Remember back in November when I posted a short list of video game goals I’ve set for myself? Well I haven’t completed any of them, but I’ve set myself down the path to a few! For one, I stayed up late one night plucking green stars in Super Mario Galaxy 2 and spent most of my Christmas break plowing through Batman: Arkham Asylum. Mostly though, I’ve been getting back into Fallout 3.
I picked it up again mostly because I feel like I should finish one massive open-world adventure before starting a new one (Skyrim), but I quickly remembered just how much I love playing it. I was a little worried that since I’d put it down for so long that I’d completely lose my bearing, but I got right back into it and had no trouble reorienting myself. I credit that mostly to the level of detail in the game, which allowed me to easily look up the quests I was working on and the places I’d been exploring.
I haven’t completed any quests that have elements outside of Megaton, and where the main story is concerned I haven’t even been to Galaxy News Radio yet. I do have a fairly long to-do list, though. While I’ve decided that my main objective is to find Rivet City (trying to find a new home for an orphaned boy), I constantly get distracted by other landmarks I pass by, especially since I’ve been trying to get there by going through the city. I’ve spent hours upon hours getting lost in the maze that is the ruins of the metro system.
After giving up on making my way through the ruins of D.C. I decided I’d head back to Megaton to sell off all my garbage and resupply. Form there I figured that I’d skip around the city and just head south, which is fairly open terrain. Not far from Megaton I ran into a pack of wastelanders who were unusually happy, and tried to sell me what they only described as “strange meat.” I declined, but one of them game me some for free, claiming I’d get hooked after one taste. I still haven’t eaten it.
Continuing southward, I came upon a small “town” which was just three houses among the rubble of a bigger community. I talked to a young boy there (he was the only person around when I arrived), and he told me that he thought it was strange that people who visited never stayed long. I then talked to an old man who told me to run away and not to try getting into the shed behind his house.
Being the ever-curious wandered that I am, I waltzed over to the shed to see what was inside. Finding it locked, I was about to try to pick it when I heard a stern voice say “I hope you’re not planning on breaking into my shed.” I told him I was just passing through, and subsequently went into his house and had a chat with his wife. The both of them were a little odd; something was definitely up. So I went upstairs and stole the key to the shed. Before I got back downstairs, I overheard the woman telling her husband that she was suspicious of me and that he should keep an eye on me.
I then proceeded to wander back to the shed and went in. It was exactly as bad as I’d thought. The shed was filled with cages, torture devices, and fridges full of “strange meat.” Oh, and human skeletons were all over the place. I immediately left, and found myself surrounded by the couple and another man, all pointing weapons at me. I had more than enough weaponry on my person to take them, but I decided not to cause trouble and pretended that I was cool with what was going down in town. They put their weapons away and went back to their own business. Needless to say, it was time for me to get the hell out of Dodge.
I continued to the southern border of the capital wasteland and then eastward toward Rivet City. On my way there I helped the Brotherhood of Steel find some not-destroyed books in the Arlington Library and killed my first mirelurk king, among other things. Currently I stand at the door to the Citadel, staring out over the river at the silhouette of the huge ship that is Rivet City. While my trek seems like it’s nearing its end, I can’t imagine that whatever still lies between me and my destination is going to make that last leg easy. I’m sure looking forward to it though! Unless it’s super mutants. I’m sick of those guys.
Oh yeah, that looks so good. If you haven’t been to Dave’s, I recommend you make it a priority. There aren’t many restaurants I’ve been to that serve so much food that I have trouble cleaning my plate, but Dave’s is one. Actually, it might be the only one. One time I took home the lasagna from my Tour of Italy, but I suspect that was because I was saving room for dessert.
