Fallout 3

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Fallout 3

Developer(s) Publisher(s) Director(s) Producer(s) Designer(s) Programmer(s)

Bethesda Game Studios Bethesda Softworks Todd Howard Todd Howard Gavin Carter Ashley Chen !mil "a liarulo #oel Bur ess Guy Carver Steve $eister

Artist(s) Writer(s) Composer(s) Series Engine Platform(s) Release date(s) Genre(s) ode(s)

%stvan "ely #osh #ones $ark &ampert !mil "a liarulo %non 'ur Fallout Game(ryo)*+ Havok "hysics Windows,),+ "layStation -,.(o/ -01)-+
2A 3cto(er ,4, ,114)5+ !6 3cto(er -1, ,114)5+ A6S 3cto(er -1, ,114)5+ 67 3cto(er -*, ,114)5+ #" 8ecem(er 5, ,114

Action role9playin ):+ Sin le9player

Distribution Blu9ray 8isc, 8;8, download Fallout 3 is an action role-playing open world video game developed by Bethesda Game Studios, the third major installment in theFallout series. The game was released in North America, urope and Australia in !ctober "##$, and in %apan in &ecember "##$ 'or(icroso't )indows, *layStation + and ,bo- +.#. Fallout 3 ta/es place in the year ""00, +. years a'ter the setting o' Fallout 2 and "## years a'ter the nuclear apocalypse that devastated the game1s world in a 'uture where international con'licts between the 2nited States and 3hina culminated in a Sino-American war in "#00, due to the scarcity o' petroleum reserves that ran the economies o' both countries. The player character is an inhabitant o' 4ault 5#5, a survival shelter designed to protect up to 5,### humans 'rom the nuclear 'allout. )hen the player character1s 'ather disappears under mysterious circumstances, the !verseer, or the leader o' the vault, initiates martial law, and sends security 'orces a'ter the player, who is 'orced to escape 'rom the 4ault and journey into the ruins o' )ashington, &.3. to trac/ him down. Along the way the player is assisted by a number o' human survivors and must battle a myriad o' enemies that inhabit the area now /nown as the 63apital )asteland6. Fallout 3 was well received by critics and received a number o' Game o' the 7ear awards, praising the game1s open-ended gameplay and 'le-ible character-leveling system. The N*& Group estimated that Fallout 3 sold over .5#,### units during its initial month o' release in !ctober "##$, per'orming better than Bethesda So'twor/s1 previous game The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, which sold nearly 8##,### units in its 'irst month. The game has received postlaunch support with Bethesda releasing 'ive downloadable add-ons. The game received controversy upon release, including the use o' and the ability to be addicted to morphine and other drugs including alcohol in the game 'or Australia, religious and cultural sentiments in 9ndia over the cattle in the game being called Brahmin, and sensitivity in %apan due to a weapon that launches mini nuclear bombs called the 6:at (an6 and a ;uest involving the detonation o' an atomic bomb.

Contents <hide=

5 Gameplay 5.5 Attributes 5." >ealth and weapons 5.+ 4.A.T.S. 5.? 3ompanions " *lot ".5 Setting "." Story + &evelopment +.5 9nterplay ntertainment +." Bethesda So'twor/s +.".5 Audio ? (ar/eting and release ?.5 Trailers ?." :ilm 'estival ?.+ @etail versions 8 &ownloadable content . @eception ..5 @eviews .." Sales ..+ Awards ..? Technical issues 0 @egional variations 0.5 &rug re'erences 0." @elease in 9ndia 0.+ Sensitivity to %apan $ @e'erences A -ternal lin/s

Gameplay<edit=
Attributes[edit]

The *ip-Boy +###, shown displaying the player1s current s/ill ratings.

The game starts with the main character as a newborn, whereupon the player determines the

race, the gender, and the general appearance o' their character. As a one year-old baby, the in'ant reads a child1s boo/ titled You're SPECIA , where the player can set the character1s starting S.*. .3.9.A.B.primary attributesC Strength, *erception, ndurance, 3harisma, 9ntelligence, Agility, and Buc/. The character gains a set o' S/ills with base levels determined by these attributes. At age 5#, the player obtains a *ip-Boy, a computeriDed wristwatch which allows the player to access a menu with stats, maps, data and items. The player also obtains their 'irst weapon, a BB gun. At age 5., the player ta/es the GeneraliDed !ccupational Aptitude Test EG.!.A.T.F to determine the three S/ills they wish the character to 'ocus on.<.= As the character progresses through the game, e-perience points are earned that are used to achieve levels o' accomplishment. 2pon achieving a new level, the player receives a set o' s/ill points that can be assigned to improve any o' the S/ill percentages. :or instance, increasing the loc/ pic/ s/ill grants the player the ability to pic/ harder loc/s to unloc/ doors and supply crates. A *er/ is granted at each level, which o''ers advantages o' varying ;uality and 'orm. (any *er/s have a set o' prere;uisites that must be satis'ied, and new *er/s are unloc/ed every two levels.<.= An important statistic trac/ed in the game is /arma. ach character has an aggregate amount o' /arma that can be a''ected by the decisions and actions made in the game. *ositive /armic actions include 'reeing captives and helping others. Negative /armic actions include /illing good characters and stealing. Beyond acting as 'lavor 'or the game1s events, /arma can have tangible e''ects to the player, primarily a''ecting the game1s ending. !ther e''ects include altered dialogue with non-player characters EN*3sF, or uni;ue reactions 'rom other characters. Actions vary in the level o' /arma change they causeG thus, pic/poc/eting produces less negative /arma than the /illing o' a good character. >owever, the player1s relationships with the game1s 'actions are distinct, so any two groups or settlements may view the player in contrasting ways, depending on the player1s conduct. Some *er/s re;uire speci'ic /arma levels.<0=

