» Wed Aug 24, 2011 12:04 am
I've heard people refer to FO3 as Oblivion with guns. I don't think that is an apt comparison, but I can see where they get it. The game mechanics are similar enough that if you liked one then chances are good you'll like the other. But having played one will not allow you to jump straight into the other. There is a pretty steep learning curve with FO, and while having played Oblivion may help you get past some of the basics there are many aspects to the game that are so different that having played one won't help you in the other.
Like Oblivion FO has skills that advance as your level increases and have a direct impact on your efficacy at various tasks. The story is quest driven, but there are many side quests that you can choose whether or not to bother with (you should, they account for a huge portion of the game's playable time). You can choose what equipment to wear and wield, and this can have a significant impact on your combat (and in some cases non-combat) actions. There is a pretty high emphasis on exploration, and fast travel is used to make a huge map manageable. You have an inventory that is based on weight, and can carry a ridiculous amount of stuff without slowing you down.
Unlike Oblivion, your equipment degrades with use and must be frequently repaired to remain effective. You can use melee weapons, but in most cases guns of various types will be much more effective. You only get four equipment slots (armor, hat, eyeglasses, weapon), and some equipment takes up more than one of those slots (helmets take both the hat and eyeglasses slots). The lack of magic means you are highly reliant upon your equipment at all times. Skills advance only at level-up, which is based on experience points rather than having skills advance, and you can build up skills whether you use them or not. That means you never have to spend time using a particular type of weapon to get good at it, and you can actually hit the level cap with maxed out skills that you've never actually used. In Oblivion, enemies scaled directly with your level, while in FO they follow a modified scaling mechanism. A specific sub-type of enemy doesn't change, but as you go up in level you run into more advanced sub-types. Most main enemy types have several different sub-types you can run into, but the tougher ones are more likely at higher levels.
In addition to the game mechanics differences, the setting and story are also vastly different. Going from Oblivion to FO you are also moving from a lush fantasy world to a barren post-apocalyptic one.
I personally loved both games, rating FO3 as my all time favorite and Oblivion places somewhere in my top 10 (maybe top 5).