GAMES: GameSpot | GameFAQs | SportsGamer MUSIC: Last.fm | MP3.com MOVIES: Metacritic | Movietome TV: TV.com
Home | About Metacritic | About Metascores | What's New | Wireless Versions | Discussion Forums | Advertising Inquiries | Contact Us | RSS
Metacritic.com: We Deal With Criticism
     Help
> Switch to Advanced Search  
Film Video/DVD Music Games TV

Games

Playstation Reviews
PS3 | PS2 | PS One | PSP

Xbox Reviews
Xbox 360 | Xbox

Nintendo Reviews
Wii | DS | GBA | Cube | N64


PC | N-Gage | Dreamcast

How Metascores Are Calculated
Discuss Games In Our Forums

 

Upcoming & Recent Releases

sort by name sort by score

xx 4 Elements
xx 7 Wonders: Treasures of Seven
xx Agatha Christie: Death on the Nile
xx Age of Booty
xx Aion: The Tower of Eternity
xx Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? Make the Grade
50 Art of Murder: FBI Confidential
xx BattleForge
51 Beijing 2008
77 Bejeweled Twist
86 Bionic Commando Rearmed
71 Birth of America II: Wars in America 1750-1815
xx Bolt
xx Brain Training for Dummies
81 Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway
xx Building & Co: You Are The Architect!
69 Bully: Scholarship Edition
xx Burnout Paradise
88 Call of Duty: World at War
xx CellZenith
32 Code of Honor 2: Conspiracy Island
81 Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3
xx Commander: Napoleon at War
84 Crysis Warhead
xx Damnation
56 Dark Horizon
86 Dead Space
xx Deadliest Catch: Alaskan Storm
xx Deer Hunter Tournament
xx Disciples III: Renaissance
xx Dr. Lynch: Grave Secrets
65 Dracula 3: The Path of the Dragon
xx Duke Nukem Forever
xx Dynasty Warriors 6
xx EA Sports GameShow
59 Euro Truck Simulator
xx Europa Universalis: Rome - Vae Victis
61 Everlight: Magic & Power
xx Exodus from the Earth
xx FaitH
92 Fallout 3
86 Far Cry 2
xx Fate: Undiscovered Realms
77 FIFA Manager 09
80 FIFA Soccer 09
86 Football Manager 2009
xx futureU: The Prep Game for SAT
xx Galactic Civilizations II: Endless Universe
xx Grand Theft Auto IV
xx Gravitron 2
82 GTR Evolution
50 Guild 2: Venice, The
xx Guitar Hero: Aerosmith
xx Hardy Boys: The Hidden Theft, The
xx Hei$t
xx Hell's Kitchen
xx High School Musical 3: Senior Year Dance!
67 Hinterland
xx Hunting Unlimited 2009
xx Igor The Game
xx Imperium Romanum: Emperor Expansion
82 King's Bounty: The Legend
xx Laxius Force
88 Left 4 Dead
xx Legendary
79 LEGO Batman
72 Line Rider 2: Unbound
xx Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria, The
xx Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
70 Mercenaries 2: World in Flames
xx MindHabits
xx Moto GP 08
74 Mount & Blade
77 Multiwinia: Survival of the Flattest
60 Murder in the Abbey
69 MySims
xx Mythos
85 Nancy Drew: The Haunting of Castle Malloy
xx NBA 2K9
62 Need for Speed Undercover
73 NHL 09
71 Nikopol: Secrets of the Immortals
66 Nostradamus: The Last Prophecy
xx Operation Mania
xx Orb and the Oracle, The
59 Outcry
81 Peggle Nights
80 Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness - Episode 2
70 Penumbra: Requiem
xx Perimeter 2: New Earth
xx Pipe Mania
xx Poker For Dummies
xx Price is Right, The
xx Prince of Persia
xx Prison Tycoon 4: SuperMax
xx Project Aftermath
83 Pure
70 Quantum of Solace
73 Rhiannon: Curse of the Four Branches
70 Romance of The Three Kingdoms XI
xx Runes of Magic
75 S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky
76 Sacred 2: Fallen Angel
82 Saints Row 2
xx SAS: Secure Tomorrow
xx SCORE International Baja 1000
41 Shattered Suns
xx Shaun White Snowboarding
83 Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Colonization
xx Silent Hill: Homecoming
xx Silverfall: Earth Awakening
75 Sims 2 Apartment Life, The
68 Sinking Island
60 Space Siege
59 Spider-Man: Web of Shadows
84 Spore
xx StarCraft II
xx Still Life 2
xx Storm of War: Battle of Britain
73 Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People Episode 1: Homestar Ruiner
81 Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People Episode 2: Strong Badia the Free
81 Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People Episode 3: Baddest of the Bands
82 Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People Episode 4: Dangeresque 3: The Criminal Projective
71 Summer Athletics
xx Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix
xx Sword of the Stars: A Murder of Crows
xx Talisman
xx Tomb Raider Underworld
xx Twilight War: After the Fall
xx Vampyre Story, A
86 Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning
64 Warhammer: Mark of Chaos - Battle March
xx Wartime Command: Battle for Europe 1939-1945
85 Witcher: Enhanced Edition, The
90 World of Goo
92 World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King
71 WorldShift
74 X3: Terran Conflict

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games.



