Fallout 3

This is one of those games I was extremely glad I wasn't working when I played it. I was so immersed into the world that it was like reality outside of the game didn't matter, I spent basically a few weeks straight living my life in fallout 3, and I have no regrets. The sounds, the 50's setting, and the location absolutely sucked me in, in a way no game since Final Fantasy VII / VIII on PS1 did. This is one of those single player games that you can spend hundreds of hours on, and still not truly have done everything there is to do in the world.

The story was great, but more importantly the side missions and NPC's are as high of quality as the main campaign. You always feel like you are doing something important in the world even if it's not the main campaign.

What can I say other than the fact that I absolutely loved this game? I never had the pleasure of playing FO1 or FO2 before hand so how great this game was came at a bit of a surprise for me. A very pleasant and unforgettable surprise.

The only downside to this game is the engine and more importantly bugs/glitches. I personally ran into several. Some on the PC, and lots more on the PS3. If you have a choice I would get the PC version for sure unless you are also a trophy hunter.

Following in the footsteps of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Bethesda took their open world RPG formula a step forward with Fallout 3. I doubt you'll ever see an open world game surpass FO3 in terms of world detail. It was one of the most talked about games of 2008 and with good reason. Fallout 3 recreates Washington DC in a post-apocalyptic world, and does so in spectacular fashion.

The emphasis of this game is not on the main campaign, but on free roam and exploration. Don't even bother playing this game unmodded, get all of these which bring a lot of life back to the game, both literally and figuratively. With these mods, Fallout 3 becomes one of the most brutal and unforgiving open world games in existence, matched only by modded Fallout: New Vegas and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Misery.

Imagine yourself scavenging in inhospitable places, like a pitch black metro station. You'll know that you're surrounded by monsters you can't even imagine; you hear them creeping about, but can't see them due to the darkness. One wrong move, and they see you. You can't defend yourself since you carry only a lead pipe and one or two stimpaks. Finding a single stimpak will be a sight for sore eyes. You're sick from dehydration and radiation poisoning, and you have almost 0% chance of finding a bottle of purified/radiation-free water. Don't forget to watch your step, because there are traps everywhere...

This intensity and fear for your life cannot be found in many other games, and it always requires mods to do so. Fallout 3 with those mods becomes one of the most fascinating and unforgiving game experiences ever.

This game really raised the bar for open world games. Nobody really comes close to Bethesda when it comes to open world level design, except perhaps Obsidian with Fallout New Vegas, but even that is much more bland than Fallout 3. This game is an instant classic and a must-have.