Posts tagged Fallout 3
PSA: Visiting New Vegas
Oct 19th
Fallout: New Vegas, developed by Obsidian Entertainment and the follow up to 2008′s Fallout 3, releases today. If the new entry in the franchise is as long as the previous game, it won’t be a stretch to anticipate a good 80 or more hours of post-apocalyptic vivacity. Such a massive digital trip demands an alternative form of critique.
That’s why we’re trying something new with our reviews. Over the next month (or less, depending on however many nights I deprive myself of sleep) Silicon Sasquatch will run a series of weekly articles I’m penning on New Vegas to investigate and dissect its noteworthy aspects in set blocks of hours, a section-by-section travelogue if you will. To attempt to review New Vegas after rushing through its campaign would only serve to dilute the experience of the game itself. Traditional reviews may work that way, but we have the opportunity to pace ourselves for this website.
Expect my first entry in the “New Vegas Travel Guide” this Friday, October 22. The initial post will highlight New Vegas’ beginning five hours, and will focus on whatever I see or do that strikes me in a good — or bad — way. Some reviews are painting New Vegas as a near-carbon copy of Fallout 3 but with more noticeable technical issues (at least in the Xbox 360 version, which I will be buying today). Glitches or not, my underlying aim with these articles is to break the game into chronological segments and fairly determine whether or not Obsidian’s efforts overcome any similarities to Bethesda’s work to make a distinct, legitimate product by the time the credits roll.
I’d like to let our readers know that I’m taking open submissions for questions, concerns or hopes you may have regarding Fallout: New Vegas; things that I should keep in mind for subsequent articles. Simply leave your cogitations in the comments section.
The advancement of the art of storytelling in video games
Oct 7th
Shadow of the Colossus' simple, spare storyline has been repeatedly acclaimed as a high-water mark in video game storytelling.
Even before Mario trekked through the Mushroom Kingdom to rescue the Princess and Pac-Man was pursued by a quartet of ghosts, video games have been a storytelling medium. As games matured from simple sprites to a multi-billion dollar industry, so the scope of video games increased —in terms of graphical fidelity, size and scope of game worlds, and the potential for storytelling.
The problem, though, is that only two of those three aspects have seen real growth to this point. While our favored medium is still maturing, it’s encountered some growing pains in finding the right way to tell a story — and the right kind of stories to tell.
Warning: Spoilers for Grand Theft Auto IV, Bioshock, Metal Gear Solid, Fallout 3, Fable II, and Shadow of the Colossus follow.
The Backlog: Of Dark Knights and Dead Consoles
Aug 28th
Marge would be proud
It’s been a bit of a difficult week for the Silicon Sasquatch staff. Nick spent much of the week reformatting and fine-tuning his computer before hauling it up north for the sixth annual Penny Arcade Expo and its thousand-seat LAN — a stressful experience, and one that leaves precious little time for gaming. Doug’s third Xbox 360 fell under the alluring spell of the Red Ring of Death and is currently drifting towards Valhalla. And Aaron? Well…Aaron’s the lucky one who actually got to sit down and play through Batman: Arkham Asylum.
The Backlog: It’s Like E3 Again Edition
Aug 21st
Why hello there, future purchase
What a week it’s been. The inaugural Gamescom in Cologne, Germany opened on Wednesday and guess what: Sony kindly unveiled the new PlayStation 3 Slim. Media outlets weren’t exactly surprised by the announcement, but I think we’re all glad the rumor mill has finally ceased its incessant turning about the damn console. Looks like I finally need to go get a PS3.
Oh, and a little event in Anaheim, California called BlizzCon flung its +10 Doors of Nerd Barricading open to the (literally) unwashed masses of Blizzard fanatics today, and so far we’ve already been made privy to the next World of Warcraft expansion, a new Diablo III class and StarCraft II being confirmed for release in 2010.
You know, as a gamer I like it when these big gaming-related events run back-to-back with one another. The ESA might as well wedge E3 2010 between next year’s Gamescom and BlizzCon to mentally and physically destroy every games journalist in existence. That could be Silicon Sasquatch‘s in! Read the rest of this entry »
Review: Fallout 3: Mothership Zeta (XBL)
Aug 20th
Here we are, dissecting the final downloadable addition to the Fallout 3 universe.
