Why Fallout 3 Should Be On Your PC

Go Gaming Giant.com writes: Fallout 3 is an exceptional game yet many only own it on one platform. Go Gaming Giant looks at the console versions vs. the PC version and tells you why you must own Fallout 3 for your PC.

[thegreatest7884]

I agree, the PC version is much, much better than the console.

[Nihilism]

and thank god for tweakguides etc, i never get any pop up anymore, just preload more textures/objects into video memory

[Tony P]

This is exactly why I got it on PC. Mods put it head and shoulders above other versions. DLC and user mods make for a very long game.

[xjxdoggggy]

then got it for the pc..which im still playing. i have to say that.. i def like it more on the PC

[Timesplitter14]

Can't agree more. The mods make this twice as fun as the original, and correct most of the flaws you can think of.

I sold my PS3 version and bought the PC version instead

[BrokenAnarchy]

I got it when it was on sale for 50% on steam

I played it on the PS3 and 360 but never really enjoyed but once I played it on the PC I loved it.

Only bad thing is, ever since I downloaded the DLC it constantly freezes. =(

[solar]

i gotta get back into Fo3 on my PC. i lost my 40+ hours :(

PC versions are always > console versions. nothing new here. :)

[vhero]

Fallout 3 is a great game shame it's broken on pc and consoles it has serious crashing problems which are impossible to fix as its obviously something wrong with the core engine.

[raztad]

I dont like this game in any platform. Its animations are so robotic that destroy the illusion. It just piss me off. Another thing is the mediocre combat. You need to rely on VATS, it is impossible to use real time combat to advance through the game. I think Borderland will be an improvement in this respect.

[Bnet343]

I actually played the first 30 minutes of the PC version, but then decided I'd rather be playing this on my TV so I'm just waiting for the GOTY version.

[OmarJA]

I guess nobody care about the trophies/acheivments...

I'm happy enough with the PS3 version.

[MEsoJD]

Yeah the pc versions a must

[BrokenAnarchy]

Since the PC version is a Game for Windows game you earn achievements just like on the 360.

[gameseveryday]

great article!

[Go Gaming Giant]

how many of you own both versions?

[Timesplitter14]

I did until I sold my PS3 version

[Raf1k1]

Same as Timesplitter14

[DeaconBlade]

i don't own either so helps in determining :)

[thatruth2006]

I didn't like Fallout 3 on the PS3 at all, it was amazing for what they did technically but it just didn't do it for me.

[Go Gaming Giant]

really? you didn't like it? how far in did you play? did you give it a good chance?

[Raf1k1]

I had the same problem. I couldn't get into it. I haven't played it for more than half an hour after you get out into the wasteland though. I'm going to give it a good shot sometime now that I'm done with the PS3 games that have been keeping me occupied lately.

[SprSynJn]

I am just about to reach 90 hours on my PS3 copy. I just reached level 19 and am able to complete the last campaign quest should I desire to. I have collected only 30% of the trophies at this point though. Why? Because this is a game that commands your attention and will control you if you allow it to. I have spent so much time just strolling along at a snails pace. I have never, ever, been more impressed with a game as I have Fallout 3. My hat goes off to Bethesda for the incredible art piece that they have created. Once I reach level 20, which will not take long as I am now just exploring the humongous over-world, I will put my controller down in immense anticipation for the download content that is coming next month. I will purchase every single one of them too, that is a guarantee.

[blackboyunltd]

Console version still gets the thumbs up from me

[Go Gaming Giant]

have you played both?

[gameseveryday]

i have only the 360 version!

[Go Gaming Giant]

you're missing out then

[DeaconBlade]

forgot to say great read!

[Go Gaming Giant]

thanks, appreciate it

[KingDragunov]

Nope, not for me. Every freakin time I try to play the damn game the screen turns black after about 10 minutes and doesn't react anymore. God damn!

[zagibu]

Sounds like overheating to me.

[peeps]

i agree that the pc version is the definitive version but some points were really stupid such as

"In case you didn’t catch on, Fallout 3 PC literally allows you to manually unlock achievements. You just have to type in which achievement you want and it unlocks. You can even get DLC achievements without owning the DLC. This is just one of the many beautiful features of Fallout 3 for the PC."

seriously? how is being able to manually unlock an achievement a good thing? so you can tell ppl how amazing ur gamerscore is even though you didn't actually earn the achievements :/

[Raf1k1]

lol yeh I don't really see that as a good thing either.