Health and weapons[edit]

>ealth is separated into two typesC general and limb. General health is the primary damage bar, and the player will die i' it is depleted. Bimb health is speci'ic to each portion o' the body, namely the arms, legs, head, and torso. Non-human enemies will sometimes have additional appendages. )hen a limb1s health bar is depleted, that limb is rendered 6crippled6 and induces a negative status e''ect, such as blurred vision 'rom a crippled head or reduced movement speed 'rom a crippled leg. >ealth is diminished when damage is ta/en 'rom being attac/ed, 'alling 'rom great distances, andHor accidental sel' injury. General health can be replenished by sleeping, using medical e;uipment Estimpa/sF, eating 'ood, or drin/ing water. Bimbs can be healed directly by injecting them with stimpa/s, by sleeping, or by being healed by a doctor.<$= Along with the health, there are "# bobbleheads that can be 'ound throughout the game that will give the player bonuses to attributes and s/ills. ach bobblehead is an iconic 4ault-Tec Boy 'igurine with a di''erent pose. Three o' them have to be 'ound in di''erent time periods in the gameplayG otherwise they will be lost.<A= There are secondary health 'actors that can a''ect per'ormance. 3hie' among these is radiation poisoningC most 'ood is irradiated to a small degree, and parts o' the world have varying levels o' bac/ground radiation. As the player is e-posed to radiation, it builds up, causing negative e''ects and eventually death i' le't untreated. @adiation sic/ness must be healed by special medicine named @ad Away or by visiting one o' the )asteland1s doctors. @adiation can be prevented by the use o' @ad-, which increases radiation resistance. The player can become addicted to drugs and alcohol, and then go through withdrawal symptoms

i' denied those substances. Both a''lictions can blur the player1s vision 'or a 'ew seconds and have a negative e''ect on S* 39AB attributes until the problem is corrected.<5#= 9tems can become degraded and become less e''ective. :irearms do less damage and may jam during reloading, and apparel becomes gradually less protective.<55= This will eventually result in the item brea/ing altogether. 9tems can be repaired 'or a price 'rom special vendors, or, when the player has two o' the same item Eor a comparable itemF, one can be repaired using salvage parts 'rom the other. *layers have the option to create their own weaponry using various scavenged items 'ound in the wasteland. These items can only be created at wor/benches, and only i' the player possesses the necessary schematics or *er/. These weapons usually possess signi'icant advantages over other weapons o' their type. ach schematic has three copies that can be 'ound. ach copy improves the condition Eor numberF o' items produced at the wor/bench. A higher repair s/ill will result in a better starting condition 'or the related weapon. )eapon schematics can be 'ound lying in certain locations, bought 'rom vendors, or received as ;uest rewards.<5"=

V.A.T.S.[edit]

4.A.T.S. shown being used. @eal-time action is stopped and the player can see the probability o' hitting each enemy body part through percentage ratio.

The 4ault-Tec Assisted Targeting System, or 4.A.T.S., plays an important part in combat. )hile using 4.A.T.S., real-time combat is paused, and action is played out 'rom varying camera angles in a computer graphics version o' 6bullet time6, creating a combat system that the Bethesda developers have described as a hybrid between timeturn-based and real-time combat. 4arious actions cost action points, limiting the actions o' each combatant during a turn, and the player can target speci'ic body areas 'or attac/s to in'lict speci'ic injuriesG head shots can be used 'or ;uic/ /ills or blinding, legs can be targeted to slow enemies1 movements, opponents can be disarmed by shooting at their weapons, and players can drive certain enemies into a berser/er rage by shooting out things li/e antennae on various overgrown insects and combat inhibitors on armored robots. >owever, the use o' 4.A.T.S. also eliminates most o' the 'irst-person shooter elements o' the gameG aiming is ta/en over by the computer, and the player is unable to move as a means o' avoiding attac/s. ach body part has a percentage o' hit chance, and generally the closer the player character is to an enemy the higher that percentage. The higher level the character using 4.A.T.S is, the more li/ely that character will hit their enemy.<5+=

Companions[edit]
The player can have a ma-imum party o' three, consisting o' the player1s character, a dog named &ogmeat, and a single non-player character. &ogmeat can be /illed during the game i' the player misuses him or places him in a severely dangerous situation and he cannot be replaced Ethis was changed with the introduction o' !ro"en SteelC the level "" 6*uppiesI6 per/ allows the player to gain a puppy 'ollower i' &ogmeat diesFG )*5+)*:+ it is possible to not encounter &ogmeat at all depending on how the game is played.<5.= !ne other N*3 can

travel with the player at any time, and in order to get another N*3 to travel, the 'irst one must be dismissed Eeither voluntarily by the player or as a conse;uence o' other eventsF or die in combat.

