Editor’s note: This review was written by Mark Schmitt, a student at Full Sail University. Mark has had the passion for creating games ever since he picked up his first memorable game: Metal Gear Solid. His favorite genre of games would include first-person shooter as well as role-playing games. He constantly looks for great games to play and hopes that in the future, he can create amazing games as well.

As I fired up Fallout 3, I knew I was in for a ride. What I didn’t expect was how far and how in-depth that ride would be. Fallout 3’s opening briefly takes you through the player character’s first 19 years. This includes deciding which abilities your character can acquire. (Being a fan of first-person shooters I chose small guns, science and speech.) There are plenty of different attributes you can choose, so no matter what your playing preference dictates will most likely make no difference. Continuing with the story, you wake up one day and discover your father has left The Vault (an underground shelter protected from post-apocalyptic Washington, D.C., and also where you have lived your whole life). Having no more reason to stay in The Vault, you decide to find out where your father has gone. This is where the main story begins.

Your first step outside The Vault is an experience I will never forget. Welcome to post-apocalyptic Washington, D.C. In the distance you can see the Washington Monument’s frame exposed. This is evidence of the destruction mankind has caused with nuclear proliferation. Your first objective is to reach the town of Megaton, which gets its name from the nuclear bomb that is lying in the middle of the town. Eventually, you find out your father has left for Galaxy News Radio (one of the only working radio stations left in the world). As you head toward Galaxy News Radio, you encounter your first enemies. Some of these include mutated scorpions that have become enlarged and back a nasty punch. You also receive a tutorial on Vaultech Automatic Targeting System, or V.A.T.S.

V.A.T.S. is the main targeting system in Fallout 3. What happens is it pauses the action and targets body parts of your enemy. Then it has a percentage based off how far you are from the target, what type of gun you are firing and how high your stats are on what weapon you are using. You can also score critical hits on the enemies in V.A.T.S., but most of the time, the enemy gets its head blown off.

Continuing with the story, once you have reached Galaxy News Radio, the DJ informs you your father has continued onto Rivet City. Once again, you are a few steps behind and have to catch up. As you reach Rivet City, you find out it isn’t a city at all but a secluded battleship. Sealed off from other inhabitants of the surrounding area, Rivet City has no means of figuring out what’s going on in the outside world, but it also offers the best protection from the mutated monsters. Finally, after what seems like a month’s worth of playing, you have caught up with your dad and discovered his master plan. Your father left The Vault to work on his project to purify irradiated water. There is only one problem: The pumps must be activated within the Jefferson Memorial, and he decides to entrust this task to you.

Once you have cleared the Jefferson Memorial of enemies, you must activate the pumps. This requires the ultimate sacrifice as the radiation level will become so high you will die; but with your death, the water in the immediate area will become drinkable. You must decide whether to sacrifice yourself or well, you’ll just have to find out when you finish the story.

The gameplay of Fallout 3 is completely immersing; it will take you up to 80 hours to finish the game with the included side quests. Also, there are three different endings based on your karma (good, bad or neutral). Overall, if you want to get all three endings, it will take you upwards of 240 hours. If you still can’t get enough of Fallout 3, the developers have created four episodes of downloadable content. Each area’s story is about 10 hours; possibly bringing the length of the game upwards of 280 hours.

The graphics of Fallout 3 are pretty impressive. There’s just one flaw. I noticed the nonplayer characters seem underdeveloped graphic wise. This doesn’t affect the game too drastically, but you can tell they need some improvement. The design of the post-apocalyptic Washington, D.C., is just awe-striking. The Washington Monument and the Jefferson Memorial are so visually impressive you just want to stare at the buildings.

Fallout 3 provided plenty of enjoyment. Again, with upwards of 280 hours, you don’t feel cheated for buying a $50 game. Every time I had to be at work or anywhere else, I was still thinking about Fallout 3 and what would happen next. Overall, this is one game that you cannot put down until you are finished.

I recommend Fallout 3 as a must-buy. Whether you are a fan of first-person shooters or role-playing games, you will enjoy Fallout 3. The story grips you and drags you in, the graphics provide the right tone and immerse you in the game world and the gameplay will have you thinking about Fallout 3 all the time.