No Spoiler review:
DISCLAIMER: When you play Fallout 3 the game will NOT work unless you use external tools to make the game function correctly. Due to Bethesda recently updating their 14 year old game to run on newer systems by removing 'Games for Windows live' as a requirement, any mod made before said update (14 years worth of mods...) no longer works. The only way to circumvent this is to download 2 things, 'FOSE' and 'Fallout Anniversary Patcher' (Linked below), there are an abundance of videos on how to download these on YouTube, however if you require further help drop me a message and I shall help you myself!
You will also have to cap your frames to a MAX of 60fps using a tool like Nvidia control panel, this is because older Bethesda games have their physics engine tied to the frame count. The game will not work correctly over 60fps as it was not designed to be played at an fps count above that.

I'll get it out of the way and say that Fallout 3 is my favourite game of all time, so I'm happy to admit my perception of the game will be biased. That being said it is not the best game of all time, not even the best fallout. However even in 2022 I wholeheartedly believe that Fallout 3 is a great introductory game into the Fallout universe.
It is absolutely impossible not to draw comparisons to Fallout New Vegas(FNV), an ultimately better game. The main quest-line is more linear than FNV, the mechanics more threadbare, the RPG elements more limiting with the black and white karma system and one-dimensional companions as examples. But that isn't a bad thing, especially for newer players.

Fallout 3 shines brightest when it comes to exploration, the environmental storytelling is still to this day some of the best in gaming. Exploring real life locations ravaged by nuclear war for the first time was amazing when I first played in 2008. The Side quests, the weapons, the armour All amazing and fit perfectly with the game.
I would highly recommend picking Fallout 3 up, GOTY edition is reasonably priced and goes on sale often, there are thousands of mods to download to enhance the game even more.

My heart says 10/10 but my brain says 8/10.


Downgrader: https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout3/mods/24913
FOSE (beta): http://fose.silverlock.org/