Fallout 3 Fallout 3 is a post - apocalyptic computer and console open - ended , action role - playing game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks . It is the third major installment in the " Fallout " series ( 5th overall ) and a sequel to Interplay ' s " Fallout " and " Fallout 2 " . It was released on October 28 , 2008 in North America , on October 31 , 2008 in Europe and on December 4 , 2008 in Japan . It is available on the PC , Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 . On November 11 , 2015 , Fallout 3 became backwards compatible exclusively for Xbox One . The game takes place in the year 2277 , 200 years after the Great War , on the East Coast of what used to be the United States , mostly in Washington , D . C . , Southwest Maryland , Western Pennsylvania and Northeast Virginia . The gameplay features include real - time combat and first or third person perspective , in contrast to the previous games , which were turn - based and isometric . Setting and story . Setting . The game is set in a post - apocalyptic , retro - futuristic Washington , D . C . following the Great War between the U . S . , China , the Soviet Union and other countries . The Great War occurred on October 23 , 2077 which caused immense damage and destruction despite lasting less than two hours . Before the Great War , the Resource Wars nearly crippled the world and brought riots to the streets , during which the United Nations disbanded , and an F . E . V . plague coupled with global terrorism rendered the United States paranoid of both real and imagined communist plots . Canada was annexed by the United States in order to help the U . S . war effort against the Chinese in Alaska . The fact that Canada had the plentiful resources of nearly untouched wilderness made America ' s effort well worth the protection the U . S . A . promised to provide . Story . The introductory sequence introduces the Lone Wanderer ( player ) to their character ' s father James , a doctor and scientist in Vault 101 . James frequently makes comments about the player character ' s deceased mother Catherine , and her favorite Bible passage , Revelation 21 : 6 , which speaks of " the waters of life " . The main quest begins after the player is forced to flee Vault 101 when James leaves the vault , throwing it into anarchy and causing the paranoid Overseer to send his security force after the player . The search for James takes the character on a journey through the Wasteland , first to the nearby town of Megaton , named for the undetonated atomic bomb at the center of town , then the Galaxy News Radio station , whose enthusiastic DJ Three Dog gives the player the moniker of " The Lone Wanderer " . The player travels to Rivet City , a derelict aircraft carrier now serving as a fortified human settlement . Here the player meets Doctor Li , a scientist who worked alongside the player ' s father . Doctor Li informs the player of Project Purity , a plan conceived by Catherine and James to purify all the water in the Tidal Basin and eventually the entire Potomac River with a giant water purifier built in the Jefferson Memorial . However , continued delays and Catherine ' s death during childbirth put an end to the project , and James took the player ' s character as a newborn to raise them in the safety of Vault 101 . After investigating the Jefferson Memorial , the Lone Wanderer tracks James to Vault 112 , and frees him from a virtual reality program being run by the Vault ' s sadistic Overseer , Dr . Braun . James and the player return to Rivet City , and James reveals he sought out Braun for information on the Garden of Eden Creation Kit ( G . E . C . K . ) , a device that contains the components needed to finally activate Project Purity . James and Doctor Li lead a team of Rivet City scientists to the memorial with intent to restart the project , but the memorial is invaded by the Enclave , a powerful military organization formed from the remnants of the pre - War United States government . James floods the project ' s control room with radiation to stop the Enclave military leader , Colonel Augustus Autumn , from taking control of it , killing himself ( but Autumn survives ) , his last words urging his child to run . The Lone Wanderer and Dr . Li flee to the ruins of the Pentagon , now a base for the Brotherhood of Steel and now known as the Citadel . With Project Purity still inoperational even with the Enclave occupying the site , the player travels to Vault 87 to find a G . E . C . K . and finish James ' s work . The player finds the Vault to be a testing site for the FEV ( Forced Evolutionary Virus ) , and the source of the Super Mutants in the Capital Wasteland . After the player acquires the G . E . C . K . , the Wanderer is ambushed by the Enclave and captured . At the Enclave base at Raven Rock , the player is freed from their cell by the Enclave leader , President John Henry Eden , who requests a private audience with them . En route to his office however , Colonel Autumn defies Eden ' s orders and takes command of the Enclave military , ordering them to kill the player . Fighting their way to Eden ' s office , the player discovers Eden is actually a sentient ZAX series supercomputer who took control of the Enclave after their defeat in Fallout 2 on the West Coast thirty years ago . Eden wishes to repeat the plan of then - President Dick Richardson using Project Purity , infecting the water with a modified strain of FEV that will make it toxic to any mutated life . This plan will kill most life in the wasteland including humans , but the Enclave , due to their genetic " purity " as a result of their