Bethesda’s other high-profile RPG, Fallout 3, was first confirmed in early June via GameInformer’s leaked July issue, followed by a prerendered teaser and a few scarce details that failed to diminish the hunger for something more concrete. Fortunately, this day marks the end of lack of solid information since the developer behind the critically acclaimed Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion decided to unleash a megaton of brand new details that will surely do nothing but leave you desperate for more.

First off, it’s not surprising to learn that Bethesda is putting a heavy emphasis on the storyline which is said to eat away twenty long hours of your precious time, excluding all the available side-quests that will take another twenty hours to complete. Fallout 3 tells the story of a young boy who takes part in The Vault’s society, hiding away in an underground sort of base from the devastated outside world and its unfriendly, mutilated inhabitants. The thing that will make the opening scene very special is the fact that you commence to take control of your character as you’re brought into the world in the form of a baby. At that moment you are given a choice as to what you would like to look like, the first important decision that will not only have an effect on your appearance but also your father’s, who also happens to be a doctor. From there on, the player gets to experience a number of key childhood moments with one of them being the day of Generalized Occupational Aptitude Tests or simply the G.O.A.T.. Taken at the age of sixteen, these will determine your set of skills, such as stealth and long-range combat, through a variety of questions, thus taking a new turn on class selection system. Not to spoil the plot too much, your father soon goes missing and it’s up to the player to venture into the barren world and find his whereabouts.

Once beyond the monumental Vault door, you’re free to go wherever your heart desires, though note that some parts are guarded by nasty enemies far superior to your initial skill levels and weapons. Speaking of which, the stats of these will play a much more essential role in bringing down your foes than your remarkable reflexes, as Fallout 3 is ultimately an action role-playing game. Also, the element that will influence your effectiveness in a battle is your weapon’s quality that can be restored by disposing of other weapons of the same kind and then using the said fragments to fully repair the weapon currently in possession. In case you get harmed, which you definitely will, you can replenish your health by drinking the water from nearby bodies of water. However, the aspect that sets Fallout 3 apart from other action RPGs (at least in terms of originality) is that drinking in excessive amounts will result in a decrease of your stats. This interesting drawback is due to the radioactive nature of water caused by a Chinese nuclear attack dating back to 1950s.

Your in-game father, voiced by Liam Neeson.

Similar to Oblivion’s conversation mini-game, Fallout 3’s take on interacting with NPCs will be more complex, thanks to the much improved AI. In order to make it easier for the player to interpret an NPC’s interests, there will be a percentage indicating your chances of success next to each dialogue option. Also interesting to note is that the game will feature a few hundred NPCs which is considerably less than Oblivion’s 1500 residents (give or take). But the developer plans to make up for the reduction by adding more variety to characters’ personalities and their voice-overs. Another element adding to the whole RPG feel is the Karma system, the game’s representation of your actions, be it moral, immoral or neutral.

As you progress through the game, you’ll be earning experience points that will enable you to perfect your skills and gain a new title. Every time you level up, you’ll also get to choose a new so-called Perk, or in other words, an innate ability. All the while, your stats, attributes and such will be accessible through a special retro-like device called Pip Boy. The device’s functions don’t end there, however, as Pip Boy can be also used as a portable radio. On your way to a particular location, you’ll be able to listen to twenty licensed songs from the 1940s on one station, or let a DJ inform you about local events on another. Other uses for the radio include alerts to various points of interest like new quests for example.

Given to you on your tenth birthday, Pip Boy will serve many of your needs throughout the game.

All in all, Bethesda’s current huge RPG project seems to be shaping up very nicely, as evidenced by all the details above. Considering the renowned developer can fully deliver on these exciting promises (as seen in Oblivion), it suggests that RPG enthusiasts could well be in for an ample treat when the game expectedly releases in fall next year.