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Fallout 3 ps3 Game Reviews
Fallout 3
Critic Score
Metascore: 91 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
7.3 out of 10
based on 44 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 135 votes
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Rate this game

Vault-Tec engineers have worked around the clock on an interactive reproduction of Wasteland life for you to enjoy from the comfort of your own vault. Included is an expansive world, unique combat, shockingly realistic visuals, tons of player choice, and an incredible cast of dynamic characters. Every minute is a fight for survival against the terrors of the outside world – radiation, Super Mutants, and hostile mutated creatures. From Vault-Tec, America's First Choice in Post Nuclear Simulation. Vault 101 - Jewel of the Wastes. For 200 years, Vault 101 has faithfully served the surviving residents of Washington DC and its environs, now known as the Capital Wasteland. Though the global atomic war of 2077 left the US all but destroyed, the residents of Vault 101 enjoy a life free from the constant stress of the outside world. Giant Insects, Raiders, Slavers, and yes, even Super Mutants are all no match for superior Vault-Tec engineering. Yet one fateful morning, you awake to find that your father has defied the Overseer and left the comfort and security afforded by Vault 101 for reasons unknown. Leaving the only home you've ever known, you emerge from the Vault into the harsh Wasteland sun to search for your father, and the truth. [Bethesda Softworks]

PUBLISHER: Bethesda Softworks
DEVELOPER: Bethesda Softworks
GENRE(S): Role-Playing Game
PLAYERS: 1
ESRB RATING: M (Mature)
RELEASE DATE: October 28, 2008

