Fallout 3 vs Fallout New Vegas.

Released on October 31st 2008 - Fallout 3 was the first Fallout in the trilogy to be released and developed by Bethesda Softworks who own the Fallout Franchise ever since Obsidian Entertainment went bust.

Bethesda really went to town with Fallout 3 and it paid off, with the game being nominated for over 50 awards and winning over 20. Being the Game of the Year 2008 on IGN, gamespy and gamespot.

• "Fallout 3 is an epic gaming experience, it provides everything you want in a game" - IGN
• "Fallout 3 is the ultimate video game." - Game Critics Award

Released on October 2010, Fallout New Vegas is the newest of the Fallout enterprise. While still released by Bethesda Softworks, most of the in-game work and story-line was created by Obsidian Entertainment.

Fallout New Vegas has been nominated for many awards - but has not won as many as Fallout 3. It has gained a few reasonable awards; but not as many, or as big awards as Fallout 3. This may be because Fallout 3 took almost 8 years to make, while Fallout New Vegas took a mere two.

• "One of the greatest games of this year, a must buy!" - Gamespot
• "#1 most wanted game of 2010" - IGN.

FALLOUT NEW VEGAS:

Set in Nevada and Arizona twenty years after Fallout Three. Word has not spread of the heroic battle in the East between BOS and Enclave. Fallout New Vegas is not 'as badly' hit as Fallout Three by radiation, because of this, Fallout New Vegas harbours electricity, food and clean water.

You're a Courier delivering a package across the Mojave. You're attacked by a group of Great Khans, lead by a Casino Boss. While being deprived of your package, you're shot in the head and left for dead, in a shallow grave outside Goodsprings. Later, a friendly robot digs your body up, Dr. Mitchell revives you shortly afterwards.

The Casino Boss is on the run, you must hunt him down. While you're travelling the Mojave, you'll be pulled into local disputes; which you must do to advance in the game. Doing these side-missions allows you to gain information on the Casino Bosses movements and gains respect with the faction.

You finally get to your destination, where you and the Casino Boss, Benny, will meet. Before this, you're invited into the Lucky38 for a chat with Mr. House, the proprietor of New Vegas. He allows you to kill Benny, on grounds you bring the package to him.

After helping House, you advance into the 'war stage' of the game. You can either go with NCR, Caesar's Legion, Mr. House or you can independently control New Vegas and the Mojave.

The war ground is Hoover Dam. You're planted in the middle of the battle. The Courier must defeat the Leader, then strove home with his banner on his back. Claiming the Mojave for his side or the self.

FALLOUT 3:

Set in Washington DC at 2272. Fallout Three is a largely radiated game, with hardly any clean water. There are large mutations running the Wasteland, killing and plague scourges the land.

You're a Vault resident. Named, Vault Dweller. You live in the Vault for the first eighteen years of your life. At the age of eighteen, your Father leaves. Your best friend in the Vault, Amata, tells you her Father (the Overseer), is after you. This is because nobody is meant to leave Vault 101. You escape and thus the hunt for your Dad begins.

Starting in a large town named Megaton, you begin finding clues about your Fathers whereabouts, while attaching yourself to other peoples problems. After surviving the harsh Wasteland, you find your Dad in another Vault. Secure in his decision to try and regain power in Project Purity, your Father, after escaping the other Vault, runs back to Rivet City. You work with him on restoration of the Project.

He is killed in the Enclave movement into Project Purity. You're sent to the Brotherhood, where you're told the location of a G.E.C.K. You set off, into the Wastes again, once finding the G.E.C.K, you're ambushed by Enclave teams and sent to the HQ.

Eden, the President of the Enclave, banters with you over the destruction of humanity. After which you choose a progressive track of the Wastelands' future. Once you've chosen, you begin the battle for Project Purity. The Brotherhood helps you secure the site, then you're given the option to either kill or help the people of the Wasteland.

The story ends with the ultimate sacrifice...or does it?

SO WHICH ONE IS BETTER?

Fallout New Vegas has the good old' New Vegas feel to it but lacks passion. In Fallout Three, you get the feel of destruction; death and apocalypse.

