Hey all,

I got a copy of Fallout 3 for Xmas and am pondering whether I should open it or not. I would say I'm more of a casual gamer and from what I've read and seen, it's a rather ginormous game in length and details. I have played Oblivion and wasn't that crazy about it. My biggest problem is I work a lot and game maybe an hour or two every few days. When I see people that have put 30+ hours into one game, I'm amazed/envious at where they find the time. For me, a game like Bioshock is lengthy, and I'm still not through with it.

Can any casual gamers chime in on whether they enjoyed the game? I'm just finding it tough to decide because of all the amazing things I've read about it, so don't want to swap it out without getting some advice.

thanks,
Joe

If Oblivion was too much game for you Fallout 3 will be as well. The main quest alone will take you 20-30 hours to complete and that doesn't even scratch the surface of how much is going on here. It's really a game you have to sit down with and put a good chunk of time in during each sitting. Your not gonna fire it up, play for 10 minutes, and then put it away for the day. A) Because you won't accomplish anything and B) You just won't want to put it down.

Yep, it's definetly not a pick up and play for 10 mins type of game. It's a pick up, play, and stay, type of game. :)

When I see people that have put 30+ hours into one game, I'm amazed/envious at where they find the time. For me, a game like Bioshock is lengthy, and I'm still not through with it.

I work alot too and no one saids you need to spend hours on end to play an RPG. I usually get 30 minutes to an hour to play a game and a couple of hours on the weekend. In that time frame of gameplay I will have played 3 games. I have had Bioshock since last year and I have not finished it either but enjoy it when I get a chance to play :). I am deployed in Iraq now so between work and the gym I have alot more free time to play.

I'm currently playing Oblivion and, if it overwhelmed you and your schedule, I'm quite sure Fallout 3 will do so, too.

You should probably send your copy of Fallout 3 to me.

It is a great game.
But it takes 30-45 minutes to get out of the vault and into the game proper.
It takes another half hour to get to megaton and get your bearings...
Many side missions run an hour or two and after a while, just selling off the loot from a successful raid can take an hour.

Generally, you can play a good rpg in chunks but it would have to be *regular* chunks, say an hour a day, every day...
(I generally try to put in two hours before dinner or bedtime. It helps to rely on a DVR to capture TV shows for latter viewing... ;))

Sadly, you may be better off exchanging it for a more structured level-by-level game or something with a strong online component where you could pop-in for a skirmish or two or a round or two and then pop out.

It is a great game but it is time-intensive...

I'm in the same boat...I'm all for a MMORPG but sadly neither of these games are it. I havent found one thats suited me since EQ on the PS2.

I have oblivion and have never played it past the sewers, and I also received fallout3 for christmas but havent started it yet. If I dont have at least 2 hours of gameplay time I wont put in an rpg. I have been playing resistance 2 and I'm about to complete the campaign, so hopefully I'll start fallout and that will make me wanna continue playing it...its just a time thing

I don't get much time to play it either, and I just reached the level cap last weekend. The game does have a save function after all. Fire it up when you have an hour to devote to it and you should be fine. If you want to make the most of your time then maybe get the Prima Guide to read through when you aren't playing. That would give you a goal (certain armor, weapon, quest...) for you to knock out in your limited time.

I LOVE Fallout 3!!

I'm a father of 2, and I work 45+ hours/week plus have other commitments to my race team. I get maybe 4-5 hours a week to game at the best times lately, and I can still get deep into that game.

Go for it. You have the game, what have you got to lose? It was a gift, so you aren't going to lose any of your money on it.

Thanks for all the advice everyone. Based on what I'm reading, I think I'm going to swap it out for something less lengthy, along the lines of Resistance 2, Dead Space, or Gears 2.

Maybe one day I'll pick it up in a bargain bin when I have more time to devote to it's grandeur.

Joe

Same boat here....I really want to play but I don't the time. Hell, I'm still trying to finish GTAIV, and I bought that on day 1 (granted, I took a couple breaks here and there for other games).

