February 10, 2009
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i've been playing a fair amount of fallout 3 lately. i had to work through some crashing issues, and after finding a decent workaround i started putting in some major hours. as i encounter more of what the game has to offer, i enjoy it more and more. it seems to run smoother and prettier on Vista as well. there was one point, though, that the immersion was completely lost.
i was near the end of a quest chain, and was watching a scripted scene between some NPCs. the events in the scene were rather pivotal to the game's plot, as well as to your character. but since i was watching the scene from third person, i saw my character just stand there looking uninterested as the scene unfolded. and like a brick through a window, the immersion in that scene was completely shattered.
i can imagine how ridiculous it would have been for bethesda to put in a decision at that point - "Look shocked" "Look amused" "Look disinterested". but in other games where events like this transpire, control is usually taken away from you somehow, either through some action in the game world or just because it's a cinematic.
i suppose bethesda wanted to maintain consistency with the rest of the game world, and how it all hinges on personal choices. but regardless, i still think that scene would have had more impact if the game had transitioned to first person, letting you imagine how your character is reacting to it.
