Gamer Review: Fallout 3 Wanderers Edition

  

     Fallout 3 Wanderers Edition is basically Hard Core Fallout on Steroids. More guns, more ammo, more, and smarter, enemies. Your V.A.T.S. is not as accurate as it used to be and its going to take a lot of food, water and medical supplies to get you across the barren wastelands of Fallout 3:Wanderers Edition. You can look for many new modifications to the original game by the wonderful people at nexusmods.com. Written, driven, sculpted and smashed out by the fans of the most popular game in the known world: Fallout 3.

    

While wandering through the wasteland you will quickly find that this version of Fallout was going for more of a game with richer character development, a faster paced and less forgiving combat system that is affected my many factors that had no bearing in the original game. Remember all those medical braces lying around all over the place with no apparent function. In Wanderers Edition you will find that there are very important things that you will need those medial braces, and other medical equipment, for if you wish to survive in the unforgiving wastelands of Washington DC. You will find new and newly rebalanced weapons, armor and equipment. Giving you a more immersive gaming experience while you wander in a richer, smarter and more diverse world than the one you are used too in fallout 3.  An in game control panel giving you the options to adjust every part of the game from fast travelling to how many followers you can have. You can fine tune the game to your specific playing style. You will find modifications to the character, combat, equipment, survival, actors and immersion systems. Bring the game alive and wrapping you in an incredibly immersive open world experience. The graphics have also improved, becoming more crisp and having a previously unknown depth. There is more detail in everything from the characters faces to the tin cans sitting around all over the place.

Character: You will find that there have been many changes to your character, including an alternate start option. Straight out to the wasteland instead of going through the usual and long, introduction. The only drawback, of course there is always one, is that you will not be able to grab the intelligence bobblehead from your dad's office. If you could, you would find out that the bobble heads no longer just improve one of your primary characteristics i.e. +1 intelligence. They also decrease another one of your primary characteristics, making it a difficult choice to use the previously omnipotent bobbleheads. Gain intelligence and lose your luck, or strength...it's up to you.

     It takes longer to go up levels, your SPECIAL'S have more of an effect on your characters abilities and even the carrying capacity has been changed. Do not fret though all of these are configurable through the control panels build into your updated pip-boy. There are different lock picking and computer hacking choices based on your characters skill level. Sneaking is more important and realistic; often making you regret not saving the last time you thought about it. Look for an improved karma system and skill books that give you perks instead of skill points.

Combat: Combat has changed in a lot of ways, making it a way more realistic and exciting combat situation. Auto aim has been reduced and even the weapon spreads have been adjusted to more accurately portray their real life counterparts.  There is a new integrated sprint feature and even bullet time which can make a big difference between you completing the mission or you ending up with your body food for super mutants. There are more types of weapons and ammunition(which also has weight by the way so you can't carry around hundreds of useless rounds with you all the time), the ammunition is also way more scarce and you may find yourself changing guns just based on the type of ammo you have. Your ability to aim your weapon is greatly affected by your physical condition and any type of limb or body damage you may have taken. You can do triage on yourself if you get the proper perks(think wasteland doctorand wasteland surgeon) but only out of combat. In combat you are limited to first aid! You are going to want to save often, perhaps after every combat or kill, until you get better combat skills and can move around with some confidence that you're not about to be killed immediately, soon, but not immediately...

Equipment: You can look for over forty new weapons added to the game play that have new effects, rate of fire, ease of use and all the corresponding ammo you will need to cut a swath through the wasteland shaped like your initials. There are over a dozen new armor types that are reputed to be more suitable for the wasteland than previous versions. With a complete rebalance of all weapons and armor.

     There are more options for fun at the workbench and interestingly the weight of armor is reduced while you are wearing it. Good condition is hard to find, your weapons and gear will be more damaged when you find it and wear out quicker. It's imperative that you throw some points into your repair skills to maintain your weapons. "If you don't take care of your weapons, the only wasteland as%#% that it's going to kill, is you!" ~ Three Dog. Galaxy News Radio. Armor has been completely rebalanced and power armor has been made to be overhaul-able at work benches, making it more powerful yet more difficult to acquire in the game. There are also some new and exciting products available at your local supply train designed to make your gaming experience much easier; portable lab kits, a new bedroll, a water purifier and a portable grill are all available; finding a place to use them is just a little bit difficult and just wait until you try to pick them up.

Survival: Survival is going to be harder, a lot harder. However there are some new things that can help you out so might live for another day or at least until you meet your first death claw. There are over forty new chems and drugs to choose from in the wasteland, from Clonazipam to Ativan, from lithium to anti-depressants. All having a use and effect in the game play. You should have seen the look on my face when looted my first "bag of weed" All designed to help you heal or totally ignore that your arm is half missing. These drugs are rare in the wasteland however and you may find yourself having trouble even finding stimpacks out there in the wastes.

Actors & Immersion: The enemy characters are smarter and have improved combat experience. Not only that but they characters and creatures have one or more perks, making them way tougher and highly dangerous. However you may offset this by taking advantage of the enhanced follower module that will add multiple follower support while expanding their capabilities. Having someone at your back can make a big difference to your survivability and if you really want to know what it is like to trudge around the wasteland you can turn fast travel off. Immersion has been enhanced by a slower time scale, an increased global respawn and vendor respawn timers. A fast travel motorcycle system which add a lot of flavor and style to the game but you may find yourself spending more time trying to find parts for the bike than actually riding it. Another nice touch, tracers have been removed from the projectiles in the game making it a lot harder to aim at your mobile opponents.

     Fallout 3: Wanderers Edition is a major overhaul of the entire game system. They have improved the challenge, sense of immersion, depth of game play and range of options compared to the original game; will find the wasteland to be a more fun and exciting but less forgiving, far more dangerous, place. You will find yourself drawn completely and fully into the Fallout 3 experience even if you have played the original version of the game as well as Fallout New Vegas. I highly recommend giving this version of Fallout 3 a try; you will not be disappointed in Fallout 3:Wanderers Edition.

Fallout 3: Wanderers Edition m_spicer 2014-01-15 4.5 4.5/5 Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition
Amazon Price: $21.20 Buy Now
(price as of Jan 15, 2014)