• Fallout 3 Story Rating: 9/10
• Fallout New Vegas Story Rating: 6/10

FALLOUT 3:

Fallout Three's side missions were something they could've worked on. They added little depth into their missions, most ending in one way solutions. You can mostly work your Speech, Karma and other factors, to make them tediously easy. Pitty, there were some great side mission stories, they just lacked kick!

FALLOUT NEW VEGAS:

Pretty good ideas and pretty well made side missions. Making you wander about the Wasteland instead of just asking all the people in one place. I loved some of the side missions in Fallout New Vegas, even if they did lack consistency or relevance. Some of the side missions on factions are great and make good story use when it comes to the final battle.

WHICH ONE'S BEST?

New Vegas just edges it for me. Sorry Three, you're too plain.

• Fallout 3 side-missions - 7/10
• Fallout New Vegas side-missions - 8/10

FALLOUT NEW VEGAS:

Fallout New Vegas brings a great sense of 'meet & greet' to every faction. You're mostly never hostile at the start, as you are to some faction in Three. In New Vegas, factions mean a lot in the build up to the battle of Hoover Dam.

FALLOUT 3:

Fallout Three's factions, again, lack consistency. While the Brotherhood of Steel is superbly set up and so is the Enclave, they've left some factions blank, so we have no chance of finding out who they are. Example of this are the Talon Company, who are completely against the Dweller on any Karma.

WHICH ONE'S BEST?

Three lacks. New Vegas is epic. There's no competition on this one, New Vegas wins by miles.

• Fallout 3 factions - 3/10
• Fallout New Vegas factions - 8/10

FALLOUT 3:

May just be because Three came out earlier that my decision is bias towards New Vegas. Three doesn't have mods, scope or differentiation. Sorry Three but New Vegas was 'the upgraded version'

FALLOUT NEW VEGAS:

Better graphical weapons. More 'to do' in the weapon category, such as: attachments, different ammo, different weapon types.

WHICH ONE'S BEST?

New Vegas, again, wins.

• Fallout 3 weapons - 5/10
• Fallout New Vegas weapons - 7/10

FALLOUT NEW VEGAS:

Perks that come every two levels is a pain in the behind but I suppose more levels makes up for it. New Vegas perks are more 'game based', not like Fallout Three's "level up 5 on your Barter & Speech'.

FALLOUT 3:

While helpful in getting the best skills, these perks lack in density. They're all basically the same, with a few inventions that can be categorised as 'fun'.

WHO'S BEST?

As expected, New Vegas wins. Wasn't much in it though, mainly because Perks are quite dull.

• Fallout 3 perks - 7/10
• Fallout New Vegas - 8/10

FALLOUT 3:

Better companions. They come with no story and less navigation. Again, Three misses out because it came first.

FALLOUT NEW VEGAS:

Most of them suck, expect maybe Veronica (Felicia Day, yes) and Boone. They come with stories, so I guess they're cool.

WHAT ONE'S BETTER?

They're both pretty epic characters. Three provides character while Vegas provides better navigation and story. I'm stuck. Draw!

• Fallout 3 companions - 9/10
• Fallout New Vegas companions - 9/10

FALLOUT NEW VEGAS:

All connect together, to form some kind of great final battle. Which...sucks. Yep, you heard it here, Lonesome Road is boring, dull and the last bit is the only thing I like. Dead Money is fun, running around while your head is about to explode. The other two are, mediocre at most, simple. I loved Old World Blues for the characters though. DR. BOROUS!

FALLOUT 3:

You look at them and think. Yep, they suck. Anchorage gives you good armour and that's it. The Pitt brings the most dull and badly thought storyline ever. Point Lookout gives you a large area of nothingness for nothing (no pun intended). Mothership Zeta lets you wander round a spaceship...well, not really, it lets you fight aliens. Then leave. Broken Steel really saves Three's DLC's.

WHAT ONE IS BETTER?

Both suck[ish]. I'm stuck. Dead Money was epic but so was Broken Steel. I'll give it to New Vegas, just because they all build up to something, Three is just randomly placed madness.

• Fallout 3 DLC's - 5/10
• Fallout New Vegas' DLC's - 6/10

If you read it, properly, you'll see Three is for the lover of Fallout - Vegas is for the average gamer. Find where you come and purchase it.

DLC's suck as I've said but do bring advantages. Download them!