[aGameDeveloper]

Agreed. Now I'll be mentally subtracting the PC gamerscore from anyone I know who has it on PC, whether or not they have been using the cheat.

[O-Mardil]

In my opinion Fallout 3 for PC is great, that's where I played it at a constant 60fps (although it didn't feel as smooth as I would've liked), but I played it at launch and there were so much game breaking bugs... Hopefully it's already cleaned up now and I can replay it later on...

[sunil]

One reason I wouldnt get it... it crashes / freezes frequently

how ever good the concept is... if the quality doesnt match, i for one wouldnt get it...

it had all the makings off a great game.. if only they thought of quality as well... it could have been as even bigger than the GTA series

Maybe RAGE would be that game !

[AnonUser5555]

Wow. perhaps this would have been pertinent, you know, a year ago when fallout 3 actually came out on the consoles.

[dreamtheater87]

How is this article not relevant at the mo? The latest Fallout 3 DLC has JUST been released, and the modding community are continually adding new content which in my opinion surpasses the official DLC.

[peeps]

i guess also with goty edition coming out soon. i bought fallout 3 for my 360 cus at the time my pc wasnt up to scratch but sicne then i've upgraded it. might be tempted to buy the goty edition with all the dlc for my pc (if the goty comes out for pc as well as consoles)

[Pandamobile]

Multiplatform games are always better on PC, why is this news :)

[ktchong]

However, games by Bethesda, BioWare, and Valve are better on the PC.

Square Enix and other Japanese developers ported a few games to the PC... they were horrible.

[Baka-akaB]

Football games from Konami and EA have often be quite hit and miss , and poor ports . The only advantage remained modding , but you can easily get up to date mods as well for consoles versions of PES , as an ex .

[Baka-akaB]

nvm

[Pandamobile]

You're forgetting Infinity Ward, Treyarch, DICE, Epic, Codemasters, 2K, Ubisoft, and every other company that's made a multi-platform shooter.

[Baka-akaB]

This is indeed incredibly stupid , and more like fishing for arguments .

How is unlocking rewards through cheats relevants ? Do people even really brag about be trophies/achievements/gamersco re when it's so easy to fake and tweak ?
I could only see that being interesting in mmos or stuff like battlenet.

As for the generalisation that pc versions always > consoles .. i call BS personally .

Extra resolutions are just that , extra resolutions . it wont turn an ungly game into something pretty , nor will makes twice more awesome a great game . With now default 720p and 1080p resolutions (native or upscaled) , who really cares if you run the game at 2560 x 1900 ? It's mostly an ego thing . It will only matters for futures games .

it's a convenient features of pc , but consoles got others as alternatives as well .

Now it's obviously different when a very few games are indeed totally reworked upon to improve on an already existing console version , like Assassin Creed and Mass effect , or Lost planet .

People also always forgot in these arguments how pc games no matters what your config is are almost always more susceptible to crash or bugs . One two freeze from 1-2 consoles games wont make up for the differences in issues with win xp , vista , now seven ... with ati or nvidia .. motherboards and ram ... stuttering hard drives etc .

Mods now are a big advantages that can't really be replaced . but it's not like every games features mods now , or really interesting ones , like for oblivion , valve games and some others .

Whenever i ask for the truth about choosing pc versions , it usually boils down to one big thing , no console and games can be as easily pirated than PC stuff .
At least that's how it goes for my entourage . Usually only buying stuff one consoles and pc that cant be obtained or truly enjoyed otherwise (like mmos, and pirating the rest )

[Pandamobile]

Name one game that's not a JRPG or sports game that's better on a console.

[Baka-akaB]

That's easy despite your somewhat weird restrictions (why do you care if it's sport or jrpg ? ) ...Like someone said above , most japanese ports . especially stuff from capcom like resident evil ..

Every fighting games till SF4 ... when they actually get released on pc .

Hell even with sf4 , unless you're an only fanatics , you're missing out a lot of "local vs" . Sure some people might be able to gather ten people around their pc rig , but it's hardly the norm or that convenient , even with lan .

One nice thing the pc got going though , for fighting game , is GGPO for emulation and online . but again still not the same if you can manage to gather friends or go to an arcade .

Other than that , you got every "party games" , that is when they go outside of consoles realms , such as Rock band and guitar hero .

Hell not so long ago pc had some quite crappy ports of GTA4 and saint row among other things . Why ? because another common phenomenon with consoles/pc multi games , are awful optimisations of the games , with oddly more powerful machines .