isolation , will be immune and free to take control of the area . The Wanderer , provided with a sample of the new F . E . V . , is given a choice to either leave peacefully or convince Eden to self - destruct the entire base . The Lone Wanderer escapes Raven Rock and returns to the Citadel . With the knowledge they possess , the G . E . C . K . and the means to activate Project Purity , the Brotherhood assault the Jefferson Memorial , spearheaded by a giant robot named Liberty Prime . In the control room of Project Purity the player confronts Colonel Autumn , and has the choice to persuade him to give up or kill him . Dr . Li informs the player that the purifier is ready to be activated , but the activation code must be input manually , and also that the control room is flooded with lethal amounts of radiation . The Lone Wanderer is forced to choose between sending Sarah Lyons of the Brotherhood inside the extremely irradiated purifier or entering themselves . Whoever enters into the chamber inputs the code hinted at through the game , that being 21 : 6 , and dies from a radiation spike . If the " Broken Steel " DLC is installed , the player survives if they activate it themselves , but they also have the option of sending one of their radiation - immune companions to enter the code and start the purifier with no casualties . The player also has the possibility to enter the F . E . V . sample into the water prior to activation , having adverse post - ending effects on the game ' s side quests . Gameplay . Character system . Main character creation occurs as the player experiences the character ' s childhood . The player decides the character ' s general appearance using a Gene Projection , conducted by the father before the mother dies . Afterwards , the father removes his surgeon ' s mask to reveal a face similar to the one chosen by the player for the character ; your father ' s race will also be the same as your own no matter what . As a child in the Vault , the character receives a book titled " You ' re SPECIAL , " whereupon the player can set the character ' s seven primary aptitudes . The character receives training weapons and a Pip - Boy 3000 later on during childhood , and the player ' s performance in various tests determines the rest of the attributes . Additionally , several quests inside the Vault are able to influence the player character ' s relationship with his or her father . Skills and Perks are similar to those in previous games : the player chooses three Tag Skills out of 13 to be the character ' s specialties . Five skills have been cut out from the game ( " Fallout " and " Fallout 2 " had 18 skills ) . First Aid and Doctor have been integrated into Medicine , Throwing and Traps have been merged into Explosives , Steal integrated into Sneak , and both Outdoorsman and Gamble have been removed completely . The maximum level the player can achieve is level 20 ( which is to be raised to 30 after purchase of the third DLC installment , along with the ability to continue your game after the main story missions are complete ) . The Traits from the previous " Fallout " installments were combined with Perks in " Fallout 3 " , and the player can choose a new Perk each time after gaining a level . Combat . The Vault - Tec Assisted Targeting System , or V . A . T . S . , is an active pause combat system implemented in the game . While using V . A . T . S . , the otherwise real - time combat is paused . Attacks in V . A . T . S . cost action points , and the player can target specific body areas for attacks to inflict specific injuries . When attacks are selected , V . A . T . S . will then execute the attack in real - time slow motion , allowing the gory deaths in the game to be shown in great detail . The player will take 90 % reduced damage from enemies during this sequence . It should be noted that while the player has a 15 % increased critical hit chance while using V . A . T . S . , weapon degradation per shot is greatly increased , forcing the player to strike a balance between using more ammunition or losing guns more quickly . This trade - off allows for two very different play styles throughout the game . Items . A dynamic facet of gameplay is that firearms wear out over time of use . As a weapon degenerates , its damage is reduced and it loses accuracy . However , worn out firearms of the same type can be combined to make more reliable and powerful weapons . Weapon schematics can also be found and used to create various devices such as the Rock - It Launcher that can fire various items such as lunchboxes and stuffed animals , or the bottlecap mine , made out of a Vault - Tec lunchbox , cherry bomb s , lunchboxes and bottle caps . Along with equipping various weapons , the player can also utilize different armors and clothing that may have effects that can alter various skills . For example , a pair of mechanic ' s coveralls may boost the player ' s repair skill while it is worn . Armor and clothing come in two main parts for the head and body , allowing a player to wear different combinations of hats and armor as well as masks and facial clothing which can be worn with hats . Also , a player ' s inventory has a specified weight limit , preventing a player from carrying too many items . Story - related or essential items like Ammunition have no weight , due to the developer not wishing to bog down inventory management . Your weight limit will increase if you increase your Strength stat in SPECIAL . Party . The player can have a maximum party of three , consisting of themself , Dogmeat , and a single non - player character . In addition to having Dogmeat in your party you