The overall theme of Fallout 3 is unlike any in the history of video gaming: It's all about childbirth.
The moment your customizable main character is born in a futuristic bomb shelter outside Washington, D.C., you realize you're in for something different. And being taught to control the toddler version of him or her at the start of the game and learning as she does is possibly the most original tutorial in all of gaming.
As she grows up, attends school and comes to accept her surroundings, she learns that being a "Vault dweller" is a comfortable thing.
That is, until her scientist father decides to leave the safety of the community and venture into the post-apocalyptic wasteland that awaits outside. It's not pretty out there, you've always been told, but too bad: Dad's actions have forced you to leave.
Like exiting the security of the womb, once outside, the world is full of danger, darkness and horrors beyond your wildest imagination; mutants, raiders, giant bugs and rabid dogs are just a few of your problems in 2077. The engrossing game-play and magnificent graphics, combined with generally small load times, make it all truly spectacular. After you begin, it's hard not to want to explore more, a hallmark of a great outing like this one.
As in any good role-playing game, the choices you make for your character growing up influence how and what she does best later. Plus, the controls are simple and intuitive; and the game's great "Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System" lets you target a specific part of an enemy during battle.
Yes, a lot of what Fallout 3 does can be compared to last year's amazing Bioshock, but the detail and precision with which this game was made shouldn't be missed.
Grade: A (Awe-inspiring)
Details: Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 platforms; $59.99; rated Mature (blood and gore, intense violence, sexual themes, strong language, use of drugs)
This imitation isn't so flattering
Now this is an attack of the clones.
Saints Row 2 is such a complete copy of the Grand Theft Auto series it should have just been called GTA 5. It doesn't get any more blatant than this.
From the open-world environments to the crime-infested streets, even down to the various radio stations that can be tuned in to while driving a stolen car, SR2 does all the things GTA does, only a lot more poorly. Technical glitches, lousy writing and worse voice acting drag SR2 down.