*lot<edit=
Setting[edit]
#ain article: Fallout $series% Fallout 3 ta/es place in the year ""00, "## years a'ter a war over resources that ended in nuclear holocaust in "#00. The setting is a post-apocalyptic, retro-'uture, covering a region that includes )ashington, &.3., Northern 4irginia and parts o' (aryland.<50= The game1s landscape includes war-ravaged variants o' numerous real-li'e landmar/s such as the )hite >ouse, the %e''erson and Bincoln (emorials, Arlington National 3emetery and the )ashington (onument. The area that the game is set in, /nown in-game as the 3apital )asteland, holds a number o' small settlements o' the descendants o' survivors 'rom the Great )ar. (any inhabitants were /illed during the nuclear holocaust and the )asteland is now little more than a barren land nearly devoid o' healthy water, 'ood, plant and animal li'e due to the e-treme radiation levels. >owever, there is a small settlement in the north part o' the 3apital )asteland where plant li'e is abundant.<5$= The player begins the game inside 4ault 5#5, where they were raised, be'ore venturing out into the 3apital )asteland and 'acing its many dangers. The 3apital )asteland is home to a number o' mutated species o' creatures such as two-headed cattle called Brahmin, radscorpions, molerats, and mirelur/s. (any o' these creatures are generally hostile to the player and will attac/ on sight. The )asteland and the city proper is home to several hostile groups, including super mutants, 'eral ghouls, raiders, slavers, mercenaries, and robots. !' note are the various 4aultsJunderground structures designed as shelters to protect inhabitants 'rom the dangers o' nuclear war Eand also 'or more sinister purposesF. 9n the )ashington, &.3. area, many o' the roads are bloc/ed o'' with giant piles o' rubble. The player can navigate around the city using a system o' underground metro tunnels that connect with other locations Eloosely based on the real-li'e )ashington (etroF.<5A= The game ta/es place in an alternate version o' history that sees the 5A?#s and 5A8#s aesthetics, design and technology advance in the directions imagined at the time. The resulting universe is thus a retro-'uturistic one, where the technology has evolved enough to produce laser weapons, manipulate genes and create nearly-autonomous arti'icial intelligence, but all within the con'ines o' 5A8#1s solutions li/e the widespread use o' atomic power and vacuum tubes, as well as having the integrated circuitry o' the digital age. The architecture, advertisements and general living styles are also depicted to be largely unchanged since the 5A8#s, while including contemporary products, such as a robotic roc/ing horse 'or children in one advertisement, or posters 'or the underground vaults that play a central role in the storyline o' the game.

Story[edit]
The introductory se;uence introduces the player to their character1s 'ather %ames, a doctor and scientist in 4ault 5#5. %ames 're;uently ma/es comments about the player character1s deceased mother 3atherine, and her 'avorite Bible passage, @evelation "5C., which spea/s o' 6the waters o' li'e6. The main ;uest begins a'ter the player is 'orced to 'lee 4ault 5#5 when %ames leaves the vault, throwing it into anarchy and causing the paranoid !verseer to send his security 'orce a'ter the player. The search 'or %ames ta/es the character on a journey through the