are able to send him out on his own to search for items such as weapons and ammunition , radiation medicine , and stimpak s . Dogmeat can be killed during the game if the player misuses him or places him in a severely dangerous situations such as leading him into the Deathclaw Sanctuary . He cannot be replaced , unless you have the " Broken Steel " add on , in which you can choose a perk allowing you to recruit Dogmeat ' s puppy ( Puppies ! ) . If the player kills Dogmeat one can acquire two followers . Dogmeat and Dogmeat ' s puppies can be given stimpaks to heal them if needed . In the PC version of the game , Dogmeat can then be resurrected via console commands and will continue with the player unaffected . The player ' s party can further be extended , with several temporary quest non - player characters that will stay with them until the quest related to the non - player character is completed , if their quest is never completed however , many will stay permanently with the player until killed . Karma . The Karma system is an important feature in Fallout ' s gameplay . A player ' s actions , including conversation and combat choices , affects the player ' s status in the game world ; a player who makes good decisions is received more positively by non - player characters , and a player that makes bad decisions has the opposite reaction . Crimes can also be committed by a player , and whichever faction or group that is harmed by a crime are fully aware of the player ' s action in most cases . Other factions that were not affected by the crime will not be aware of it , and since a town is usually its own faction , news of a crime committed in one town will not spread to another . Beware however , good or evil deeds will cause a bounty by the opposite alignment group . Talon Company ( If you are good ) or the Regulators ( if you ' ve been bad ) will ambush you randomly , and are not bound to any particular area , they can appear anywhere in the wastes . Factions can range in size and boundaries , however , and may not be restricted to a single area . The game world itself was planned to be significantly smaller than that of " Oblivion ' s " but is now similar in size . S . P . E . C . I . A . L . S . P . E . C . I . A . L stands for Strength , Perception , Endurance , Charisma , Intelligence , Agility and Luck . These stats determine which kind of person your character will be . Development history . Interplay . " Fallout 3 " was initially under development by Black Isle Studios , a studio owned by Interplay Entertainment , under the working title " Van Buren " . Interplay Entertainment closed down Black Isle Studios before the game could be completed , and the license to develop " Fallout 3 " was sold for a $ 1 , 175 , 000 minimum guaranteed advance against royalties to Bethesda Softworks , a studio primarily known as the developer of the " The Elder Scrolls " series . Bethesda ' s Fallout 3 however , was developed from scratch , using neither Van Buren code , nor any other materials created by Black Isle Studios . In May 2007 , a playable technology demo of the canceled project was released to the public . Bethesda . Bethesda stated it would be working on " Fallout 3 " in July 2004 , but principal development did not begin until after " The Elder Scrolls IV : Oblivion " was completed . Bethesda announced their intention to make " Fallout 3 " similar to the previous two games , focusing on non - linear game play , a good story , and true " Fallout humor . " Bethesda also stated the game is targeted for a rating of M for Mature , and would have the same sort of adult themes and violence that are characteristic of the " Fallout " series . " Fallout 3 " uses a version of the same Gamebryo engine as " Oblivion " , and was developed by the same team . Initially Bethesda held the right to make only 3 Fallout games with royalties to be paid to Interplay . In 2006 , Bethesda bought the full Fallout franchise leaving Interplay the right to make Project V13 . Between May 2 and June 5 , 2007 Bethesda showcased 5 pieces of concept art by Craig Mullins on the " Fallout 3 " website during the countdown to the teaser . The cinematic teaser trailer for " Fallout 3 " , consisting of the first part of the intro , was released by Bethesda Softworks on June 5 , 2007 , after a 30 day countdown on the " Fallout 3 " website . On August 2 , 2007 , the game ' s website was opened . Reception . Leonard Boyarsky , one of the creators of the original Fallout , when asked about Interplay ' s sale of the rights to Bethesda , said that he felt as though " our ex - wife had sold our children that she had legal custody of , " admitting that he feels very possessive of the series , but also admitted that his concerns have nothing to do with Bethesda . Considerable concern was also raised by some members of the series ' fan community , largely concerning major changes in game play style compared to the original games and " Fallout 3 " s similarity to " Oblivion . " The reaction from the press , however , was largely positive , with many considering the shift to first person view and real time combat an update , and with most considering the similarities to " Oblivion " to be a good thing . In a review from 1UP . com , " Fallout 3 " was praised for its open - ended gameplay and flexible character - leveling system . Its memorable setting prompted a favorable comparison to the 2007 game , " BioShock . " While the V . A . T . S . system was called " fun , " enemy encounters were said to suffer from a lack of precision in real - time combat and little variety in enemy types . The review concluded that despite the game ' s