Throughout the year, Bethesda Softworks has given gamers a grand total of $50 worth of extra content to one of 2008′s finest games. The finale, Mothership Zeta, is certainly a bold move on the studio’s part to try to go out with an edge-of-your-seat bang. Putting Fallout in space, even with the series’ trademark exorbitant scenarios, is definitely a head-tilting decision. But cosmic setting aside, don’t expect any climactic end to the story of the Lone Wanderer here; the developers are smart enough to realize that after rectifying Fallout 3′s ending with Broken Steel, setting a finite conclusion to the mythos would kill the immersion.
Unfortunately, the end is nigh…and not that great. Zeta is a linear and uninteresting bookend to a fairly massive collection of expansions. It’s not as bad as Operation: Anchorage, but that’s not saying much.
Thanks to Zeta, most gamers are going to feel like their wallets have been probed. Take me to your refund counter, please. Read the rest of this entry »
Review: Fallout 3: Point Lookout (XBL)
Aug 18th
It’s comforting to trek through the swampy bogs of Fallout 3′s fourth downloadable content pack — it’s just like the Capital Wasteland, only with (slightly) more inbreeding.
That feeling of being at home within the game is Point Lookout’s strongest asset. Unlike the uneven experiences in both Operation: Anchorage and The Pitt, this DLC effort takes a page out of the core Fallout 3 experience. Players are given a familiar set of rules and goals: explore, scavenge, kill and quest. Even Broken Steel, which was a remarkably solid piece of extra content, timidly reproduced the basics of Fallout 3. But with Point Lookout, Bethesda Softworks has created a real sidestory to remind us why its rendition of the Fallout franchise is so supremely addictive.
The Backlog: Stephen Colbert is Funny Edition
Jun 19th
No silly memes, no riffing on major world news events — this is just your typical, run-of-the-mill backlog. But isn’t that cause enough for celebration?
No? Hm. Well, here, check out Stephen Colbert’s exclusive preview of Microsoft’s Project Natal:
Read the rest of this entry »
The Backlog: Post-E3 Hangover edition
Jun 8th
Hey there, reader! Long time no see. How’s tricks?
Well, we’re all a little burned out here. I mean, you all saw the media deluge last week, didn’t you? The countless trailers, the hours of presentations, the Brütal Legend lawsuit . . . it’s just exhausting.
So, we failed to deliver on the E3 commentary we promised, and I wanted to personally apologize. We weren’t sure how we were going to discuss the event as it raced by, and thanks to each member of our bustling staff of three having something major come up, it just didn’t happen.
If you’re still with us, I want to thank you for your patience and understanding. All three of us have busy lives, and I know that it’s been a constant struggle for me at least to have a full-time job and keep up the quality and consistency in blogging that I aspire to.
We’ll be getting back on track shortly. In the meantime, excuse our flakiness.
Now, let’s talk about some games, shall we?
Backlog: May 29, 2009
May 29th
Time for the backlog!
Here's a shock: Aaron ran into his fair share of Snipers and Spies after the Spy and Sniper update! Jarate for everyone!
Aaron Thayer:
It’s been a spastic two weeks for my gaming appetite. I finished a “hard” playthrough of Battlefield: Bad Company, and I was reminded just how great of a job DICE did in their first real singleplayer console game. Hell, the multiplayer’s a lot better than I remember, too. Team Fortress 2 has been my true online obsession however, thanks to the recent Spy/Sniper update. Itemization issues aside, it’s one of those titles that remains constant fun, plain and simple.
Daily Recap: May 11, 2009
May 11th
Our three day extravaganza of Fallout 3 DLC reviews is finally over, capped-off by the best DLC Bethesda has to offer: Broken Steel. We hope you enjoyed the weekend feature and found it to be informative–maybe even life-changing.
But, I’ll be honest here and say I’m completely fine with not playing Fallout 3 in any capacity for a few months.
Please, Vault Boy…no more
Today’s batch of industry news has annoying legal teams crushing fan-made dreams, enough Japanese DS owners for Nintendo to start a conscription-based army, one announced title that no one really is surprised by and a perplexing possible addition to the English language that all gamers love to hate, but also use incessantly. Read the rest of this entry »