These range from hacking and lock-picking mini-games to better handling of each specific class of weapon. Each level-up, you can also choose a perk that, in most cases, ultimately boils down to making you hit others harder, or being harder to kill.

Meanwhile, exploring the game's vast world is hit-and-miss. Long treks into the unknown can sometimes uncover interesting side-quests, cool micro-narratives or even the treasured, permanent stat-increasing “bobblehead”collectible figures, but more often than not reveal just one more derelict office building, a victim of copy/paste area design.

And while you can participate in acts that range from blowing up an entire town to sharing water with a dying man, choices ultimately matter little besides nudging your karma meter one way or another. They are accounted for, but don't impact you.

Luckily, the game came with powerful modding tools, allowing the community to improve on most of these negatives through many different mods, the most comprehensive of which is “Fallout 3 Wanderer's Edition”mod, an overhaul of nearly every mechanic. To many, this is the “right”way to play the game.

Still, Fallout 3 is an interesting journey, with fun set pieces leading up to a truly epic final showdown – which, once again, doesn't stand up to scrutiny.