crashing when I boot up the game. -learns I have to mod it for it to perform well. -downloads my first mod and does not touch the game for a few years -then a few years on 13/14th birthday(dont remember which age). Got a gaming laptop for both school and gaming. - Then, after playing New Vegas, I make another Fallout 3 playthrough and explore the world. 2nd playthrough summary -Plays all DLCs, uses console commands when wanting to do certain things, and unlocks things I couldn't obtain. -barely collect all the bobbleheads -uses Charon and Dogmeat for the first time -Dogmeat dies and makes a whole domino effect of glitches when trying to resurrect him since I didn't grab the Puppies perk. -abuses quicksaves and loads -Never beat broken steel due to not knowing where to go. Then a few years pass, and we are now in the weekend before summer break starts. -decided to replay Fallout 3, just to revisit 3rd playthrough summary -No console commands -still abusing quicksave and load -No explorer perk and just wander around. -decide to start collecting all the bobbleheads -Also decides not to go through the main quest until beating all DLCs before Broken Steel. -starts going through more side quests. -saves up as many caps as possible by stealing my money back from Haley in Point Lookout. -follows Ashur's side of the Pitt quest out of moral conflict -kills Harold again out of morals -Mothership Zeta just Mothership Zeta -Finally, I am at level 26 -The only Bobblehead I'm missing is Energy Weapons Now I'm gonna go through the rest of the storyline. Overall thoughts: if I never watched that video about gaming creepypastas, I wouldn't have been a Fallout fan.. until a bit later. But I'm glad that 3 was my first game of the series, so it's more nostalgic. Thanks, HoodoHoodlumsRevenge(the YouTuber who made the video). And my older brother for letting me play on his PS4. :]

my hours are glitched i actually have way more but this game is fire s tier fallout

Complete dogshit, awful story, wont run for 5 minutes without crashing, gave me stage 4 ball cancer and killed my grandma, 10/10

Gameplay Mechanics: 8/10 Narrative: 9/10 Graphics: 6/10 Sound and Music: 9/10 Replayability: 8/10 Innovation: 9/10 Fallout 3 was a turning point for the franchise—and honestly, for open-world RPGs in general. The Game of the Year Edition bundles in all the DLCs, making an already expansive post-apocalyptic experience even more massive. If you missed it back in the day, this is the version to play. Gameplay mechanics hold up pretty well. The V.A.T.S. system is still fun and satisfying, especially for players who prefer a pause-and-plan approach instead of pure FPS action. The mix of exploration, looting, and dialogue choices keeps things engaging, and there’s a real sense of freedom in how you build your character. Score: 8/10. Narrative is one of Fallout 3’s strongest points. The opening sequence in Vault 101 sets the tone perfectly, and the journey across the Capital Wasteland is filled with memorable quests, moral dilemmas, and weird, often darkly funny encounters. The DLC adds even more variety, from exploring an alien ship to waging war in a simulator. Score: 9/10. Graphics haven’t aged gracefully. The art direction is solid, and the world design still delivers that bleak, ruined aesthetic, but the character models and animations feel clunky by today’s standards. Mods help a lot, though. Score: 6/10. Sound and music are excellent. The radio stations (especially Galaxy News Radio) give the world personality, and the ambient soundtrack nails the lonely, eerie tone of wandering the wasteland. Voice acting is solid, too. Score: 9/10. Replayability is strong. Different builds, moral paths, and exploration choices mean there’s plenty of reason to go back for more. The DLC expands the sandbox even further, giving you tons of hours to dive into. Score: 8/10. Innovation was off the charts at release. Taking a classic isometric RPG and transforming it into a first-person open-world game was a huge gamble—and it paid off. Bethesda’s take on Fallout set the template for future entries and helped redefine what an RPG could look like in 3D. Score: 9/10. In short, Fallout 3: GOTY Edition is still worth playing today. It's gritty, immersive, and surprisingly flexible for an older game. It might be a little rough around the edges, but it’s packed with soul.