Post Christmas Debriefing; or VATS for the common man

Christmas time for most is candy canes and christmas trees and family.

Christmas time for me is also those things...plus access to Alpha's gaming resources. It's good to go home right? Lol.

That also makes me too busy to post. Funny, when I have the most to talk about, I'm too busy doing it to talk.

Anyway.

I hope you all have been spending quality time with Fallout 3 this break. If you haven't found your dad, lost your dad, and killed a computer yet, you better get cracking. Games don't play themselves, you know. :) ...don't you wish your boss (parent?) would tell you something like that. I must be in the wrong industry.

So what are the improvements of Fallout 3 over Oblivion? For those who are not in the loop (and I suspect that number is small) Bethesda makes both games. Since Oblivion won game of the year and awards and all that, the next release for Bethesda after it (which happens to be Fallout 3) is a big deal. Where can you go from Oblivion?

The other question is less commonly asked. What improvements from Fallout 2 are there? Now, my knowledge of Fallout 2 is limited to what other people have told me, but from what I understand although the player could previously shoot particular parts of their targets for different effect (a la Goldeneye) the VATS thing is new.

So, VATS (Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System) is a gameplay feature in which (by pressing V) the game essentially pauses, lets you pick your target body part on your target person, gives you probability of making contact, and lets you set up several of these shots in a row. For example, if you're packing frag grenades, you could throw one at someone to your left (for an 85% chance of hitting) and at someone to your right (for a 75% chance) and efficiently wipe out a rather large group. The attacks, once selected, also occur in slow-mo (with them still shooting at you) such that if you shoot someone in the head...you're likely going to see every last detail of the blood flying everywhere.

I actually wish you could pick a "slightly less gory" option in the menu. Less realistic I suppose, but I wouldn't have to only shoot them in the chest when sensitive folk were in the room if you follow me.

Next time in the capital wasteland will be Oblivion vs. Fallout: Fallout is Oblivion with guns or Oblivion is Fallout with swords? So keep listening, chilllldren, this is (not) Three Dog. Aooooooooo!