Printer-Friendly Version Email This Page Discuss In Our Forums
Fallout 3 pc Game Reviews
Fallout 3
Critic Score
Metascore: 92 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
7.9 out of 10
based on 36 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 396 votes
Read user comments
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
LEVEL (Czech Republic)
A vast and open world of unimaginable possibilities opens in front of you in Fallout 3. Great story, flawless combat system, and the option to choose your own way makes it a hot candidate for game of the year. [Nov 2008]
100
1UP
Faults be damned, though; 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.
Read Full Review
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.
Read Full Review
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.
Read Full Review
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.
Read Full Review
100
Thunderbolt
I hesitate to say, at this early stage, that this is actually a better game than either Fallout 1 or 2, but it very well may be; at the least, it is game-of-the-year material.
Read Full Review
100
The Onion (A.V. Club)
A massive, enthralling achievement.
Read Full Review
97
MEGamers
Combining 1950s art style with a sci-fi mix, gives the game a unique heartbeat. Fallout 3 is a game that will last in your mind long after you’re done playing it, thanks to its memorable characters and adrenaline filled combat. We can finally derive at a conclusion that Fallout 3 is NOT Oblivion with guns!
Read Full Review
96
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.
Read Full Review
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.
Read Full Review
96
Worth Playing
Fallout 3 isn't perfect, and some longtime fans may focus more on what it isn't rather than what it has become in Bethesda's hands, but its shortcomings pale before the fun that kept pushing me ahead to find out what was over the next hill of rubble.
Read Full Review
96
AtomicGamer
The PC version's controls are certainly sharp and I found myself pulling off many more headshots and quick kills with a mouse and keyboard than I could on the console counterparts, but if you really do want to play with a gamepad, Fallout 3 does fully support the 360 controller on the PC as well.
Read Full Review
95
Gameplanet
The sequel we've been waiting for. It more than lives up to years of expectation, as Bethesda has seamlessly transitioned the franchise from RPG to tactical FPS without skipping a beat. Game of the year? Quite possibly.
Read Full Review
95
Meristation
Fallout 3 is one of this year's best games. It's an unforgettable journey that lives up to the series. You are an ex-vault 101 inhabitant, and you discover a whole new world, full of zombies, mutants, raiders, aliens and all kinds of creatures. Welcome to this post-apocaliptic reality, where you are going to spend hundreds of hours.
Read Full Review
95
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”.
Read Full Review
93
GameStar
Fallout 3, a successful reanimation of a classic role-playing game, is one of the best modern RPGs and one of the greatest games of 2008. With up to date 3D graphics, good game design and adequate playing time, it's one of those rare pleasant surprises one doesn't dare to hope for anymore. For some it's almost video game art, but it's definitely very good entertainment.
Read Full Review
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.
Read Full Review
93
GamingXP
Fallout 3 is an outstanding game. The main story claims a small part of the whole post-apocalyptic world, which can be explored totally free.
Read Full Review
91
PC Gamer
But Fallout 3 has fidelity to its predecessors in more important ways, such as offering an incredible depth of role-playing opportunities. [Holiday 2008, p.54]
91
Gamers.at
The unique Fallout-Atmosphere has survived the changes in the gameplay without a scratch! Players can easily overlook the shortcomings of the German synchronization – and maybe it is even because the game provides such a high level of quality that it seems as if true highlights are missing. Unrivalled in freedom of choice and complexity it has become a worthy heir to the great line of previous Fallout games. [Issue # 16]
91
PC Zone UK
For a pure-hearted escapist adventure, and what I consider the meatiest and most satisfying combat system around, you can't go wrong with Fallout 3. It's been a rocky road, but we got there in the end. [Dec 2008, p.50]
90
PC Gamer UK
Thrillingly dark, gruesomely adult and one of the most atmospheric games ever. [Dec 2008, p.66]
90
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.
Read Full Review
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.
Read Full Review
90
PC PowerPlay
Minor niggles aside, Fallout 3 is almost entirely spectacular. Everything from the graphics, to the sound, to the plot is first-rate. The VATS system worlds like a charm, and it’s so easy to get the hang of, you’ll be cracking skulls like there’s no tomorrow. [Dec 2008, p.55]
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.
Read Full Review
90
YouGamers
Great game and definitely worthy of being called Fallout, easily beating my modest expectations. Not perfect, but the flaws are mostly inconsequential when you consider the big picture. Excellent storyline, interesting game world and plenty of gratuitous violence.
Read Full Review
90
PC Games (Germany)
Not only is Bethesda's masterpiece a worthy successor to the precious Fallout franchise, but it is also, simply put, one of the best action-roleplaying games in years.
Read Full Review
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.
Read Full Review
83
GameShark
This is a good game. It’s a really good game. It’s only failing is that it has a mark of greatness upon it and, ever so cruelly, fails to completely achieve it.
Read Full Review
80
Giant Bomb
Across the three platforms, the PC version of Fallout 3 is the best, provided you have hardware that can handle it. The PC version has better lighting, a bit more graphical detail, and just looks better, overall. It's a Games For Windows Live game, too, so if you're dead set on playing the game with an Xbox 360 controller, you can do that on the PC, as well. Additionally, it has achievements, just like the 360 version, though they're kept separately--this means you could technically double up, play the game to completion on both the 360 and the PC, and have double the points as a result.
Read Full Review
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.
Read Full Review
80
Boomtown
Bethesda has done the Fallout series justice and should be proud of the game they made, unfortunately, the scope of the project was too much for them and the PC game felt unfinished in places, but simply outstanding in other areas.
Read Full Review
72
Computer Games Online RO
The main quest is pretty short and unimpressive, but this was never the “backbone” of a Fallout game. I’d estimate that an uninterrupted run through the main story could take around 3-4 hours, while not being particularly juicy.
Read Full Review
70
2404.org
Fallout 3 is just mediocre. It’s bogged down by too many problems, engine issues, and poor writing to really wrestle its way into classic status.
Read Full Review
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 7.9 (out of 10) based on 396 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Evan T gave it a10:
This is along side COD 4, Halo 3, and Gears 2 as the best games in history. BTW Derek T, you are a dumb f**k. I am pretty sure that there is something wrong with your brain. The game is a extremely improved mod of Oblivion, if a mod at all (most people don't think that it is a mod, it took three years to make). The movements and animations are better than any other free world game, just look at San Andreas 2, and there is a world of difference. There is no reason that anyone should rate this less than a 9.

