When it comes to Fallout, most fans find themselves debating between two notable entries in the series: Fallout 3, developed by Bethesda, and Fallout: New Vegas, developed by Obsidian Entertainment. Both entries are the top two highest-rated Fallout games when looking at Metacritic and the Internet Gaming Database, and while die-hard Fallout fans tend to lean towards New Vegas being the best, critics are more on the side of Fallout 3.
While both games are amazing post-apocalyptic RPGs, some may wonder which is actually the best entry in the series. Bethesda and Obsidian approached the idea of making a Fallout game very differently, which leads to both of these entries in the same series having some pretty noticeable differences. Perhaps the easiest way to answer the question isn't to ask which one is the better game, but which one better represents the idea of Fallout.
Fallout 3
Fallout 3 certainly turned heads for when it was released in 2008. The way Bethesda transitioned Fallout and Fallout 2 into an FPS RPG is nothing short of incredible. The new direction kept up the appeal of exploring a post-apocalyptic wasteland and retained plenty of iconic elements from the previous games, including the VATS system and Pip-Boy. That isn't to say that Fallout 3 is a perfect game, though. Bugs have plagued the game for its entire lifespan. If players want to get the most out of Fallout 3 today, they'll more than likely want to stop by the Fallout Nexus and download community-made patches. While this could be said for almost any Bethesda game (even New Vegas, which was notoriously buggy at launch), Fallout 3 was a particularly bad case.
While the RPG mechanics were certainly still faithful to the original two games, there's a strange blend between simplification and complexity that makes Fallout 3 feel a bit clunky. For example, Bethesda did not implement traits that the player selects at the start of the game but decided to keep most of the skills from the previous game. When it comes to exploration, Bethesda really nailed the space-race aesthetic from the previous games, creating the rusted-out and irradiated Capital Wasteland that players fell in love with. Tenpenny Tower, Camp Littlelight, Megaton, Vault 108 and Vault 101, among many more, are amazing locations that fit right into the world of Fallout. Exploration is probably what Fallout 3 does best, with tons of little stories tucked away for those who look.
There's plenty of memorable characters too, though most of them tend to be fairly one-note. The charismatic Three-Dog is an exception and remains one of the most memorable radio hosts in Fallout history. Generally, the NPCs the player comes across with have a fairly obvious quirk or defining character trait that makes them memorable. This isn't a bad thing, though given how fleshed out some of Fallout and Fallout 2's characters were, some may be left wanting a bit more.
Fallout: New Vegas
New Vegas took what Bethesda did with Fallout 3 and skewed gameplay closer to the feel of the original games. Obsidian Entertainment was formed by former developers from Black Isle Studios, the studio that created the Fallout series. Staying true to the RPG roots of the original two games, Obsidian reintroduced traits into New Vegas, as well as tweaking systems like how armor was calculated to make the game feel a bit more complex. Obsidian also knew where to change things up. The Big Guns and Small Guns skills were slotted together into a single 'Guns' skill, opening players up to more options when it came to how they built their characters. Where Bethesda's worked to translate Fallout's 2D RPG storytelling to a 3D FPS, Obsidian nudged things that much closer to what had made the original games so fun.
NPCs in New Vegas are complex, well-written and interesting characters that go beyond a single defining trait or quirk to the point where fans still debate which faction's leader is right. The companions deserve a special mention as they'll often be the source of some of the best side-quests in the game. One For My Baby and I Could Make You Care are by far some of the best Fallout storylines, and they both belong to companions the Courier can find out in the Mojave Wasteland. As for the wasteland itself, there are quite a bit more sandy browns than concrete greys, though the lore of the Mohave Wasteland is certainly rich. While there are certainly some notable locations, they all tend to be a bit samey when it comes to their design. Even the titular New Vegas is mostly just similar-looking concrete buildings that player has seen in almost every settlement.
That being said, Fallout 3 suffers from a similar visual problem. Unlike Fallout 3, New Vegas actually uses this washed-out color scheme to its advantage. The fading neon lights of New Vegas tell the Courier everything they need to know about the so-called Jewel of the Mohave. It's no better than the wasteland surrounding it and, in some cases, may actually be worse. That uncertainty is the best part of New Vegas, as it always lets players come to their own conclusion rather than telling them who's good and who's bad.
Which is Better?
Taking everything into consideration, it's fairly difficult to pick between Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas. Fallout 3 is the better example of a wasteland exploration game, but New Vegas is much better written. New Vegas plays more like classic Fallout games but that's in part due to what Bethesda did with Fallout 3. There's no denying that both games are amazing RPGs, but when it comes to which one is the better Fallout game, Fallout 3 just barely wins out.
New Vegas provides a better narrative and paints a far better picture of life after a nuclear apocalypse. New Vegas may even be the better overall game, but there's no denying that Fallout 3 got what the first two games did right. The character-building system may be simple but it ensures that each stat serves a purpose in-game. Exploring the Capital Wasteland feels far more enjoyable than the Mojave, even if New Vegas has far deeper characters. In the end, the only story Fallout 3 needed to tell to be a Fallout game was one of a post-apocalyptic world where war never really does change.