Besides bad optimisations why would those games runs worse than on 2-4 times weaker consoles ?

Each platform got a set of games that are , for now , still better suited to each other based on their restrictions or not (like mmo on pc) , but also even on the developer's own work .

PS : i aint denying that pc fallout is better . But it got to do with Bethesda not beng able to code something bug free since forever . Their have made huge leap in bug hunting starting with oblivion , looking back at the days their games didnt run without crashing every once in a while (daggerfall....) among many other bugs ... but they still cant deliver a bug free game .

It aint also a matter of having a low end pc ... i breath and live around pcs everyday .. it's my job .
Point is there is no way around the fact that no matter what you own , PC games do freezs/bugs/ crash more often .

After that it comes to personal choice . Mine as a owner of each console and 2 pcs , is to not care about extra pixels most people couldnt even notice in "blind tests" and only use as ego boosts ... but to choose instead confort of use after a good day of work .

Unless the games is indeed better on another machine , like Mass effect or Last remnant . Or other circumstances like a game being played on a given machine by more friends (like most cod players i know on 360 and pc , while every sf4 and blazblue friends are on ps3 ) .

[Ocelot525]

@Pandamobile

-GTA3 on the XBOX: better audio, more polygons, reflections,rumble ...

-GTA vice city on the XBOX, better audio, more polygons, reflections on cars,rumble

-Metal Gear Solid Substance on the PS2: yes the PC port runs on higher resolutions but it was full of bugs, framedrops on most PC's, and it missed some effects
http://www.gamespot.com/pc/...

-probably more games I don't know about...

this is a draw:
-oblivion on the PS3: "In the interim between the PC and Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 release, Bethesda made graphical improvements to the game and the PS3 version was subsequently praised for its enhanced visual appeal" + free knights of the nine http://en.wikipedia.org/wik...
but no AA on the PS3(but in 2007 only the best of the best pc's could run it at highest settings with AA),no mods(no nude mods for the perverts), and no option to buy horse armor(and boy is that a disappointment)

another draw:
-Orange Box on the 360: extra HDR effects(also on the PS3 but...), rumble, but no AA, and no mods(no nude alex)

PC fanboys will say that their new $1500 gamerrig could run games at 16x QAA, but don't forget that the PS4 will probably improve the graphics(by forcing AA, AF, higher resolutions, better draw distance...) of PS3 games like the 360 does now with XBOX classics

[peeps]

Really? i agrre'd with you until i read orange box lol that game has had a ton more support on the pc compared to the 360 (and i think they forgot a ps3 version exists)

i used to own the orange box on 360 and then 1 day i bought it on pc cus it was on offer on steam. it was like a completely different game. it had several different game modes and maps and all the updates and tweaks to the classes. All of this for free. if we ever see this stuff on the 360 version it wouldn't surprise me if you had to pay as well.

so yeh orange box is a bad example imo :p

[Ocelot525]

hmm didn't knew that, i always heard the 360 got all the updates and only the PS3 version was ignored

I have to rewrite that example, it only counts for half life 2

[Tony P]

As Rounded Peg says way above, Japanese devs are pretty crap with PC ports. They design their games for consoles and then if PC gamers are "lucky" very poorly port them over. So in that way, Japanese-made games are pretty much always better on consoles, though I'd blame that on the dev and not the platform itself. So, not every game is better on PC. The chances of it being better are a lot higher though with Western devs.

Ocelot, PC gaming has possibly already jumped to the equivalent of next gen (PS4) for consoles with DX10 and DX11 has already been introduced to developers. That's not a lock on next gen by any means, but they're already making games to take advantage. Tech development just goes faster on PCs like that.

[STONEY4]

"Extra resolutions are just that , extra resolutions . it wont turn an ungly game into something pretty , nor will makes twice more awesome a great game . With now default 720p and 1080p resolutions (native or upscaled) , who really cares if you run the game at 2560 x 1900 ? It's mostly an ego thing . It will only matters for futures games ."

The resolution is a big difference in my eyes. Most console gamers think that 720p is sharp enough, but for PC games, 720p is just terrible and pretty blury. Also, at higher resolutions AA starts to become less necessary. Play Half-Life 2 at a high res such as 1920x1200 and notice there are barely any jaggies. Turn the res down to around 1024x720 and even with AA, there are jaggies all over the place.

