Fallout 3 chronicles the life of an inhabitant of Vault 101. Locked away from the world for over two centuries following a devastating nuclear war, Vault 101 has served as a shelter from the radioactive surface. In the year 2277, you find your father (voiced by Liam Neeson) missing, having left Vault 101 for the insecurity of the surrounding Capital Wastelands. As a 19-year old young man, you decide to set out to the surface and track down your father, braving the bright sunlight, harsh radiation, and all manner of mutated beasts.

Producer Todd Howard led us through an hour-long demonstration of Fallout 3, playing a character on the cusp of his nineteenth birthday. While Mr. Howard romped around the wastelands as a young man, you'll actually start the game from birth. It's in your first moments of life that you'll customize your appearance, which is then mirrored in the looks of your fictional father. As you age, so will he. Fallout 3 runs on an enhanced version of the engine used for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, so expect the slate of customization options to be expanded from that game.

In your formative years, you'll get simple quests to complete while dwelling in Vault 101. Most involve shaping your character's attributes and perks, both critical to later exploration of the wastelands. At an early age you father gifts you a Pip-Boy Model 3000, a personal computer relaying data on your developing attributes, perks, inventory, and location. As a teenager, you'll take the Generalized Occupational Aptitude Test (GOAT!), which determines your base attributes that are set fast throughout the game. The game brings back the S.P.E.C.I.A.L. system for which previous installments are well-known. Before leaving the vault, you'll have the opportunity to make any changes to your character, but once you step into the light, your selections are final.

You'll have the option of playing Fallout 3 from either the first-person or third-person perspective. Combat and exploration can easily occur from either, while dialogue always takes the first-person. Series followers might have difficulty accepting the shift, but Howard claims that the best means of transporting the player into the game world is from the first-person perspective. There’s no question that it looks fantastic.

Moments after entering the wasteland, our character stumbled into the town of Springvale, long abandoned by its dead citizens, replaced instead with mutant ants. Confronting enemies can be as simple as pulling the right trigger (or mouse button) to fire a gun or slash with a blade; however, Fallout 3 employs a turn-based fighting system that constantly calculates combat moves in the background.

You'll also have the option of accessing the Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System (VATS). With the targeting mechanic, you can select individual body parts, see the percentage of likely success, and remaining health. Hitting specific points on an enemy's body will yield different results, as we witnessed when destroying a mutant ant's antennae. The ant went berserk and started attacking an ally, giving our character time to step in and take both out. Using VATS is optional, but it'll prove extremely helpful when encountering the game's tougher foes such as super mutants and bosses.

A variety of weapons will make their way into your hands during the course of the adventure ranging from a hunting rifle to Chinese assault rifle to advance laser rifle and even a miniature nuclear bomb blaster. Called Fat Man, the projector literally fires off miniaturized nuclear bombs that absolutely obliterate anything in its blast radius. You will have to take care of your arsenal though, as poorly kept weapons can affect performance or damage doled out to enemies. In addition to basic repairs, you'll also be able to modify weapons using materials found along your journey.