Seb gave it an8:
A good game likely to keep you entertained for many hours. If you really didn't enjoy Oblivion, I wouldn't recommend playing this game. The game shares many similarities. Pros: - Large, persistent world to explore. - Plenty of little quirks and side quests to keep you entertained and personalise your gaming experience. - Atmosphere is great. - Good music. - VATS combat system is fun. - Terrain graphics are quite good. - Plenty of character customisation options. Cons: - Can't help but think of Oblivion when playing the game (It's just way to similar). - Voice acting is often cheesy. - AI sucks. - Characters models and animations are not up to todays standards. - Quests generally consist of 'do things the good way or the bad way'.

Mark T. gave it a10:
A few small shortcomings, just things were you say "It would have been cool if they did this", but any minor issues with the game are more than made up for by the fact that I've almost never had this much fun gaming.

Jo H. gave it a10:
I just bought fallout 3 6 days ago and I'm just blown away... I played fallout 1 and 2 and I have to say that it does live up to the legacy ! It is definitely one of the best games of his generation (a generation of many many really bad and dull games...but fortunately there is fallout 3 [and starcraft 2 let´s hope it goes well...]). The only negative point about this game are the many crashes for the pc version although that doesn't disturb me from loving this game to the full extend, because :yeah it´s that good.

The Stodd gave it a10:
A few bugs, but so far Game of the Year without a doubt. The game Oblivion should have been! Ignore the naysayers - this is something very special, just make sure your rig can handle it (which any reasonable system should do).

Dr. Piranha gave it a10:
This is quite the extraordinary game. Not only do you have have the amazing story line, you have your choices on how you want to carry it out. You can choose to go down the path of the good and the righteous, or you could be as evil and maniacal as you wish. And you don't just have to do the campaign, you have many many choices of little side quests to do along the side. Depending on how you play the game, you get a different ending. This does have its little flaws... its little glitches, but nothing major... and nothing that takes away from the playablity and the fun.

[Anonymous] gave it a2:
I don't usually review/rate games but the incongruity between the rave reviews and what I experienced with this game compel me to do so. Lame story, writing, and voice-acting. Simple, repetitive gameplay that requires no skill development (unless you count patience while enduring extreme boredom as a skill); laughable NPC AI. The only redeeming aspect of this game is the interesting scenery.

Read more user comments...

Discuss this game in our forums

Return to top of page
Home | FILM | DVD/VIDEO | MUSIC | GAMES | TV | Forums | About Metacritic metacritic.com

Popular on CBS sites: MLB | Spore | iPhone 3G | Paris Hilton | Antivirus Software | GPS | Recipes | Shwayze | NFL

About CBS Interactive | Jobs | Advertise

© 2008 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use