)asteland, 'irst to the nearby town o' (egaton, named 'or the undetonated atomic bomb at the center o' town, then the Gala-y News @adio station, whose enthusiastic &% Three &og gives the player the moni/er o' 6The Bone )anderer6. The player travels to @ivet 3ity, a derelict aircra't carrier now serving as a 'orti'ied human settlement. >ere the player meets &octor Bi, a scientist who wor/ed alongside the player1s 'ather. &octor Bi in'orms the player o' *roject *urity, a plan conceived by 3atherine and %ames to puri'y all the water in the Tidal Basin and eventually the entire *otomac @iver with a giant water puri'ier built in the %e''erson (emorial. >owever, continued delays and 3atherine1s death during childbirth put an end to the project, and %ames too/ the player1s character as a newborn to raise them in the sa'ety o' 4ault 5#5. A'ter investigating the %e''erson (emorial, the Bone )anderer trac/s %ames to 4ault 55", and 'rees him 'rom a virtual reality program being run by the 4ault1s sadistic !verseer, &r. Braun. %ames and the player return to @ivet 3ity, and %ames reveals he sought out Braun 'or in'ormation on the Garden o' den 3reation Kit EG. .3.K.F, a device that contains the components needed to 'inally activate *roject *urity. %ames and &octor Bi lead a team o' @ivet 3ity scientists to the memorial with intent to restart the project, but the memorial is invaded by the nclave, a power'ul military organiDation 'ormed 'rom the remnants o' the pre)ar 2nited States government. %ames 'loods the project1s control room with radiation to stop the nclave military leader, 3olonel Augustus Autumn, 'rom ta/ing control o' it, /illing himsel' Ebut Autumn survivesF, his last words urging his child to run. The Bone )anderer and &r. Bi 'lee to the ruins o' the *entagon, now a base 'or the Brotherhood o' Steel and now /nown as the 3itadel. )ith *roject *urity still inoperational even with the nclave occupying the site, the player travels to 4ault $0 to 'ind a G. .3.K. and 'inish %ames1s wor/. The player 'inds the 4ault to be a testing site 'or the : 4 E:orced volutionary 4irusF, and the source o' the Super (utants in the 3apital )asteland. A'ter the player ac;uires the G. .3.K., the )anderer is ambushed by the nclave and captured. At the nclave base at @aven @oc/, the player is 'reed 'rom their cell by the nclave leader, *resident %ohn >enry den, who re;uests a private audience with them. n route to his o''ice however, 3olonel Autumn de'ies den1s orders and ta/es command o' the nclave military, ordering them to /ill the player. :ighting their way to den1s o''ice, the player discovers den is actually a sentient LA, series supercomputer who too/ control o' the nclave a'ter their de'eat in Fallout 2 on the )est 3oast thirty years ago. den wishes to repeat the plan o' then-*resident &ic/ @ichardson using *roject *urity, in'ecting the water with a modi'ied strain o' : 4 that will ma/e it to-ic to any mutated li'e. This plan will /ill most li'e in the wasteland including humans, but the nclave, due to their genetic 6purity6 as a result o' their isolation, will be immune and 'ree to ta/e control o' the area. The )anderer, provided with a sample o' the new :. .4., is given a choice to either leave peace'ully or convince den to sel'-destruct the entire base. The Bone )anderer escapes @aven @oc/ and returns to the 3itadel. )ith the /nowledge they possess, the G. .3.K. and the means to activate *roject *urity, the Brotherhood assault the %e''erson (emorial, spearheaded by a giant robot named Biberty *rime. 9n the control room o' *roject *urity the player con'ronts 3olonel Autumn, and has the choice to persuade him to give up or /ill him. &r. Bi in'orms the player that the puri'ier is ready to be activated, but the activation code must be input manually, and also that the control room is 'looded with lethal amounts o' radiation. The Bone )anderer is 'orced to choose between sending Sarah Byons o' the Brotherhood inside the e-tremely irradiated puri'ier or entering themselves. )hoever enters into the chamber inputs the code hinted at through the game,

that being "5C., and dies 'rom a radiation spi/e. 9' the 6Bro/en Steel6 &B3 is installed, the player survives i' they activate it themselves, but they also have the option o' sending one o' their radiation-immune companions to enter the code and start the puri'ier with no casualties. The player also has the possibility to enter the :. .4. sample into the water prior to activation, having adverse post-ending e''ects on the game1s side ;uests.

&evelopment<edit=
Interplay Entertainment[edit]
Further in&or'ation: Van !uren $Fallout 3% Fallout 3 was initially under development by Blac/ 9sle Studios, a studio owned by 9nterplay ntertainment, under the wor/ing title Van !uren. Blac/ 9sle Studios was the developer o' the original Fallout and Fallout 2. )hen 9nterplay ntertainment went ban/rupt and closed down Blac/ 9sle Studios be'ore the game could be completed, the license to develop Fallout 3 was sold 'or a M5,508,### minimum guaranteed advance against royalties to Bethesda So'twor/s, a studio primarily /nown as the developer o' The Elder Scrolls series.<"#=Bethesda1s Fallout 3, however, was developed 'rom scratch, using neither 4an Buren code, nor any other materials created by Blac/ 9sle Studios.<"5= 9n (ay "##0, a playable technology demo o' the canceled project was released to the public.<""= Beonard Boyars/y, art director o' the original Fallout, when as/ed about 9nterplay ntertainment1s sale o' the rights to Bethesda So'twor/s, saidC 6To be per'ectly honest, 9 was e-tremely disappointed that we did not get the chance to ma/e the ne-t Fallout game. This has nothing to do with Bethesda, it1s just that we1ve always 'elt that Fallout was ours and it was just a technicality that 9nterplay happened to own it. 9t sort o' 'elt as i' our child had been sold to the highest bidder, and we had to just sit by and watch. Since 9 have absolutely no idea what their plans are, 9 can1t comment on whether 9 thin/ they1re going in the right direction with it or not.6<"+=

Bethesda So twor!s[edit]

