Fallout 3 Preview

IGN UK is next in line to share their firsthand impressions of Bethesda's upcoming Fallout sequel.
It's certainly proved temptingly easy to dismiss Fallout 3 as Oblivion with guns, and if you're of a cynical mindset it's certainly a summation that fits. There's no denying that Bethesda's heritage is evident throughout, and arguably more so than that of the Fallout series, but, given the quality of the Elder Scrolls games, can that ever be a bad thing? If anything, those put off by the fantasy excesses of Oblivion -- and we'll admit to being one of those heathens -- are more likely to warm to the apocalyptic aesthetic here.

And what an aesthetic it is. We've always been enamored with post-nuclear landscapes, and will never pass up an opportunity to indulge in an apocalypse, so Fallout 3 seems almost tailor made to our tastes. A toxic wind whistles through the wastelands that's wonderfully underlined by a period soundtrack, from the Ink Spots' "I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire" that featured in the game's initial reveal to the likes of Bob Crosby's "Dear Hearts and Gentle People".