I also have several games sitting around:
Bioshock: I need to finish that someday.
Resistance FOM (not started)
Uncharted (not started)
MGS4 (not started)
Lego Batman (at least I've started that with my kid)
Mario Galaxy (played one level....it's going to be a great game when I get time for it)

I couldnt do it. I rented it but cant devote my life to a video game that you play for 30 minutes and dont really get anywhere. I would bring it back

Grant it, everyone has to work, but do we have to let it take our lives? There has to be gaming to releave the day to day stress of work. Fallout 3 is a great way to releave stress even if you only play for an hour or two. You can save anytime and just keep playing. DO NOT trade it in:eek:. It will be a big mistake. Keep the game and releave some stress by targeting the Super Mutants right in the face. That will teach them to mess with you.:) Oh Yeah

Well, it's not work consuming my life. It's family and kid and I have other hobbies besides videogames.

There's just not enough time to do everything I want to do, so sacrifices have to made. I'll probably pick up Fallout 3 eventually though.

There is no excuse why you shouldn't play Fallout 3. Put the kids and family on hold and fire up this game.

I say keep it! The fact its huge gives it longevity for the casual gamer. Why would a game you finish in 2 hours be better? I would feel ripped off.
However, if by "casual" you really mean that you prefer to log in to live for a half hour for a deathmatch, then return it and get Gears2.

Well, it's not work consuming my life. It's family and kid and I have other hobbies besides videogames.

There's just not enough time to do everything I want to do, so sacrifices have to made. I'll probably pick up Fallout 3 eventually though.

Yes, family should always come first. But gamming is real close to that. I to have a lot of things going on but gaming for me is a good way of releasing all my frustrations. I went to a job interview about 10 years ago, and during the interview, they asked me what I do for stress releif. I told them I kill Zombies. They new what I was talking about and the interview turned into gamming. Yes, I got the job and still here. I agree with Jets, if you start playing Fallout 3 even as a casual grammer, you will still be playing this above your other games. Good luck

Propers,

Those first 4 games on your list are all stellar.

Hey all,

I got a copy of Fallout 3 for Xmas and am pondering whether I should open it or not. I would say I'm more of a casual gamer and from what I've read and seen, it's a rather ginormous game in length and details. I have played Oblivion and wasn't that crazy about it. My biggest problem is I work a lot and game maybe an hour or two every few days. When I see people that have put 30+ hours into one game, I'm amazed/envious at where they find the time. For me, a game like Bioshock is lengthy, and I'm still not through with it.


Hi Joe,

I count myself in the casual crowd, but harboring hardcore gamer aspirations. I've bought about 8 "big" games and most just didn't "grab" me, or like you, I just didn't have the time to invest to get hooked (job, 3 kids, yada yada). So mostly I've played arcade stuff.

As for Fallout 3, I loved it. But I wouldn't call it a casual game. It IS ginormous. There's a learning curve for the inventory/combat system. A story line to follow. Your first half hour can be slow as your character is growing up (the game really gets going when you're 18). The learning curve isn't that hard, but it's not casual. Once you get past those hurdles though, its very easy to just pick up and play for an hour here or there. The game keeps good notes for you about what quest you're on and what your next objective is (incase it's been awhile and you don't remember).

Be careful though. This game can suck you in. You may find yourself sleep deprived. I did.

Oblivion just didn't grab me. Played about 20 minutes of it. Looking forward to trying Bioshock, so many others say it's good.

I got Fallout 3 and strategy guide as a gift for Christmas. The book has 450+ pages!!! I gave up just looking at it. I'm pretty sure it is awesome but maybe too long for my taste.

I am a huge fan of the Fallout PC games and eagerly waited for Fallout 3. I had tried Oblivion way back and felt it was too slow. I rented Fallout 3 to see if it was Oblivion with guns and yes it is. I enjoyed VATS and the atmosphere and will probably buy this later on.

FWIW, you can jump in and out of Fable 2 as much as you like and can blow through it really fast or take your time on it. You should look into Assassins Creed if you haven't already. I found it very easy to do it chunk by chunk.