"Hell not so long ago pc had some quite crappy ports of GTA4"

Well it runs like crap on most comps because they made it very CPU intensive, but it looks 10 times better than it did on consoles. More shadows, much sharper shadows, more detail in alot of things. And it look very sharp, none of that terrible depth of field they overused in the console versions to probably cover up jaggies and improve the preformance, but it's probably the worst use of depth of field I've seen in a game, it just looks so ugly. On PC, everything looks very sharp and the graphics are pretty good.

[Baka-akaB]

it hardly got anything to do with it looking better on pc . many games looks better than gta4 anyway .
They just botched it and admitted it while trying to patch the heck of it .
And again it's not a rare occurance ... with some devs not bothering to optimize their pc ports .

Hence again Saint row 2 and other games .

When the optimisation is done , the pc do shine easily . But again when a console games get ported and demands 3 times the power of said console , it usually a bad sign .

[muddy9494]

Very good read.

[snaileri]

PC is the only true gaming platform.

[Baka-akaB]

Only if you plan on missing many console exclusive genres or games .

The only ultimate gaming platform is having both a console (or many) and a pc .

And it's a undisputable fact :p , if you want most or only the best you need both .

[Ocelot525]

that's your opinion, my PC is more poweful than a PS3 but yet I prefer my PS3 for some multiplats because of all the trouble on the PC: more chrashes,(far cry 2 for example), trouble with installing games, my PC that suddenly shut down due to windows update, driver problems ...
and the trouble playing old games:
-I love Deus Ex IW on the XBOX but I once purchased Deus EX: invisible war for the PC for the better visuals but it chrashes and glitches on me all the time
-same story for many old games I have(Beyond good and evil, far cry,mgs1, red alert 2,...)

and before you say, I ain't a noob on pctech/software, I study for a bachelor in informatics and I ended this year with a score of 76%

[Gamoc]

"In case you didn’t catch on, Fallout 3 PC literally allows you to manually unlock achievements. You just have to type in which achievement you want and it unlocks. You can even get DLC achievements without owning the DLC. This is just one of the many beautiful features of Fallout 3 for the PC."

No. Unlocking achievements without actually getting them is pissing pathetic.

And you spent a lot of time saying that the game is better on the PC because you can cheat your way through it. That's not playing the game, it's cheating.

[nomoregameblogs]

i have it on ps3, not really a huge fan.

[TheColbertinator]

Yeah I recommend the PC version as well.

[Vicophine]

Torrented the PC version and bought the PS3 version.

Liked the controls a lot better on the PS3 version but the PC version was good too.

[lbartley]

You're the whole reason gamerscore is 100% worthless anymore.

What good is having all of those achievements if all you did was type "Achievement 71" to earn them?

Bragging about being one of the scumbags who ruined any kind of reward program ever happening again is probably not too wise.

That said, I played the PS3 version a bunch, but I tend to not bother with the story in Bethesda games. I was planning to re-buy the GotY edition for PS3, but since building a gaming PC, I'm leaning in that direction now.

[xg-ei8ht]

I bought it, sold it just as quick.

Was a borefest just like oblivion.

Opinions, Opinions.

[ipe]

i just find it more comfortable spending hours in sofa than in front of monitor with mouse.

Just me,opinion.

btw.great game,cant wait for dlc.

[Darkfiber]

Agreed. I actually have it for PC but I'm going to buy the GOTY edition for PS3 with all the DLC when it comes out just for that reason. My girlfriend loves watching me play RPGs and she doesn't want to sit on the couch alone and watch me hunched over a keyboard 10 feet away playing on my PC. While I do like having the graphics maxed out on PC, I'd find it much more enjoyable to play it on the couch on the big tv.

[Moragami]

My PC is hooked up to my 42" plasma, and I have a wireless 360 controller. So my machine is awesome for 3rd person / racing games. However, if I want to play something more intense, like an FPS or an RTS, I can switch to my keyboard & mouse and play on my monitor. FPS with controller = FAIL. I get the best of both worlds and don't have to throw as much money ($60 to $70 a game? No way!) to the mega-console corporations.

[snaileri]

lol. The "sofa and big TV" is the lamest excuse for console gaming.
Noobs don't know that you can plug in a TV and a controller into the PC too.

[Baka-akaB]

Actually the whole "i can plug my pc on tv" is on par and even worse , you can do everything as an option on pc , but doesnt mean your circumstances allow it or that you would bother with it ....

Many , if not most people , put the pc in their rooms , and dont have the space or will to to move it to the living room .