Bethesda So'twor/s1 Fallout 3 booth at the Games 3onvention "##$

Bethesda So'twor/s started wor/ing on Fallout 3 in %uly "##?,<"?= but principal development did not begin until a'ter The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and its related e-tras and plug ins were completed.<"8= Bethesda So'twor/s decided to ma/e Fallout 3 similar to the previous two games, 'ocusing on non-linear gameplay, story, and blac/ comedy. Bethesda also chose to pursue an S@B rating o' ( E'or matureF by including the adult themes, violence, and depravity characteristic o' the Fallout series. They also decided to shy away 'rom the sel're'erential gags o' the game1s predecessors that bro/e the illusion that the world o' Fallout is real. Fallout 3 uses a version o' the sameGamebryo engine as Oblivion,<5= and was

developed by the team responsible 'or that game.<".= Biam Neeson was cast as the voice o' the player1s 'ather.<"0= 9n :ebruary "##0, Bethesda stated that the game was 6a 'airly good ways away6 'rom release, but that detailed in'ormation and previews would be available later in the year. <".= :ollowing a statement made by *ete >ines that the team wanted to ma/e the game a 6multiple plat'orm title6,<"$= the game was announced by (a'e In&or'er to be in development 'or )indows, ,bo- +.# and *layStation +.<+= &uring a (arch "5, "##$ O&&icial )bo* #a+a,ine podcast interview, Todd >oward revealed that the game had e-panded to nearly the same scope as Oblivion. There were originally at least 5" versions o' the 'inal cutscene, but with 'urther development this e-panded to over "## possible permutations in the 'inal release, all o' which are determined by the actions ta/en by the player.<58= Bethesda So'twor/s attended + "##$ to showcase Fallout 3. The 'irst live demo o' the ,bo- +.# version o' the game was shown and demonstrated by Todd >oward, ta/ing place in downtown )ashington, &.3. The demo showcased various weapons such as the :at (an nuclear catapult, the 4.A.T.S. system, the 'unctions o' the *ip-Boy +###, as well as combat with several enemies. The demo concluded as the player neared the Brotherhood o' Steel-controlled *entagon and was attac/ed by an nclave patrol.<"A=
Audio[edit]

Several actors o' 'ilm and video games lent their voices to Fallout 3, including Biam Neeson as %ames,<"0= @on *erlman as the game1s narrator, (alcolm (c&owell as *resident %ohn >enry den, 3raig Sechler as Butch &eBoria and !dette 7ustman as Amata Almodovar. 4eteran voice actors &ee Bradley Ba/er, )es %ohnson, *aul iding and Stephen @ussell also provided voice overs 'or the game. The Fallout 3 soundtrac/ continued the series1 convention o' 'eaturing sentimental 5A?#s big band American popular music, the main theme, and 'ew other side songs recorded by The 9n/ Spots and The Andrews SistersG in addition to a score written by composer 9non Lur.<+#= The soundtrac/ o' the game included artists such as @oy Brown, Billie >oliday, Billy (unn, 3ole *orter, and Bob 3rosby.<+5=

(ar/eting and release<edit=

6*repare 'or the :uture6 promotional campaign at the (etro 3enter station in )ashington, &.3.

Trailers[edit]
A teaser site 'or the game appeared on (ay ", "##0, and 'eatured music 'rom the game and concept art, along with a timer that counted down to %une 8, "##0. The artists and developers involved later con'irmed that the concept art, commissioned be'ore Oblivion had been released, did not reveal anything 'rom the actual game.<+"= )hen the countdown 'inished, the site hosted the 'irst teaser trailer 'or the game, and unveiled a release date o' 6:all "##$6.<++= !n %une 8, "##0, Bethesda released the Fallout 3 teaser trailer.<+?= The press /it released

with the trailer indicated that @on *erlman would be on board with the project, and cited a release date o' :all "##$. The trailer 'eatured The 9n/ Spots song 69 &on1t )ant to Set the )orld on :ire6, which the previous Fallout developer Blac/ 9sle Studios originally intended to license 'or use in the 'irst Fallout game. The trailer, which was completely done with in-engine assets, closed with @on *erlman saying his trademar/ line which he also spo/e in the original FalloutC 6)ar. )ar never changes6. The trailer showed a devastated )ashington, &.3., evidenced by the partially damaged )ashington (onument in the bac/ground as well as the crumbling buildings that surrounded a rubble-cho/ed city thorough'are.<+8= A second trailer was 'irst shown during a GameTrailers T4 + special on %uly 5", "##$. The trailer Doomed out 'rom a ruined house in the )ashington, &.3. suburbs, and provided a wider view o' the capital1s s/yline including the 3apitol Building and )ashington (onument in the distance.<+.= !n %uly 5?, "##$, an e-tended version o' this trailer was made available, which besides the original content, included a 4ault-Tec advertisement and actual gameplay. Both versions o' the trailer 'eatured the song 6&ear >earts and Gentle *eople6 as recorded by Bob 3rosby and the Bobcats.<+0=

"ilm esti#al[edit]
!n %uly 55, "##$, as a part o' promoting Fallout 3, Bethesda So'twor/s partnered with American 3inemathe;ue and (ee" #onthl- to sponsor 6A *ost-Apocalyptic :ilm :estival *resented by Fallout 36. The 'estival too/ place on August ""N"+ at Santa (onica1s Aero Theater. Si- post-apocalyptic movies were shown which depict li'e and events that could occur a'ter a world-changing disaster, including .i,ards, /a'nation Alle-, A !o- and 0is /o+, The ast #an on Earth, The O'e+a #an, and T1elve #on"e-s.<+$=

