I don’t know the game from the release, but I’ve been playing it for the past few weeks via the Xbox Game Card to start the Fallout series.

At first I didn’t really like the world and the story. Rather, it is empty and dead, without the many NPCs dragging you into it. Now that I’ve spent more time in it (think 150 hours now) and watched more of the main story, I have an increasing idea that everything is happening (including with the different factions) and the world comes alive. The recurring and daily side quests don’t add up much, but they are good for leveling up and your inventory.

Much of the story has to come from a little extra effort from the player, because I find that there are a lot of extra stories in the stories written in the stations when looking for locations. This is stressful at times, but it’s usually worth it (and I think it’s not uncommon in a fallout series).

The multiplayer aspect doesn’t add much in my opinion. When you meet someone, most players are very friendly and helpful (as a new vault player, I was generously given a weapon and shield). Public events are sometimes funny when you two are working toward a goal together.

In general, I am enjoying my time with the game now. I also partially catch it because it plays well from the couch on the Xbox. If you have a watch that you can play a mission or quickly explore the world, there is always something to do. In fact, I’m now particularly curious about other fallout games whose story is stronger in my opinion.