In those cases , are you going downstairs to plug a 25-30 meters long hdmi cable , go back upstairs , plug the usb pads or arcade sticks with additional long cable ( at least for your sanity's sake wireless/bluetooth adapters) , then go in the living room play sf4 with 10 friends ?

Or are you going to move the whole pc rig all the time ?

I think not . In contrast pluging a console and staying in front of the tv is simpler ... period .

hell why do you think so many hook up expensive external hard drives to their TV , instead of hooking up their pc to the screen , with EVERY current graphics card being able to use tvs ?

No dice it's more convenient , easier , and actually not even worse than using the pc for it .

[Darkfiber]

I plug my computer into my TV all the time but even with HDMI or DVI connection it doesn't look nearly as good as on a monitor. And yes, you can PLUG a controller into your computer, you can't use it wirelessly, so unless your computer is sitting right next to your couch and tv, which it's not for most people, you only have about 4 feet of USB cord to play with.

[evrfighter]

I use my 360 controller wirelessly :D just grab one off someone who's 360 RROD'd which means there's plenty to choose from and buy a wireless receiver. only $20 bucks

and why are you assuming the majority of gamers live in 2 story houses? I game in my living room about 20 feet from my TV...I switch between the 2 ALL THE TIME. My brother brought over his 360 once and while it did look nice. There's nothing better than playing mutliplats @ 1080p and never going below 60fps.

[Darkfiber]

Who said anything about 2 story houses? I live in an apartment, and my computer is too far away from the couch to sit on it and play games on my PC.

[evrfighter]

"In those cases , are you going downstairs to plug a 25-30 meters long hdmi cable , go back upstairs , plug the usb pads or arcade sticks with additional long cable ( at least for your sanity's sake wireless/bluetooth adapters) , then go in the living room play sf4 with 10 friends ?"

not directed at you

[Moragami]

You are trying to make a point based on one possible scenario. Totally weak. Nobody who games on PC would ever agree with you. And WTF are you talking about? You don't decide you're going to play on your TV and start running up and down the stairs to plug in your cables. If you know anything about PC, you'd know that it's very easy to plug in two displays at once, then it's the same as a console. Change the input setting on your TV and start playing.
With each post, you seem much more ignorant and pathetic. Sorry, but it's true.

[Blow Out Your Brains]

At least there is absolutely ZERO screen tearing on the PS3 compared to the 360 version which has lines running across the screen nearly every time you enter a building.

[thegreatest7884]

I have to admit, I also used the code to boost my gamerscore. But at least on 360 I have a legit 71/72 achievements.

[Darkfiber]

So it's better because you can enter cheats and get all the weapons and ammo in the game without doing anything? Kinda defeats the purpose of playing the game and makes it less fun, don't you think?

And I'd rather play a game structured by a professional video game development company rather than add crappy mods made by some gross basement virgin video game designer wannabe.

[Tony P]

"And I'd rather play a game structured by a professional video game development company rather than add crappy mods made by some gross basement virgin video game designer wannabe."

What are you, kidding?

Mods are, to quote some internet sage, serious business. Sure, the efforts vary by game, but there are a LOT of great mods out there. And especially in the case of Fallout 3 and Oblivion since they play friendly with the modding community. There are a lot of incredible mods for these games that range from new clothes and weapons to entire cities and changes to core gameplay.

[slave2Dcontroller]

I hate PC gaming, always have and always will. I'm perfectly content playing F3 on my PS3 and gettin my Trophy on.

[Nihilism]

why are people even mentioning achievements/trophies as a reason to buy the game on a certain platform....there are achievements on pc and i play all my DLC offline, because i couldn't give a F about achievements, half the achievements you get in the course of the game and the other half you get from grinding.........which you do anyway....

[slave2Dcontroller]

we are console gamers so we prefer the console version. Hope that helps.

[Sarevok]

I find it to be even more buggy on the pc then the 360/ps3.

[kaveti6616]

This game is so depressing. One time I was fighting against the super mutants and I killed it but it was still talking. It was screaming out, "Mommy, I want my mommy." That was so sad for me. I gotta say, there is so much unique dialog here. Once you get past the characters that repeat their lines, you can find so many unique lines that are said throughout the game.

[Darren_y2]

Mods are the best like.

[Alcohog]

Obviously.

[cpuchess]

I just got it for the PC from Steam. What a difference from the 360 version, the PC version looks so much better! Now to find some mods, it's going to be great to play the game the way I want to. I couldn't care less about the achievement nonsense.