The video "Fallout 3 Is Better Than You Think" from Many A True Nerd got over 1,5 million views right now I'm going to guess that many of you have seen it. Do you agree with its premise?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5z8XHe2NoAE

Since I guess this is kind of a response to the "Fallout 3 is garbage, and here's why" I might link that one as well for anyone who missed that.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLJ1gyIzg78

As for myself, I might agree with that Fallout 3 might be better than people think. The IP Fallout is both a curse and a blessing to Fallout 3. Obviously, it gave it tons of publicity. But on the other hand, if Bethesda had released it as some kind of post-apocalyptic spin-off to The Elder Scrolls with a different IP, I suspect that the negativitiy would be almost non-existent.

Well, it can't be worse than I think...

Yes, that's the main point. It wasn't a good Fallout sequel. It was just a post-apocalyptic Oblivion and Oblivion wasn't a very good game. Just an awesome platform for mods.

3 improvements over Fallout 1&2

1. Medical skill combined into one (First aid+Doctor)
2. Gun skill combined (Small guns+Big guns)
3. Energy weapons available right out of the door, in F1+2 you will have to extensively travel before finding one

3 downsides
1. brainless und unavoidable "killing fun" (you can't outrun, which was major tactic)
2. linear story
3. VATS is pure garbage as 3d "Aimed shot" replacement, but they got it right with BulletTime later.

I don't feel like watching any videos (seriously, why does everything have to be a video these days?) but I said it before and I gladly will again- except for the piss poor ending and the fact it's buggy as hell Fallout 3 is a very good game. I spent a lot of time with it and it was all fun. I get it that for fans of the old-school Fallout it might be a "betrayal!" and all that, but while I like the original Fallout I'm not overly attached to it, and I enjoyed exploring the Wasteland a lot more in 3.

I should be getting my PC back in the next few days and I aim to try it right away.

I DID NOT LIKE #1 or #2 so I would imagine I will love #3.

And I'm not watching any videos either. :P My bandwidth is shit as is.

Ohoho, this ought to be interesting.
"...care and craftsmanship that goes into Fallout 3's world design". What?!
Megaton has a fantastic introduction and great visual design apparently. And about building the town around a bomb... Is he even serious at this point?

I'm one of "those funny people" who enjoyed FO3 more than NV, not because of any role-playing mechanics / technical / "true to FO1 & 2" thing, but just that the effect of post-apocalyptic desperate atmosphere / ambience of the game, eg, scavenging at an abandoned supermarket felt somewhat more "present" than one hanging around populated casino's. Point Lookout was definitely the best DLC of the series for me. Better radio station too.

I can understand why people prefer NV, but FO3 is definitely over-hated from a "but it isn't EXACTLY like FO1, 2 or NV" perspective. Really it's a "Bethesda game", and what that means is to a large extent, you play each game on its own merit (eg, you can't play Morrowind expecting it to be exactly like a "2002 Skyrim" or vice-versa, yet both games are enjoyable playing them for what they are especially if you're into modding).

2 is from New Vegas, FO3 still has the distinction between Small and Big Guns.
When it comes to the third point... well... your mileage may vary. If anything it makes me feel like they aren't the "upgrade" they were meant to be. And in 2 it becomes a tactic decision since the car runs on energy weapons ammo.

I saw parts of the video but I don't think the dude understands why fans of the other Fallout games criticize stuff like quest design. One just has to compare quests from 3 to quests from New Vegas to realize this.

I have this video in my list to watch later... hopefully I'll find the time to watch it, soon. There are some pretty bad things about Fallout 3, especially the main quest, but there was also quite a bit I enjoyed about it.

I agree completely; even though NV does a great deal of things right and generally is a better version of F3, i didn't like New Vegas in contrast to the Capital Wasteland. Much more thick atmosphere in F3, much more enjoyable radio stations (plus i love every song they chose to include to it), enjoyable DLCs (although i can't make a comparison between F3 and NV because i haven't played any of the NV DLCs yet).

Generally, i treat F3 as a very good post apocalyptic exploration game that, as with the TES series, it gets better with mods. Nothing too fancy to lose your sleep, definitely not in the same league as F1 & F2 (post apocalyptic cRPG milestones), but enjoyable nevertheless. Also, speaking from experience, the newer Fallouts are much more preferred by younger gamers(<23 years old), who seem reluctant to play the original Fallouts due to their older generation graphics as well as their perspective and gameplay.

The good news is that I have no strong opinion on this one as I have yet to play Fallout 3 (or NV). I've finished Fallout 1 and 2 last year or so and I was thinking of proceeding to Fallout 2, but I went to play Dungeon Siege and Deus Ex instead.

I guess I shouldn't watch those videos in order not to be form any opinions beforehand. After all, people said Far Cry 2 sucks yet I loved the game.

Oh correct about Small/Big, thank you!

About energy, I think they were never meant to be "upgrades" actually, rather than "another weapon class".
I am constantly doing energy builds in F1 and 2 but Small Guns is unavoidable as Sniper needs Small Guns, so ok this can be taken via Guns and Bullets.
But in F2, the fastest way to get hands on energy weapon without reload-cheating to Navarro seems to be blowing up Salvatore guard with 3x bomb and even then one needs upgrade it (for free by Algernon) to magneto-pistol or it will be useless due to armor. I never managed to get to Plasma pistol in Toxic Caves due to that Robot.
And in F1, most of energy guns are in BoS and likewise not really shining vs gunpower equivalents.

Didn't say about completing without firing, said about impossibility to outrun. Do you have a video and timecode? I finished F3 and FNV several times (and 1&2 dozen of times) and never managed to getaway from the enemy (except radroaches, these are slow). Most enemies are faster than player with AG9 and tend to (unrealistically) lock-in during engagement like its shooting theater rather than 3d shooter, which is tribute to F1-2 RPGness I guess.

Fallout 3 is the only one of the series I've played and I loved it. There are aspects of the game that can be rightfully criticized, but overall it might be my favorite first person shooter.