$etail #ersions[edit]
Edition !eatures Game disc < manual Bonus 8;8 Concept art(ook ;ault Boy Bo((lehead &unch(o/ case "ower Armor fi urine "%"9Boy -111 clock 8ownloada(le content Standar Collector" #imite Surviva Game of the $ear d s d l

=es 2o 2o 2o 2o 2o 2o

=es =es =es =es =es 2o 2o

=es 2o 2o 2o 2o =es 2o

=es =es =es =es =es 2o =es

=es 2o 2o 2o 2o 2o 2o

2o 2o 2o 2o =es Fallout 3 was released in 'ive separate versions, only three o' which were made available worldwideC The Standard dition includes the game disc and instruction manual with no e-tras. The 3ollector1s dition includes the game disc, manual, a bonus 6ma/ing o'6 disc, a concept artboo/, and a 86 4ault Boy Bobblehead, all o' which is contained in a 4ault-Tec lunchbo-. <+A= 9n Australia, the 3ollector1s dition is e-clusive to Gametraders and B Games.<?#= The Bimited dition includes the game disc and manual, as well as a Brotherhood o' Steel *ower Armor 'igurine. This edition is available only in the 2K through the retailer Game.

 The Survival dition includes everything 'rom the 3ollector1s dition, as well as a model o' the *9*-Boy +### 'rom the game which 'unctions as a digital cloc/.<+A= The Survival dition is available e-clusively 'rom AmaDon.com to 2.S. customers only.<?5= The Game o' the 7ear dition, which includes the original Fallout 3 game as well as all 8 o' the downloadable content pac/s, was released on !ctober 5+, "##A in North America and !ctober 5., "##A in urope. 9t was released in Australia on !ctober "", "##A, and in %apan on &ecember +, "##A.<?"= 9t was made available on Steam on &ecember 50, "##A.<?+= An ,bo- +.# version o' Fallout 3 and Oblivion double pac/ was announced 'or release in North America on April +, however it was not mentioned whether the bundled games include any o' the downloadable content released 'or either game.<??=

&ownloadable content<edit=
#ain article: Fallout 3 do1nloadable content Bethesda1s Todd >oward 'irst con'irmed during + "##$ that downloadable content E&B3F would be prepared 'or the ,bo- +.# and )indows versions o' Fallout 3.)5:+)50+)5>+ There are 'ive &B3sC O2eration: Anchora+e, The Pitt, !ro"en Steel, Point oo"out, and #othershi2 3eta, released in that order. !' the 'ive, !ro"en Steel has the largest e''ect on the game, altering the ending and allowing the player to continue playing past the end o' the main ;uest line.<?$= !riginally, there was no downloadable content announced 'or the *layStation + version o' the game.<?8= Although Bethesda had not o''ered an o''icial e-planation as to why the content was not released 'or *layStation +, BaDard 3apital (ar/ets analyst 3olin Sebastian speculated that it may have been the result o' a money deal with Bethesda by Sony1s competitor, (icroso't.<?.= )hen as/ed i' the *layStation + version would receive an update that would enable gameplay beyond the main ;uest1s completion, Todd >oward responded, 6Not at this time, no.6<?A= >owever, in (ay "##A, Bethesda announced that the e-isting &B3 pac/s EO2eration: Anchora+e, The Pitt and !ro"en SteelF would be made available 'or the *layStation +G the later two EPoint oo"out and #othershi2 3etaF were released 'or all plat'orms.<8#= !n !ctober 5, "##A, a New ,bo- -perience premium theme 'or the game was released 'or the ,bo- +.#. 3onsumers could pay "?# (icroso't *oints, or by having downloaded all other downloadable content. The *layStation + received a 'ree theme, 'eaturing a Brotherhood o' Steel Knight in the bac/ground, and includes symbols 'rom the game as icons on the *S+ home menu.):*+):,+):-+ 9n &ecember "##$ the o''icial editor, /nown as the G. .3.K. EGarden o' den 3reation KitF was made available 'or the )indows version o' the game as a 'ree download 'rom the Fallout 3 website.):5+)::+

@eception<edit=
$e#iews[edit]
)hide+Reception Aggregate scores

Aggregator Game?ankin s $etacritic

Revie% scores

Score
@,A>@B C.-01D)>,+ @1A0@B C"CD)>-+ @1A01B C"S-D)>5+ @-E*11 C.-01D)0@+ @*E*11 C"CD)>1+ @1E*11 C"S-D)>*+

Publication *6"Acom !d e !lectronic Gamin $onthly !uro amer Famitsu Game %nformer GameSpot GameSpy %G2 3fficial .(o/ $a aGine "C Gamer 6S Publication