shortcomings , " Fallout 3 " is a " hugely ambitious game that doesn ' t come around very often , " and one would " be a fool not to play it and enjoy the hell out of it . " Sales for " Fallout 3 " have thus far been very high , and figures suggest that the game has outsold all previous " Fallout " games ( including all other spin - offs ) in its first week . " Fallout 3 " won several awards following its showcasing at E3 2007 . IGN gave it the Game of E3 2007 award , and GameSpot gave it the Best Role - Playing Game of E3 2007 award . Following the game ' s demonstration at E3 2008 , IGN also gave it Best Overall RPG , Best Overall Console Game , and Overall Game of the Show for E3 2008 . Game Critics Awards gave the game Best Role - Playing Game and Best of Show for E3 2008 . Controversies and censorship . On July 4 , 2008 , " Fallout 3 " was refused classification by the in Australia , thus making the game illegal for sale in the country . In order for the game to be reclassified , the offending content in the Australian version of the game would have to be removed by Bethesda Softworks and the game resubmitted to the OFLC . According the OFLC board report , the game was refused classification due to the " realistic visual representations of drugs and their delivery method ( bringing ) the ' science - fiction ' drugs in line with ' real - world ' drugs . " Despite this , Australia ' s Fallout 3 was expected to be released on October 30 , on par with the European version , and was delivered on time with the drug - name changes . On September 9 , 2008 Bethesda vice president of PR and marketing , Peter Hines , has described the idea of a censored Australian version of " Fallout 3 " as a misconception . All versions of " Fallout 3 " no longer include real world drug references , then morphine was renamed to Med - X . Game content was edited in the German release to include less violence . ( No gore ) . Bethesda Softworks changed the side quest " The Power of the Atom " in the Japanese version of " Fallout 3 " to relieve concerns about depictions of atomic detonation in inhabited areas . In non - Japanese versions , players are given the option of either defusing , ignoring , or detonating the dormant atomic bomb in the town of Megaton . In the Japanese version , the character Mister Burke has been taken out of this side quest , making it impossible to detonate the bomb . Also in the Japanese release , the " Fat Man " nuclear catapult weapon was renamed " Nuka Launcher , " as the original name was a reference to the bomb used on Nagasaki , Japan . Microsoft India decided not to release the game in that country , citing " cultural sensitivities " . It has been speculated that this is either because the cattle in the game are called brahmin , which is the name of the highest Hindu caste , or possibly due to the fact that the player can kill and eat the cattle , which , as it is a venerated animal , is against the principles of most Hindu sects . Leak . On October 9 , 2008 , an Xbox 360 review copy of " Fallout 3 " was leaked on torrents all around the world . Bethesda Softworks reacted by closing streaming videos and YouTube videos of the leaked copy . However a large amount of information was leaked , including most of the main quest line . Production . Developers . The project is headed by executive producer Todd Howard . Other producers include Ashley Cheng , Gavin Carter and Jeff Gardiner . The lead designer is Emil Pagliarulo who previously worked on " Thief " games as well as the Dark Brotherhood quests in " Oblivion " . Lead level designer is Joel Burgess . Other leads are lead artist Istvan Pely and lead programmer Steve Meister . PR and marketing for the game is coordinated by Pete Hines . See : " Fallout 3 " developers for a full list of known developers . Music . The soundtrack of " Fallout 3 " is comprised of two main elements : the ambient soundtrack composed by Inon Zur , who also created the soundtrack of " " , and songs and other musical works which are played by in - game radio stations . Products . Collector ' s Edition . The collector ' s edition of " Fallout 3 " features : A Vault Boy bobblehead , " The Art of Fallout 3 " ( which features never before seen exclusive concept art for the game ) , and " The Making of Fallout 3 " DVD . The entire package is contained in a Vault - Tec lunchbox container . Survival Edition . In addition to the above products , the Survival Edition features a life - size model of the Pip - Boy wrist computer upon whose screen is a fully functional digital clock display . The Pip - Boy is a similar rendition of the one seen in game . However it is made from a lightweight plastic that surprised many users . Undeterred fans put batteries into their clocks , however many found the buttons to not be functional . Others had the clock function for a time , then turn into a flashing " 12 : 00 " before never working again . Limited Edition . There was also a limited edition of the game simply called the " Fallout 3 Limited Edition " that was exclusive to the UK and available only through the retailer game . It comes with the game and a Brotherhood of Steel power armor figurine . Add - ons . Bethesda Softworks has released five add - ons for " Fallout 3 " : Game of the Year Edition . " Fallout 3 : Game of the Year Edition " was released on October 13 , 2009 for PC , PS3 , and 360 ; this edition includes all five add - on packs , a Vault Secure poster on the back cover , and a copyright information booklet with a " Wasteland Survival Guide " cover . " Mothership Zeta " will not be available in any disc version aside from the " Game of the Year " edition .