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100
1UP
This is the kind of hugely ambitious game that doesn't come around very often, and when it does, you'd be a fool not to play it and enjoy the hell out of it and look forward to the day (next-next-gen?) when the fidelity of open-world RPGs takes another big step closer to the uncanny valley's far side.
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100
GameSpy
Yes, Fallout 3 is a lot like "Oblivion" (with guns!), but it's a superior game in nearly every way, as it features a more engaging storyline, impeccable presentation, and hundreds of hours of addictive gameplay. While the jury is still out on whether or not hardcore Fallout enthusiasts will accept the game as part of the storied franchise, Fallout 3 is a must-have title for most RPG fans, as well as one of the finest games of this generation.
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100
Game Revolution
That’s the beauty of survival, and this world of fallout: It feeds on adventure and breathes in freedom, yet it dreams of order and the safety of the Vault. I can describe it, explain it, tell it in finely chosen words, but I can never make you fully understand for as long as you sit and listen. But even if I die, I do not worry. There will come a time when you will seize that lever and open that metal door, and it is then I will return.
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100
G4 TV
The ironically devastated world of Fallout has never been better realized than in Fallout 3, offering a vast landscape that is almost relentlessly bleak in its hopelessness. It's absorbing, immersive, paradoxically beautiful, and kind of depressing to play over long periods of time.
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100
GamePro
It's an instant classic and one that will occupy you for a long time to come. [Dec 2008, p.86]
100
The Onion (A.V. Club)
A massive, enthralling achievement.
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100
GameShark
The main quest is an enthralling tale that will thrust you into the battlefield of D.C., side-by-side with the Brotherhood of Steel, face to face with the illustrious DJ of Galaxy News Radio (my favorite station of the wastes), and aboard a reclaimed aircraft carrier. It’s an epic journey, but when it’s done, it’s done. The only option after that is to start all over again with a brand new face. No complaints here.
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100
Cynamite.de
After this game-experience negative points are hard to find. Sure, the radio program is not mind-blowing and the third-person-view is suboptimal. But this doesn’t matter, as Fallout 3 is wonderful and even a class better than Bethesda’s last title - Oblivion.
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98
Game Chronicles
This is easily the best new role-playing game that will give you dozens of hours of additional gameplay along with the already lengthy required adventuring.
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97
Play UK
A stunning and emotive game, Fallout 3 is compelling, dark, funny and deep. Play it and glimpse the future of videogaming. And, possibly, of mankind.
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96
Gamer 2.0
So what you have here with Fallout 3 is a great addition to the series, even if you are a die-hard fan of Black Isle Studios’ work with the previous Fallout titles. It has some slight faults, but the quality of the rest of the package more than makes up for it all.
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96
Jolt Online Gaming UK
The game combines the strengths of two fine RPG series, which for Fallout 3 means compelling narrative in a post-apocalyptic setting and immersive gameplay in a huge, open-ended world. All of this just leaves one question to answer: is Fallout 3 a contender for Game of the Year? And the answer: undeniably, yes.
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96
PSX Extreme
The game boasts an adventure that is so epic in size that it can only be the product of Bethesda. The Oblivion engine is a perfect fit to create a Fallout game around, and Fallout 3 is that much better off for it. With a game world that's as large as a real world city, mechanics that are engaging and easy to use, on top of unparalleled depth...Fallout 3 is the no brainer choice for those looking to embark on an epic quest.
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95
Game Informer
This game is massive, and as your character’s stature in the Wasteland grows, so does the excitement. It’s not a true sequel to the Fallout series, but as a fan of the games of old, I found it to be every bit as good.
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95
Worth Playing
In the end, Fallout 3 feels like a Fallout game, and that is absolutely the highest compliment. Despite the changes, much of the charm and fun of the franchise remains intact, and despite the similarities to "Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion", I never felt that I was playing anything but a Fallout game.
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95
ZTGameDomain
Fallout 3 is among the best games I've played this year, and represents both Bethesda's legacy and the legacy of the Fallout series incredibly well. It's easy to sink hours into exploring this world, and its depth will consume you if you let it. Fallout 3 is a must buy for anyone who loves games, regardless of your preferred genre.
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95
GameZone
Fallout 3 is a game that hits all the right notes and excels in being a role-playing game that wishes to challenge the genre to bring something bigger and better.
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94
IGN
It's rare that a game can hit the mark in so many different and often conflicting areas. Fallout 3 offers freedom without sacrificing a focused story. It delivers fantastic combat without forgoing a deep role-playing system. The characters you meet are engaging and oftentimes hilarious without feeling out of place in this harsh world.
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94
GamingExcellence
Fallout 3 is an experience in itself, and while it may not offer as much replay value as Oblivion, it’s so much more then an “Oblivion with guns”.
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93
DailyGame
Different from Oblivion but bound to be compared to it, Fallout 3 is deep, rewarding and as open-world as you get, with only a few issues that warrant a sight raise of the eyebrow.
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90
Playstation Official Magazine Australia
A flawed masterpice for the ages. [Summer 2009, p.76]
90
Total Video Games