Score
A):0+ >E*1):>+ A, BF, AF):4+ *1E*1):@+ -4E51)01+ @A:E*1)0*+ @E*1 C.-01E"CD)0,+

)0-+
4A:E*1 C"S-D)05+ )0+ @A0E*1 C.-01E"CD)0:+ @A5E*1 C"S-D)00+ *1E*1)0>+ @*B)04+ A%ards

A%ard Game of the =ear ,114)>:+ Best Writin )>:+ Game of the =ear ,114)>>+ Best .(o/ -01 Game)>4+ Best ?"G)>@+ Best 6se of Sound)>@+ Best "C Game)>@+ Best ?"G)>@+ 6ltimate Game of the =ear ,11@)41+ "C Game of the =ear ,11@)41+

&th Annual Game Developers Choice A%ards 'G( )est of *++,)>0+

GameSpot )est of *++, Golden -o.stic/ A%ard *++&

Fallout 3 received critical acclaim 'rom many reviewers, with an average Game@an/ings score o' A".0AO 'or the ,bo- +.#,<0"=A#..AO 'or the *3<0+= and A#..#O 'or the *layStation +.<0?= 52*.com1s &emian Binn praised its open-ended gameplay and 'le-ible character-leveling system. )hile the 4.A.T.S. system was called 6'un6, enemy encounters were said to su''er 'rom a lac/ o' precision in real-time combat and little variety in enemy types. The review concluded, Fallout 3 is a 6hugely ambitious game that doesn1t come around very o'ten6.<8.= 9GN editor ri/ Brudvig praised the game1s 6minimalist6 sound design, observing, 6you might 'ind yoursel' with nothing but the sound o' wind rustling through decaying trees and blowing dust across the barren plains ... Fallout 3 proves that less can be more6. The review noted that the 6unusual amount o' realism6 combined with the 6endless conversation permutations6 produces 6one o' the most truly interactive e-periences o' the generation6.<.8= 9n a review o' the game 'or Kota/u, (i/e :ahey commented that 6)hile 9non Lur1s score is 'illed with epic goodness, the real stars o' Fallout 31s music are the vintage songs 'rom the 5A?#s6.<$5= )ill Tuttle o' GameSpy commended the game 'or its 6engaging storyline, impeccable presentation, and hundreds o' hours o' addictive gameplay6.

<$"= Although Ed+e awarded the game 0 out o' 5#, in a later anniversary issue it placed the game +0th in a 65## best games to play today6 list, saying 6 Fallout 3 empowers, engages and rewards to e-tents that 'ew games have ever achieved6.<$+= Some criticisms were the bugs in regards to the physics and crashesJsome o' which bro/e ;uests and even prevented progression.<.8= The A9 and sti'' character animations are another common point o' criticism,)45+)4:+)40+ as is the ending.)45+)4>+ Ed+estated that 6the game is cumbersome in design and 're;uently incompetent in the details o' e-ecution6, ta/ing particular issue with the na/edness o' the >2&, the clarity o' the menu inter'ace, and that the smaller problems are carried over 'rom Oblivion. Ed+e li/ed the central story but said 6the writing isn1t ;uite as consistent as the ideas that underpin6 and that the 6voice-acting is even less reliable6.<80=

Sales[edit]
:rom its release in !ctober through the end o' "##$, Fallout 3 shipped over ?.0 million units. <$$= According to N*& Group the ,bo- +.# version has sold 5.5? million units and the *layStation + version has sold 88",### units as o' %anuary "##A.<$A= The ,bo- +.# version was the 5?th best-selling game o' &ecember "##$ in the 2nited States, while the *layStation + version was the eighth best-selling *layStation + game in that region and month.<A#= Fallout 3 was one o' the most played titles in ,bo- Bive in "##A, and Games 'or )indows N Bive in "##A, "#55 and "#5".)@*+)@,+)@-+

Awards[edit]
Fallout 3 won several awards 'ollowing its showcasing at + "##0. 9GN gave it the 6Game o' + "##06 award, and GameSpot gave it the 6Best @ole-*laying Game o' + "##06 award. )@5+ )@:+ :ollowing the game1s demonstration at + "##$, 9GN also gave it 6Best !verall @*G6, 6Best !verall 3onsole Game6, and 6!verall Game o' the Show6 'or + "##$.<A.= Game 3ritics Awards gave the game 6Best @ole-*laying Game6 and 6Best o' Show6 'or + "##$.<A0= A'ter its release, Fallout 3 won numerous awards 'rom gaming journalists and websites. At the "##A Game &eveloper1s 3hoice Awards, it won overall 6Game o' the 7ear6 along with 6Best )riting.6<08= 9t was also awarded 6Game o' the 7ear6 by 9GN, )>>+Games?adar,<A$= GameSpy, <AA= 2G! Networ/s,<5##= Gamasutra)*1*+ and the Golden %oystic/ Awards.<$#= The game also won 6,bo- +.# Game o' the 7ear6 'rom O&&icial )bo* #a+a,ine,<0A= GameSpy<0A= and 9GN, <0$= while winning 6*3 Game o' the 7ear6 'rom (a'ePro,<5#"= GameSpy, <5#+= GameTrailers)*15+ and GameSpot,<0A= with the latter two also awarding it 6Best @*G.6)>@+)*1:+ At the end o' "##A, Fallout 3 was 'eatured in 9GN1s 6Best 4ideo and 3omputer Games o' the &ecade6 E"###N"##AF, with the game being placed top game o' "##$<5#.= and seventh overall game o' the decade.<5#0= 9n "#5", Fallout 3 was also e-hibited at the Smithsonian American Art (useum . Fallout 3 was voted 'or and won the 6Adventure6 section 'or the plat'orm 6(odern )indows.6<5#$= That same year, G?tv ran/ed it as the 08th top video game o' all time.<5#A=

