Fallout Boy

In an editorial sporting the name of a Simpsons character, Sean Sands shares his thoughts on why he finds it hard to embrace Fallout 3 fully.
Bethesda was unapologetic in saying that it wasn't really making Fallout 3 for Fallout fans, exactly. To be fair, the Fallout community, already known for being a tad on the unstable side, reacted with a kind of venom and incredulity that only reinforced the validity of Bethesda's decisions. Even now, combining the ideas of Fallout 3 dissatisfaction and being a Fallout fan runs the risk of seeming anachronistic and hysterical, so let me say this: Fallout 3 is not a bad game.

It's just not that great.

In the days leading up to Fallout 3's release, I replayed Fallout 2 and even Fallout Tactics, both games that hold up surprisingly well over the years, so when I entered the wasteland in the third person view I was well primed to play a Fallout game. On the other hand, exposure to the older titles also made the contrast that much more stark.