Customer Reviews

Fallout 3 Game of the Year Edition: Prima Official Game Guide (Prima Official Game Guides)

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Writing guides for expansive games like Fallout 3 must be a daunting task. However, David Hodgson did a fantastic job of organizing this guide in a smooth and logical order.

I ordered this in conjunction with the Fallout 3: GOTY Edition and was very pleased. At over 750 pages, this guide covers every aspect of the game on all platforms (PS3, 360, and PC). As an owner of Hodgson's original Fallout 3 guide released in 2008, I was pleasantly surprised to see a vast number of improvements.

First and foremost: pictures! In the 2008 guide, it listed each enemy, weapon, and armor on pages upon pages of tables. It wasn't flashy, and it wasn't very exciting to look at. Now, though, there is a compendium that includes large, colorful photos of each enemy, weapon, and armor (including helmets and eyewear). Also included is an entire census of NPCs that you will find in the wasteland, each accompanied by a portrait, their location, their significance to the game, and other vitals. This really is a nice touch.

As for the guide itself, each quest is mapped out with the precise locations and steps needed to accomplish each task. The guide avoids spoiling future quests as well. In open-ended games, it's easy to get sidetracked or even completely lost when trying to achieve your goals. That won't happen with the help of this guide.

Just like the previous guide, there is a large foldout map included. It's about as big as a normal size state road map, which just goes to show how big this virtual world really is. Every location that you can unlock on your Pip-Boy map is shown and easily located with the help of a grid system. Never get lost in the Wasteland again!

Additionally, until I purchased the strategy guide for the original Fallout 3, I had no idea how many side quests there were. As it turns out there are about 17 of them (as well as many more in the DLC expansions and countless other freeform "mini" quests). Sometimes to initiate these quests, you must travel way off the beaten path. In fact, they will often be in the far stretches of the Wasteland where you may only stumble on them accidentally. Without this guide, I probably would have missed about half a dozen of them (maybe more). You don't want to miss these quests, either, since many of them offer unique rewards such as secret weapons/armor, hidden perks, followers, and a nice boost in XP as well.

All in all, this is a complete book and there are no glaring omissions. If anything, it has additional helpful content that was left out of the original volume. And since it covers the entire game, including all five DLC expansions, you really can't go wrong. The binding is strong, and overall, it looks and feels a little more polished than the previous guide.

I know some people like to play games without aid, but even then, this guide could come in handle with its immense inventory/bestiary/character database. The pages are crisp and glossy, the pictures are bright and colorful, and the maps are finely detailed.

If you're looking for the definitive Fallout 3: GOTY Edition companion, this is it!

Here's a quick review of the GOTY Edition for those who want to compare it with the first edition.

The obvious: GOTY Edition contains material on all the new main, miscellaneous and side quests, in the same quality and style as the first edition. All the factions, beasts, weapons, perks, etc. covered in detail. 752 pages versus the original 464 and the binding holds together. Great manual overall, especially if you want to find all the things to do in the game.

What's missing:
- Some of the "Overview" charts; for instance, the 'Perks' overview chart and the 'Weapons, Armor & Items' table are missing. The bestiary and appendices charts are all still there.

What's new:
- An expanded "Factions & Bestiary" section has all the new character classes with pictures.
- A new "Census" section has pictures & some bio information on every NPC in the game (seriously, its 40+ pages).
- A new "Gear" section has pictures, stats & info on all weapons classes and special weapons. I preferred the missing chart for ease of comparison versus looking at 3 identical pictures of gatling lasers but oh well. The Gear section also has pics and stats of all the apparel you can find in the game.
- The fold-out map is updated with new quest locations, a smaller map of Point Lookout is printed on a book page, and the pages changed to a slicker magazine style paper.
- And, saving the best for last: an index! Sorely missing from the first edition this is almost worth the cost of the book alone.

Worth the cost of an upgrade? Yes if you want to get the most out of the new quests or you really need that index. Lots of goodness here.

This is the most informative game guide that I have ever scanned. The detail is unbelievable and necessary. I truly believe one needs this guide to properly get thru this game.

This is one game that I believe will keep me involved for a very long time. Its worth the money for the hours of entertainment it brings and the guide makes the quest real and informed. No wasted motion now.

The book opens windows of information and gives one a better sense of what the game is all about. Challenges are easier to handle and makes the game less frustrating in parts.

Well, the guide really helps.

I purchased this guide book for my son, who played the game prior to having the guide. With the guide he was able to find and unlock addtional game play and has thoroughly enjoyed the game more with the added knowledge for the gameplay. I would highly recommend this guide to anyone who has the game.

Welcome Wastland Wanderes to my review of the fallout 3 Game of the Year Edition Guide Book.

When I got the book in the mail I first noticed 3 major things when I flicked though it.
1) It was well written, presented and very easy to read and didnt have many typos, (typos are common in videogame guide books as i'v noticed).

2) It had pictuers of weapons and armor (unique weapons and armor as well) and full statistics info on most items.

3) The attenion to detail is outstanding with most things in the book such as missions, weapons, armor, achievments, companions and lots more.

Overall its a guide book that is just a great allround, caution, spoiler, info boxers, make it all the more better.
I hope all you Wastland Worriers have a good time playing the game and its DLC and I hope you enjoy this review as much as I did wrtting it.

You can conact on my email demonboy92@y7mail.com

I bought Fallout 3 Game of the Year edition for the PC and quickly discovered that I would need a game guide in order to find and complete all the quests.
So I jumped on to amazon and ordered the Game guide. I have had it now for about 3 days and I have thoroughly enjoyed it.
It is detailed, concise and has pictures to boot. :D
I like being able to know the various outcomes of different quests and also knowing what the stats are on different Characters.
I definitely recommend this guide.

If you're thinking about getting this, just get it. It has a ton of information. After I play through a quest or area, I'll check the guide to find things that I missed. If I get stuck, I'll consult this guide. It's all there. You'll probably overlook a few quests without this. I even sit and read the book for fun when my wife is using the TV. The maps could be a little better, but the book does cover a lot!

This is exactly the kind of game guide I love to read: it has use beyond just holding your hand through a game (though it can do that too if you prefer it). I felt that every facet of the game was addressed, from the opening chapters detailing game mechanics, enemy types, and every piece of equipment you might find, to the meticulously cataloged Tour chapter that points out every location you might conceivably visit and what you'll likely find there.

To top it all off, the back of the guide contains not only a large world map, but an index that somehow manages to cover all the material the guide contains while also making it easy to find what you want nearly all the time. The only topic the index is less-than-helpful finding is the DC Metro Area--you'll need to refer to its section of the Tour chapter directly to browse the many locations in downtown DC. That is the one, fairly minor, caveat to this otherwise excellent tome, and at 752 pages, it is *definitely* a tome.

THIS BOOK HAS BEEN A GOOD HELP. NEVER WOULD HAVE KNOWN SOME THINGS LISTED IN HERE. HAS A LOT OF SECRETS. CAME QUICKLY (THATS WHAT SHE SAID) AND IN GOOD CONDITION.

If you have purchased Fallout 3 I would suggest that you get this book. Fallout 3 is one giant of a RPG, just like Oblivion, and this book will basically hold your hand and guide you through each quest and side-quest. If you don't use the book, I guarantee you will miss out on a lot of things the story is about. Five Stars.