Te%hni%al issues[edit]
Shortly be'ore the game1s release, 9GN posted a review o' the game citing numerous bugs and crashes in the *layStation + release.<55#= The game also contained a bug causing the game to 'reeDe and the screen to blur when 'riends signed out o' and into the *layStation Networ/.<55#= The 9GN review was edited shortly therea'ter, removing all re'erences to the *S+ version1s bugs, causing controversy in the *layStation communities. )**1+)***+ 9n

reviewing the *layStation + Game o' the 7ear edition, reviewers 'ound that most bugs remained, citing occasional 'reeDes, several animation and scripting issues, and other bugs re;uiring a restart o' the game.)**,+)**-+ ven 9GN retroactively cited bugs with the original release, as well as the Game o' the 7ear edition, calling it 6a 'antastic game6, but warning players to 6be aware that you might have to deal with some crashes and bugs6.<55?=

@egional variations<edit=
&rug re eren%es[edit]
!n %uly ?, "##$, Fallout 3 was re'used classi'ication by the A3B in Australia, thus ma/ing it illegal to distribute or purchase the game in the country. 9n order 'or the game to be reclassi'ied, the o''ending content in the Australian version o' the game would have had to be removed by Bethesda So'twor/s and the game resubmitted to the A3B. )**:+)**0+According to the A3B board report, the game was re'used classi'ication due to the 6realistic visual representations o' drugs and their delivery method <bringing= the 1science-'iction1 drugs in line with 1real-world1 drugs.6<550= A revised version o' the game was resubmitted to the A3B and reclassi'ied as (A 58P on August 0, "##$, or not suitable 'or people under the age o' 58 unless accompanied by a parent or adult guardianG this new rating ensured that the game could retail legally in Australia.)**:+)**4+ According to the A3B board report, the drug content was not removed entirely 'rom the revised version o' the game, but the animation showing the actual usage o' the drugs was removedG the minority view on the decision stated that the drug content was still enough to warrant a re'used classi'ication rating, despite the admission that the portrayal o' the drugs was appropriate within the conte-t o' the game.<55A= 9n a later interview with 2K gaming magaDine Ed+e, Bethesda So'twor/s revealed that there would be only one version o' Fallout 3 released worldwide, and that this version would have all real world drug re'erences removed. 9t was later clari'ied that the only change made would be that morphine, a real world drug that would have appeared in the game, would instead be renamed to the more generic 6(ed-,.6<5"#=

$elease in India[edit]
!n !ctober "", "##$, (icroso't announced that the game would not be released in 9ndia on the ,bo- +.# plat'orm.<5"5= @eligious and cultural sentiments were cited as the reason. (icroso't stated, 6(icroso't constantly endeavors to bring the best games to 9ndian consumers in sync with their international release. >owever, in light o' cultural sensitivities in 9ndia, we have made the business decision to not bring Fallout 3 into the country.6<5""= Although the speci'ic reason was not revealed in public, it is possible that it is because the game contains two-headed mutated cows called Brahmin, or that Brahmin is also the name o' an ancient, power'ul hereditary caste o' >indu priests and religious scholars in 9ndia, or its similarity to the spelling o' brahman, a type o' cow that originated in 9ndia. Brahman, a breed o' Lebu, are revered by >indus.<5"+=

Sensiti#ity to 'apan[edit]
Bethesda So'twor/s changed the side ;uest 6The *ower o' the Atom6 in the %apanese version o' Fallout 3 to relieve concerns about depictions o' atomic detonation in inhabited areas. 9n non-%apanese versions, players are given the option o' either de'using, ignoring, or detonating the dormant atomic bomb in the town o' (egaton. 9n the %apanese version, the character (r. Bur/e has been ta/en out o' this side ;uest, ma/ing it impossible to detonate the bomb.<5"?= Also in the %apanese release, the 6:at (an6 nuclear catapult weapon was renamed 6Nu/a Bauncher6, as the original name was a re'erence to the bomb used on

Nagasa/i.)*,5+)*,:+ According to Tetsu Ta/ahashi, responsible 'or localiDing Fallout 3 to %apan under his company Lenima- Asia, the available actions prior to localiDing 6The *ower o' the Atom6 and the ability to /ill civilians almost got the game banned by 3 @! be'ore it got an Adult !nly @ating.<5".=