As far as the gameplay goes, there’s been a lot of concern from fans of the original games with how Bethesda was going to change the experience. Fallout 1 and Fallout 2 were games done from an isometric perspective, with turn-based combat based on the use of action points. Fallout 3, which uses the same core game engine as Oblivion, is designed to be played from a first-person perspective using, primarily, real-time combat. Bethesda clearly tried to offer a version of the old gameplay conventions while working within the types of conventions the company used in the past

For those that feel they need a more isometric-like view of the game’s action, you can set the camera back a bit and play from a third-person perspective, but as implemented, it’s not a very workable perspective and most will surely settle on the first-person mode.

As for the action, Bethesda’s attempt to throw a bone to fans of the franchise comes in the form of the Vault-Tec Automated Targeting System (VATS). Using VATS you can pause the action and target a specific part of an opponent’s body. You have action points that determine how much you’re allowed to do when using VATS and once you’ve committed to a course of action, the game goes into a cinematic slow-motion depiction of that action. Once your action points are gone you have to use the usual real-time shooter methods to dispatch your enemies (or take cover while your points slowly replenish). Although you can’t use your action points to strategically move yourself around the world, to take more precise cover, for example—this system actually works exceedingly well and the game does an exceptional job of dealing location-based damage regardless of whether or not you use VATS. Frankly, I didn’t intend to make much use of VATS, other than to experiment with it a little, but I found it an indispensable and very effective tool to use in frenetic combat situations.

So, is this “Oblivion with guns” as many have written over the past few months in articles and forums? Ultimately, if that’s what you want to see, you probably won’t be dissuaded. The game does use the same core engine, so some similarities in play and style are unavoidable. For fans of the originals, the significant change in gameplay style from the first two games may be jarring. It’s a mistake, though, to assume that Bethesda’s changes haven’t produced a worthy entry into this franchise. Lord knows it’s not perfect, but it does work as a Fallout game and any fan of the originals owes it to themselves to give it the benefit of the doubt. This isn’t so much Oblivion with guns as it is a melding of Fallout with the PC classic Deus Ex.

Like Deus Ex, choice is a fundamental component of the Fallout 3 experience. Whether it’s the well publicized decision of whether or not to detonate an atom bomb at the center of the town of Megaton or deciding which character skill to use to overcome a roadblock, the game does a superb job of offering gamers the illusion of choice in how they tackle objectives. Three skills in particular consistently determine how you tackle problems in the game: Speech, Lockpicking and Science. The other skills you can develop for your character, like Repair or Barter, have a significant effect too and Bethesda has done a great job of making every character skill usable in the game. Nevertheless, it’s best to max out either Lockpicking or Science and maintain at least a decent Speech skill to give yourself the best chance of getting past obstacles in the game world. Just don’t forget to make your character at least competent with at least one of the four main weapon skills: Small Guns, Big Guns, Energy Weapons and Explosives. If you expect to survive in this game you will need them.

The need to engage in frequent combat highlights one of the two areas where Bethesda did misstep a bit in carrying on the Fallout legacy. In the first two games, if you wanted to play a pacifist character, it was possible to do so. It’s been a central tenet of this franchise that fast lips are as effective as a mini-gun. Don’t expect to play a pacifist in Fallout 3. Combat, predominantly gunplay, is a core component of this game and cannot be avoided if you hope to progress through the story.