X’10
Chapter 3 – Falling Out of Fable-ous Fear
By Jorge Figueiredo - August 21st, 2010
So much to see. So much to play. It’s a tough thing, trying to decide where to visit. Luckily, this year I had time on my side, allowing me to spend more time at more stations. These three titles were not really on my top ten list of games that I want to play; this opportunity has made me wonder if I should change my mind…
Fallout: New Vegas
Fallout is one of those games that I merely dabbled in when it first came out; Fallout 3 is something that I have never touched. I see a lot of people raving about it, but I never wanted to invest in it because I know that I would probably burn a lot more time in it than I actually have. Friends have told me that it is one of the best games that they have ever played. And twenty minutes of Fallout: New Vegas has shown me why. Matt Grandstaff from Bethesda set me up with my own experience; I got to start the game from scratch.
You wake up in a bed after being shot in the head; a guy named Doc Mitchell is looking over you; he has stitched you back together after you (the courier) were laid to rest near a shallow grave. From this point on, it’s all about defining who you are. The character creation session is pretty awesome, allowing you a fair bit of customization while maintaining a great sense of balance. Once this is done, you can head out or stick around for a bit.
I chose the latter (how else was I to steal all of Doc’s stuff?), and then spent the next few minutes shooting what appeared to be mutant cows, and pissing off locals by hitting them from behind. Seriously, though, I believe your mission is to figure out why you were shot in the head and where the package that you were carrying has disappeared to.
If you are a fan of the Fallout series, you will certainly not be disappointed. Top marks for sights and sounds in this game; the voice acting is just wicked.
Fallout: New Vegas will be falling into our laps at the end of October.
Fable III
The Fable series is an action/adventure sandbox title that takes place in Albion, a land akin to medieval Europe (or Middle Earth); in the first title swords and sorcery is the name of the game as you work your way up the ladder to being a hero. In the sequel, science seems to have taken more of a prominent role in the world, suppressing religion and magic. The third game in the series focuses on your quest to overthrow a tyrannical king.
Throughout the series, choices you make affect how you are perceived by those around you; you may very well do the right thing, but if you’re a jerk about it, people might not feel the love so much when it comes to hearing your name. Fable III is no different.
From my short time playing the game, I found it very easy to navigate; controls are intuitive, and the settings are very nice. The world of Fable III is a lot more like our own Europe during the era of Industrial Revolution, which is all the more interesting when you start throwing lightning bolts around.
Fable III is due on store shelves at the end of October for Xbox 360 and PC.
Multiplayer co-op will be supported in this game, in what I understand to be a “drop in” way. I think that’s awesome. If you like RPGs that aren’t clunky and always about grinding to get better numbers, you’ll really dig this game.
F.E.A.R. 3
I played a bit of F.E.A.R. when it first came out. It was a freaky game, and scared the crap out of me (my fault for playing it at midnight in a dark room). According to Ki Wolf-Smith, from Day 1 Studios, F.E.A.R 3 follows the twisted storyline initiated in the first game. While plot is usually important to me, I skipped past the intro to play the game proper (thanks to Tali Fischer from WB for trying to get me into a multiplayer game).
As a shooter, the game is awesome. Graphics are slick, and the sound is – as it should be – haunting. Fear is a fantastic horror title, as it really plays to your sense of dread. Even in a room full of noisy games, there were a few moments when I jumped thanks to sneaky surprises placed throughout the level.
Controls are fairly easy, and the game boasts a robust cover system. “Reflex time” (aka “bullet time”) is back, allowing you to take advantage of your character’s super-human reflexes to dish out punishment to your enemies.
Those who like FPS with a twist will definitely go for this game. Just make sure you play it in the daytime so you don’t freak yourself out.
F.E.A.R. 3 will be scaring us all in Q1 of 2011.
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