There's no denying Fallout 3 is little more than Oblivion in a post-apocalyptic setting. However that's more a compliment than complaint.
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90
TotalPlayStation
Fallout 3 represents one of the most ridiculously packed gaming experiences you're going to find this year.
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90
PTGamers
Fallout 3 is filled to the brim with quality, worth every cent and pays us with dozens of hours of rich exploration, combat and enjoyable – if not exactly deep – role-play elements.
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90
VideoGamer
This is a massive game: in a month that's seen the release of five or six of the year's best titles, I reckon this is the absolute peach. It's packed with interesting places, with choices to make, with that nebulous sense of adventure you only find in the best RPGs.
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90
PS3bloggen.se
Old fans of the series may not be expecting a game like this, but Fallout 3 is ambitious and more than lives up to the high standard it sets, and will be enjoyed by both newcomers and veteran Fallout players. Bethesda have managed to create a sturdy strategic element to the first person perspecitve but have ultimately failed in creating believable characters, which may disappoint some.
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90
Hardcore Gamer Magazine
Fallout 3 is the biggest accomplishment in adventure gaming since Oblivion.
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90
PALGN
Immersive, expansive and funny to boot, Fallout 3 makes the end of the world something to look forward to, indeed.
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90
Playstation: The Official Magazine (US)
And that's the draw of the game: interacting with a living, breathing world that centers on you as the star. [Holiday 2008, p.60]
90
TheSixthAxis
Fallout 3 is a wonderful game for fans of the genre. It’s humourous when it wants to be, yet also deep and worryingly tragic when required to be.
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90
Extreme Gamer
Fallout is back and dare I say, better than ever.
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90
Destructoid
The overall experience of Fallout 3 is unmatched, and the amount of game Bethesda has packed into this $60 title can’t be ignored. Flaws aside, taken as a whole, Fallout 3 is an astounding effort and easily one this year’s best gaming experiences.
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90
PSM3 Magazine UK
Imaginative, epic and brilliant, but not for instant fix gamers. [Dec 2008, p.26]
90
Playstation Universe
Fallout 3 is an outstanding title that sets a new standard for action role-playing games, and will appeal to fans of either genre.
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89
3DJuegos
Fallout 3 brings back a legendary saga to the foreground of video games and it does it with remarkable successes. Graphically it is a very powerful title, the ambience is carefully planned, and its size, freedom and scope are its principal highlights. It is as captivating a game in the beginning as easy to forget in the mid term; despite this, we can say that it is a title that is worth trying.
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88
IGN UK
It’s the big Christmas action game with brains and choices, and with an interest in constructing a refreshingly different world from all those austere near-future manshoots that clog up the shelves. In many respects, it’s a far better game than Bioshock, most of all because you get the endless choice that promised but didn’t deliver. So it’s tragic that the often awful production values make a fool of it so regularly.
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88
NZGamer
The options presented to you in Fallout 3 are so numerous and complex that you are likely to want to replay the game just to experience them.
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85
Gameplanet
Despite being unable to match the PC in terms of graphical splendour, there's plenty here to keep you occupied, and fans won't be disappointed with what the developers have crafted.
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85
GameSpot
In fact, Fallout 3 is leaner and meaner than Bethesda's previous efforts, less expansive but more intense, while still offering immense replay value and quite a few thrills along the way.
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80
GameDaily
Anyone who played Bethesda's Oblivion, 2006's 'Game of the year,' will find the mission structure familiar, save for the game's auto-targeting system, called V.A.T.S., which is sometimes more of a hindrance than help. Even so, gamers with a taste for detailed storylines and Mad Max style visuals, will find that Fallout 3 delivers a solid, entertaining role-playing experience that will keep you glued to the couch for hours.
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80
Cheat Code Central
For lovers of the genre, it's tough to go wrong with Fallout 3. However, if you're strictly a shooter fan or enjoy free-flowing combat, the plodding pace, vast amount of content, and RPG hallmarks (such as heavy inventory management, non-essential quests, and character leveling) may bore you. It's a good game, but certainly not without its faults. A new game engine and better controls would have served this title well.
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80
Giant Bomb
It's unfortunate that Fallout 3 is saddled with so many little- and medium-sized issues, because they get in the way of what's an otherwise fantastic experience. The world is well-realized and full of options. It'll be a struggle in spots, but I'm willing to guess that most people will be able to overlook a lot of the game's problems and still have a very good time exploring the irradiated wasteland formerly known as Washington DC.
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75
Gaming Age
My issues with the game lie within the fact that whilst playing it, I wished I were playing something else. I wanted to play Bioshock for its heavy atmosphere and compelling story, or Mass Effect because I finally appreciate the dialog trees and voice acting. In Fallout 3, most of my decisions could be argued for the inconsequential feeling I associated with them. That's never a good thing, so it either means Fallout 3 wasn't my particular cup of tea or that it is actually that boring at times.
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70
Edge Magazine
It’s a game that rewards the long-haul with deep, inventive missions which eschew the usual fetch and kill structure, ensuring that the many hours spent in Fallout 3’s wasteland aren’t wasted. [Christmas 2008, p.88]

