Now that the Fallout 4
circus is officially (well, almost) in town, I thought this would be a good
time to tell you about my experience with the series.
Up until about a year ago, I
was yet to delve into the realm of deep and proper RPGs. Obviously I’d heard a
lot about the wonders of the genre throughout the years, how immersive they
could be and also about the ridiculously long hours people were putting into
them. Having mostly grown up playing more action/ adventure and racing games
(and, you know, being a kid), it was hard for me to understand how people had
the “patience” – a term I can now happily laugh at when talking about RPGs – to
get dozens or even hundreds of hours from some games.
«It was hard for me to understand
how people had the "patience" (...) to get dozens
or even hundreds of hours from some games»
Then one day, in 2014 (I must now redirect you
towards my brief blog’s introduction/ description), I spotted a brand new copy
of Fallout 3 in a store at a bargain 4€ and just had to give it a go. I’d
always known Fallout 3 to be one of the most famous and reportedly best RPGs
ever, both from all the reviews and articles on the internet and from my
brother’s praises of the game since he’d played it a few years ago on PC. I was
promised an excellent storyline, addictive gameplay and immense depth. As I
would eventually realize, the universe had not mistaken me at all.
The game didn’t enter my PS3 system as soon as I got it. My somewhat
narrow horizons on RPG gaming at the time required a short period of psychological
preparation before I jumped into it, knowing that otherwise I could
misinterpret the experience and get stuck with the wrong impression. Once that
was over though, it was a pivotal moment in my gaming life. A few hours in, I
realized I wasn’t just playing another title which would entertain me for a few
weeks and then be a simple part of my collection; this was much deeper than
that.
«A few hours in, I realized
I wasn’t just playing another title
which would entertain me for a few weeks»
Yes, it took a while to get used to the mechanics, all the stats,
leveling up, perks and whatnot since I was used to the frantic action of series
such as GTA, Uncharted and many other fast-paced games. But man oh man, did it
pay off. The satisfaction of exploring the map and discovering the next
unexpected and fascinating spot, person, being or quest was something special
even early on. I had actually drifted so far away from the main quest that I
ended up accidentally finishing one of the biggest future quests.
Then why the falling out?
Fun fact: you know how I said I was a late comer to the seventh console
generation because I only bought a PS3 in 2013? I’m now on my second system
since. Why? The first one's HDD started making my gaming life hell and then the whole thing
started having heat strokes for no apparent reason. Yes, I had backed up my
data since the problems started but I still wasn’t prepared for it to crash on
me completely. The result concerning Fallout 3? When it finally died on me, it automatically
formatted and I lost about 10 hours of progress. 10 truly irreplaceable, unforgettable,
story-packed hours of some of the most unexpected and tailor-made moments I’ve
ever experienced in a game of any genre. I don’t think I’ll have it in me any
time soon to go back to where I was before that and carry on like nothing
happened. If it were another, maybe more linear and predictable title, it could
maybe just be down to a question of patience and grinding through it all again.
Not this, though. I know I’ll never have those same 10 hours back and continuing
the same save any other way somehow feels like “cheating”.
«I don’t think I’ll have it in me
any time soon to go back to
where I was before that
and carry on like nothing happened»
So, this is my sad Fallout story so far. Do you have any traumatic experiences concerning the Fallout series? Tell me all about them in the comments. Meanwhile, I’ll leave you with a typical
That Last-Gen Gamer message:
Despite
what happened, please don’t spoil this 7 year old game’s ending for me and I only
ask of you to enjoy Fallout 4 in mesmerized silence.
Boris
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