With the recent announcement of Fallout 4 – you may have missed it, it went under the radar – many of us Fallout fans have wisely returned to the Wastelands for one last time by revisiting Fallout 3. This got me thinking; there are so many amazing moments both big and small in Fallout 3. To get you all in the mood for Fallout 4 (if you weren’t already), let’s discuss our favorite moments from Fallout 3!
Before I get into this too much, I should point out that I have never actually finished Fallout 3, at least, not the main storyline. I bought the game in my early teens at a time when I didn’t really understand the concept of RPG’s, but over the years I have grown to enjoy them thoroughly, so the announcement of Fallout 4 was the justification I needed to go back to try to finish what I started. Alas, I won’t discourage you to write anything you feel in the comments. If one of your favorite moments occurs toward the end of the game simply throw in a spoiler warning, or don’t, because I can just cover my eyes.
Nevertheless, 9 hours into my new playthrough, I have still played a significant portion to provide some of my own thoughts.
There’s so much to love about Fallout 3, but for me my favorite aspect of this game (and most RPG’s in general), is just picking up interesting side quests that you never even knew existed. For instance, on one of Moira’s Wasteland Survival Guide missions I was on my way, strolling through the Wastelands towards Minefield, when all of a sudden my gleeful march was interrupted by the temptation to investigate an old, rickety bridge.
This bridge was in the middle of nowhere but connected two mountain sides. “I wonder if there’s anything over that bridge” I thought. “Probably not, but I might as well have a look”. Of course, the game had given me no prior indication that there was going to be anything on the other side of the bridge, but perhaps because there are so few of them in the game I was drawn in. I reached the other side and stumbled upon Agatha’s House. “That’s interesting. I wonder if there’s anything inside. Probably just junk” I foolishly thought. Upon entering the house I was greeted by Agatha herself. She told me all about a whole host of things – her radio, her now deceased husband and so on, before finally handing me a quest. A few minutes later and I’ve learnt that Agatha wants to be in possession of the only violin left in the Wastelands, and I need to visit Vault-Tec Headquarters to find it.
This is Agatha, and I guess this is what happen when you find her violin. Note to self: don’t search quests on Google images before completing them.
The amazing thing about Fallout 3 is that there are so many of these moments. This is only one of a culmination that I have picked simply to outline the spontaneity of it all. My favorite thing about Fallout 3 then, is simply the nature of how you pick up all these sub-plots and side-stories. It felt great because I stumbled upon that myself; the game never pointed me in that direction. That quest and that character would still have been there even if I weren’t there to see them, and I have no doubt bypassed many such activities.
However, as a completionist I will do my utmost to see all there is to see and do all there is to do (although that’s not quite possible in a singular playthrough). Anyway, this is why Bethesda has me excited for Fallout 4. If this sort of quest-giving can be replicated, I will be one very happy vault-dweller.
But forgive me; where are my manners? This is just my story. I’m sure you all have many to tell. If you have that one Fallout 3 memory that you just want to express and share with the world, get it off your chest here because I want to hear about it! Games like Fallout 3 are so great because they get people talking and telling their own tales, so let’s do just that.