Fallout 3: Inside the Vault Q&A

Bethesda's official blog has been updated with another "Inside the Vault" Q&A, this time featuring programmer Brendan Anthony.
Q: What is your favorite type of game to play?

A: Thief, Deus Ex, and System Shock 2- the so called (immersive -sim) canon. For my money, these games do so many things right where so many others go wrong that it's hard for me to play games these days without making negative comparisons to this lineage.

There are a lot of factors that make a game fun for me: Player freedom and agency, mature writing and art design, and clean integrated design patterns are all personal touchstones. But one factor that can differentiate the great from the merely good is a clear vision backed up by strong direction. I'd much rather play a focused, polished game that sticks to a small number of ideas than a game that has features thrown in seemingly just because other games have them, or (God forbid) as filler material. Shadow of The Colossus rocked!

I was always a huge fan of the Elder Scrolls series, clearly, but my favorite game of all time would have to be The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. I have a Hyrule/Trifoce tattoo on my arm to commemorate the way the first Zelda consumed my childhood imagination. Plus, Link to the Past: so much better than Ocarina of Time! Yeah, I went there!