What Our Users Said

Vote Now! The average user rating for this game is 7.3 (out of 10) based on 135 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Yggdrasil gave it a6:
Tries to catch the spirit of the old Fallout-Games but is only partly successful. Graphics look nice, but character-animation and graphics are a little outdated (Oblivion-engine). Some graphical hick-ups and minor bugs (GOAT-test does not start under certain conditions, etc.). In my opinion the game is only "worth" around 70-75%, but not 100%.

Kevin C gave it a9:
I got fed up with the game in the first day because of the (minor) glitches with dialog and character animations, and even wanted to trade it in. But then I played it a second time. The world feels small at first, until you realize that there are something like 117 locations to discover and tons of quests to complete. I believe that the Oblivion engine is, ironically, better suited to Fallout then it was to Oblivion. The gore is an awesome touch, and so are the radio stations - nothing beats completing a quest and then hearing the MC Three Dog talking about it an hour or two later. All in all, I haven't touched any other PS3 game since I picked this one up - VATS is awesome and doesn't get boring, the quests are fun and diverse with many different options, and the Karma system is pretty sweet. However, if you spend a long time customizing your character (and I did), bear in mind that you'll never see his or her face (except for brief moments in VATS).

Jon D. gave it a4:
I just didn't get it at all, after some great presentation setting my hopes up for a quality gaming experience, it fell away to what looks like a PC game circa 2005. Everything felt cluttered, unprofessional, tired and clichéd, from HUDs to game design. No feeling of atmosphere is generated, just a remote, detached experience, like never fully connecting with the game. An initial mission left me lost, wandering directionless in both goal and location. A further attempt to get sucked in led to a depth free encounter that left me reaching for the eject button. If you liked Oblivion, you'll love this, if however you want a true next gen title (like so many of the others on release this Christmas) avoid.

Richie C. gave it a9:
I have played the Fallout 1 & 2 to death, and although this Fallout 3 far surpasses them, even though Interplay (Black Isle, Wasteland) did what they could with them. I miss the random encounter "Easter Eggs" like the Tardis, or the Elvis velvet paintings, the remains of the Dead whale in the middle of nowhere, the Bridge of Death, Star Trek etc. At least there is a UFO reference and weapon. This game is only missing more pop-culture references like this. Otherwise another award winning Bethesda Studios game.

John K. gave it a0:
I was looking forward to this game being a huge fan of Fallout 1 and 2. I have played this game several hours and I am extremely disappointed in the end product. There are so many bugs that I cannot believe they are taking people's money for this game. If you check the Bethesda Fallout 3 PS 3 Hardware forum you will see what I am talking about. I am not only talking about minor graphical glitches (which there are many of - ex. black screen for haircuts), I am talking about GAME ENDING bugs. The game will freeze in certain areas, your controller will stop working, and the only thing you can do is reset your system. This happens during one of the main storyline quests, making progression impossible. This also happens during various sidequests and sometimes while exploring. In other areas, when trying to exit/enter an area, the game will load a black screen and will require another reset. These are not fixed simply by reloading the game in an earlier save point and going back. It is something about the particular area that is bugged. You cannot do anything to progress. NPCs also have a habit of disappearing/dying from spawning at a great height then falling to their deaths. DO NOT BUY THIS GAME. THE GAME IS BROKEN.

Michael H. gave it a9:
Essentially Oblivion with some guns and post apocalyptic Washington DC. The mechanics of the gameplay are the same but seems to have a more evil/neutral/good decision making role than Oblivion. All in all you can play the main story in 10 hours or wander off and put in 100 hours doing side quests so the choice is yours.

Larry P gave it a7:
While the game itself is great, and there's plenty to do, the fact that it ends after you complete the mainline is horrible for an enormous sandbox. It annoys me that I have to restore a game prior to the end to enjoy the rest of the content. And I also believe the mainline was way too short. Otherwise, fantastic game with great characters and memorable experiences.

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