The other area where Bethesda’s vision for this franchise really doesn’t live up to its legacy is satire. The world of Fallout, as depicted in the first two games, is loaded with poignant intelligent satire of 1950s Cold War culture. Bethesda clearly pulled out all the stops in trying to replicate that style and flavor, but they just don’t quite have the knack. Satire, while humorous, doesn’t use abject silliness, which is largely the direction Bethesda took. A prime example is the GOAT exam your character must take during character creation that is intend to determine your future role in Vault 101 as you come of age. It’s also a character creation device designed to determine what three skills are tagged (given bonuses) for the type of character you want to play. In doing so it tries to use the type of satire for which the franchise is well known and it’s a great idea, but the questions are so silly, so nonsensical, that it fails in every possible respect. Because I would try to talk my elderly grandmother out of having me kill a random stranger I’m not going to have my small guns skill tagged? Really? And for what role could that question possibly tell the vault administrators I’m suited?

While this kind of silliness as satire is pervasive in the game’s writing, where Bethesda has absolutely nailed the flavor of this franchise is the art direction. Given the technology of the time, there was only so much Interplay could do to show us its vision of a post-apocalyptic world. What Bethesda has produced in carrying forth that vision using modern technology, both visually and aurally, is nothing short of stunning. The first time you exit Vault 101 and gaze out over the ruined landscape of what had been Washington DC it’s absolutely breathtaking and that feeling never really goes away. Whether it’s the smart, authentic way the nearby town of Megaton is constructed, or the attention to detail given to Rivet City, Bethesda has created a tragically believable world that you won’t soon grow tired of exploring.

And explore you will. There’s no real leash on your character after you exit Vault 101. The fact that as soon as your feet hit dirt you can see familiar landmarks on the horizon, like the Washington Monument, and then proceed to walk all the way there is nothing but gravy. Certainly, the logical first stop is the aforementioned Megaton, but it’s a big, big world Bethesda has created and you can go in whatever direction your feet carry you. While you may be tempted to just follow the main quest from beginning to end, you’ll be missing out on a huge chunk of the game world if you don’t follow up on the many side quests and at least go out and explore just a little. In some ways it’s an indictment of the main quest that strictly following it leaves so many pockets of the game world unexplored. The folks at Bethesda have done such a marvelous job of building this world that it’s a shame the main story doesn’t do more to exploit it.

As you explore the DC area there is no shortage of memorable characters that you’ll encounter. While it may be trapped in the guise of a shooter, Fallout 3 remains an RPG at heart, and not just because you have character attributes and go up in level after acquiring experience points for surviving encounters and fulfilling quests. You will spend a lot of time in this game just chatting people up and it helps the game a lot that the cast of personalities, though prone to out of character moments, are so varied and enjoyable. Whether it’s Mayor MacCready’s potty mouth, the charismatic, yet vaguely ominous way about Colin Moriarty, or the relentless drive that covers up the obvious vulnerabilities of Dr. Li, the game hosts as solid a collection of NPC personalities as you’re likely to find.

Given that, it’s a shame that your own character is so utterly banal. Like many an RPG, you can role-play a good guy, a bad guy, or someone who is fairly neutral. How you play your character does have an impact on how you’re perceived in the world, which is good. It’s also nice that your character’s gender affects how NPCs talk to you. As a woman, for example, characters often use more condescending language like calling you, “sweetie,” or “honey.” What’s not so nice is that your own dialog options are so utterly pat. It’s not too bad if you want to play a creep, or be neutral, but the “good guy” responses are absolutely cringe-worthy. If you want to be the shining paragon of virtue in Fallout 3 be prepared to spout the kind of dialog that would make Dudley-do-Right and Adam West’s Batman sound downright gritty. It makes you wonder who at Bethesda thought a gamer would want to role-play someone who is equal parts whiny daddy’s boy (or girl) and nauseatingly chipper cheerleader.

Then there’s the quests themselves. There’s a metric ton of them, many of which have absolutely nothing to do with the main plotline. This is great. They make the world more substantial and believable while at the same time making you feel like you have a stake in the lives of the people you encounter. They also provide a welcome break from constant pursuit of the main quest. Yes, there’s no shortage of FedEx quests, but that doesn’t mean they’re not well-constructed within the framework of the world, like helping a denizen of Megaton with her survival book or tracking down a rogue android in Rivet City.