GI.net: "Fallout 3 was originally being put together by the original creators of the series Black Isle. However, when Interplay let the team go, the franchise was placed into limbo. Nobody was sure if the series would die or if someone would pick it up to possibly create something in the future. Eventually a pre-alpha version of Fallout 3 was leaked onto the net, showing gamers what could have been. Also, the news was released that Bethesda, of Elder Scrolls fame, had picked up the series. There were fears in the hearts of most Fallout series stalwarts, assuming the game was simply going to become Oblivion with guns.
I'll start by saying that I played through this game on both the Xbox 360 and the PC. Fallout 3 does take a few cues from the Elder Scrolls series. Character creation is not done as it has been in last couple of Fallout games but through a few small activities at the start of the game. Your looks, for example, are handled when you're born - the game works this into the story by claiming that the computer is showing you what you'll look like when you're grown up. This all does a good job of introducing you to basic concepts in the game, while doing so in a context that is fitting and not a horribly forced tutorial. Sure, you'll get those screens that pop up and tell you how to do something, but it is the best way to mix the immersion of a game with the essential aspects of learning to play said game. This tutorial is essential, too, since many of the beginning story hooks are introduced here. After you finish this small tutorial mission, you'll get a chance to redo any of your characters attributes or skill ratings before starting on the main game, which is a nice added touch."
