Virama: In my opinion.
Style- The style is done well, as this is the section I would include the graphics in. Spooky environment, great visuals, although the textures lacked...a lot.
Presentation- Basically the same as style
Gameplay- All the importance of a game. However, Fallout 3 fell way short. Bad characters, dialog, broken gameplay mechanics (I shouldn't be able to spew off scientific know-how of pre-war technology even with 10 science if my intelligence is 3.), horrible voice acting, and the story is not coherent to the original fallouts (how did Harold end up in D.C.?)
As for the combat you enjoy, its watered down, easy, and mindless. I could go through the game without a single bit of challenge.
I find that HEAPS of gamers automatically give a game less "score" if the sounds awful. I wouldn't know. (Sorry if people get tired of me repeating that I'm Deaf, but it just prevents people going WTF later on)
Did you play the game on "easy"??? I never EVER do that. Either Normal or Hard is always the way to go for me (Never "Impossible" - I like to HAVE a PC instead of a smashed up hunk of metal *grins*)
And one thing you're forgetting about the Intelligence of 3 thing - that's THEIR world, they lived in that little shelter all their lives, of course they would get these things drilled into their heads endlessly. True, the scope is a little limited IN GAME but you can just imagine they would have had some kind of DVD system with a few movies they watched endlessly over and over. ETC.
*shrugs*
I used to be the biggest cynic about realism and stuff but now I've started to become more of a "try to see it from the GAME'S perspective instead of mine". Remember we're slowly becoming oversaturated in games. So it's easy to make an error in assumption that they would be catering for US.
If you get what I mean?
Anyway my point is: for ME, not hearing the "godawful dialogue and shitty sound effects" - the graphics and mood of the game are beautiful. And I have a computer that can BARELY play FO3 - all settings on extreme low - and I have to say it's gobsmackingly beautiful that game. Respec'.