Review Detail

With landscapes so pleasing to the eye, and more nooks and crannies than you could explore, nukes and super mutants there's just so much about this game to keep you going back for more even after the storyline missions are over.

Starting in 'The Vault' the last bastion against the post apocalyptic waste, no one enters or leaves....EVER!!! Well, at least until you've spent a couple of hours learning the controls, a little combat experience and your ever present Pip-Boy. In here you learn the basics needed before going out into the radiation infested city of Washington D.C

Between basic tutorials and plenty of dialogue you should have no problem coming to terms with your equipment and after a mock battle with some radiation enhanced cockroaches you get to use one of the best aspects of this game.

V.A.T.S, otherwise know as Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System changes the battle from a fast pace shoot out, to a precise, slow motion balance between hit percentage, dealing damage and keeping your AP (Action Points) high enough to deal the next critical shot. When fighting in this mode the screen will zoom in on the enemy being targeted breaking them into approximately 7 sections: Head, Torso, Left and Right Arms and Legs and finally, the 'other', this could be the weapon in their hand or the antenna guiding the large insects. If more than one enemy is within targeting range, you can also swap between foes. Depending on what weapon is being used will affect how many times you can use it. A baseball bat will let you hit 4 different areas straight from the off, while the flame thrower will burn through your AP with only 2. Added to this, you must take into account that while you are attacking in this mode, the scene is played out, giving you no control over your character as they stand there completely vulnerable to attacks as you shoot / blast or burn your chosen victims.

Now that's been explained, it’s the fun bit. Learning what works best is a bit of basic maths and learning from mistakes. Trying to take on more than one enemy with only a sledgehammer, while in real time is possible with careful blocking and dodging, will not give you the same affect in the V.A.T.S mode, while dealing a Critical Headshot with the sniper rifle to that raider in the distance makes it all worth while. With the game slowed down a critical shot will show the shot from the blast of the barrel, following the flight of the bullet until it connects with the enemy decapitating them in one swift shot, keeping that precious ammo for more dangerous foes.

So you now know the controls, the battle system, what items have which affects, and which skills are best suited to you. You now have the choice of following the storyline, or running off to find the 4 corners of the map. It honestly doesn't matter which you choose as each is just as fun as the other. The storyline takes you on a quest to find your father and with side missions in the double figures from the first town alone, you will have more than enough to keep you occupied, and with choices between saving the people of Megaton from the radiation slowly killing them or blowing them into the pages of history with a nuclear bomb, it makes it difficult to chose.

But undoubtedly you will find some time to go and see what’s over that next rise, and you'll marvel as the sun sets behind a dilapidated tower block. It doesn't stop there, as with Oblivion, random events will happen as you walk around the map, giving you even more chances for exploring. Caves and broken buildings are a plenty and there should be no trouble keeping yourself occupied and even the most avid gamer will take a while to complete this to 100%.

Between the strategy, V.A.T.S combat, the variety of weapons, quests, views, enemies and your own 'Nice, neutral and bad' input into conversations with NPC's there should be enough to do until next Christmas.

This should be on every persons christmas list..........providing they have a few spare days, the storyline will come to its dramatic conclusion after about 15 hours of straightforward play but the side missions will take the play time from days to weeks. A game so full of WIN it shouldn't have to be reviewed.