Fallout 3 Manual - Intro

Nuclear war. The very words conjure images of mushroom clouds, gas masks, and bewildered children ducking and covering under their school desks. But it’s the aftermath of such a conflict that truly captures our imaginations, in large part because there’s no real-world equivalent we can relate to. Mankind may have witnessed the horror of the atomic bomb, but thankfully we’ve somehow succeeded in not blowing up the entire planet. At least, not yet.

Fallout 3 presents a much grimmer reality. Imagine if, after World War II, the timeline had split. Our world forked into one branch, the Fallout universe the other. In that other branch, technology progressed at a much more impressive rate, while American society remained locked in the cultural norms of the 1950’s. It was an idyllic “world of tomorrow,” filled with servant robots, beehive hairdos, and fusion-powered cars. And then in the year 2077, at the climax of a long-running war with China, it all went to hell in a globe-shattering nuclear war.

That’s where you come in. Fallout 3 takes place two hundred years later, in the year 2277, in  post-apocalyptic Washington D.C. and its environs. The “Capital Wasteland,” as it has come to be known, is a nightmare landscape of roving Raider gangs, freakish Super Mutants, rotting Feral Ghouls, and malfunctioning military robots. It’s a good thing you’ve been living underground for the past nineteen years, safe and secure in an official Vault-Tec facility known as Vault 101. Everything is fine and dandy, until your father – who has been the one constant in your life – decides to leave the vault unexpectedly, forcing you to follow in pursuit. So much for safety.

Now here’s the good news. When that giant vault door slides open and you’re thrust into the harsh sunlight of the Capital Wasteland, you’re completely free to make your own destiny. Follow after dear old Dad… or forget he even exists. Head straight into the ramshackle town of Megaton, and meet its eclectic inhabitants… or shoot first and exchange pleasantries later.

That’s really the most important thing to remember about Fallout 3 – it’s your game, so play it the way you want. There is no “right” way to play. Try out the many skills and perks found in this manual. Try using V.A.T.S., the all new combat system. But most of all, remember that each challenge the game gives you has multiple ways of solving it, and multiple outcomes. There are many paths to success, and yes, the game does eventually “end.” But how it ends is up to you, and the character you play.

We here at Bethesda Game Studios hope you have as much fun adventuring in our world as we’ve had creating it. It’s been an honor keeping the Fallout universe alive, and it’s time for you to experi-ence that wonder all over again, or for the very first time, whichever the case may be.Oh, and one more thing.

When you finally catch up with Dad, be nice. Or not…