Keenan McCall
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Though it may not be as bleak and desolate as the Fallout series, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is about as close to the Fallout 3 experience in terms of gameplay as you can get. Go figure, considering they were both developed by Bethesda. As a created character, you’re tasked with uncovering the cause behind the return of Dragons to the icy Nordic homeland of Skyrim and figuring out how they play into it all. To that end, you’re let loose in a sprawling fantasy world full of magic, danger and secret treasures, free to choose where you go and how you want to interact with the open world presented to you. This could mean embarking on the main quest, wherein your character gains the power of Dragon Shouts to turn the tide in a war against the long-absent draconic rulers of the world. It could likewise mean wandering the land in search of random sights and challenges, most of which hide riches and long lost artifacts that can make your character a formidable wanderer of the roads. It’s all up to you, and with the sizable Dragonborn DLC included in most-every current version of the title, it’s sure to be a game that’ll suck you in for a good long while.
Cyberpunk 2077
Though it took a boatload of patches and the hype generated by Cyberpunk Edgerunners to get there, Cyberpunk 2077 is easily one of the best open world experiences of the current console generation. This is largely thanks to the fact that it has a fully realized setting that outdoes the bombed-out ruins of D.C from Fallout 3 handily. Every inch of the dystopian metropolis of Night City feels alive, with secrets to uncover and NPCs that feel like they could and would continue to thrive long after you’ve had your fun with the game. This is to say nothing of the rest of the title. There are quests aplenty to undertake, and almost all of them offer fun or interesting views into the culture and lives of the people that have to exist within the game’s world. There are also a metric ton of battles to engage in and abilities to customize your character with so that your Cyberpunk feels just as individualized and unique as your Lone Wanderer did during their adventures through the Wasteland. It’s the premiere open-world experience that Fallout 3 laid the groundwork for, and is an easy go-to if you’re looking for a game to scratch the same itch.
Red Dead Redemption 2
While a ton of praise has been given to Red Dead Redemption 2’s story, its open world is the real show stealer and a sure draw for anyone who enjoyed wandering Fallout 3’s Capital Wasteland. Set in the final days of the Wild West, the setting is full of secrets and stories to uncover. An abandoned cabin might hold evidence of a long-dead cult and its beliefs, or it could house a monstrosity of sewn-together animal limbs, its creator a madman of the same mind as Dr. Frankenstein. Other times, there might be a note on the body of a deceased victim of the West’s violence. They might have been on their way to meet their bride-to-be or to dig up a treasure thought lost with the death of its owner. And that’s just what you can find by exploring in your own spare time. Should you choose to engage in the main story, you’ll be treated to a cavalcade of weird and wonderful sights and set pieces, all as you see the world turn, change, and function before your very eyes. All of this is paired with battles for survival against bandits, wild animals, and so much more, making for an adventure that can draw you in for hours on end, the same way Fallout 3 does and then some.
Kenshi
Few games have presented players with a living, breathing wasteland as Kenshi does, and Fallout 3 fans will be pleased with the level of interaction it provides. An open-world multiplayer RPG set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, Kenshi gives players and their friends the freedom to become whatever kind of survivor they’d like to be. If wandering the wastes in search of other survivors and convincing them to establish a peaceful colony is appealing to you, you can do so and create a whole new city from the ashes of civilization. Or, if you’re more inclined to rule the wastes with violence, you can become a roaming raider and construct a gang of bandits none can stand against. This is in addition to interactions you’ll have with different raiding parties, which can shape the longevity of that tribe’s survival. It makes the world feel that much more impacted by your choices and that much more fun to keep playing for days on end. It’s a lot like how the Karmic choices made in Fallout 3 could impact the wider wasteland, except in a more ongoing and fluid way that can be seen as you’re playing the game. Plus, thanks to a number of great mods that can be downloaded to the game, there’s no end to the variety that can be injected into each play session.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Like Fallout 3, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and its DLC is intrinsically designed around its side quests and the entertainment they provide. Set in the inter-dimensional mixing pot known as The Continent, people and mythical creatures live in a fragile coexistence that can shatter at a moment’s notice. As the Witcher Geralt of Rivia, It’s the player’s job to help those in need when such a shattering occurs, and as a result, they’re dragged into any number of small problems or dilemmas along the way toward their main objective. This is for the best, though, as each side mission builds upon the world around the player, just like Fallout 3’s did. Finding out why a baron’s unborn son turned into a demon upon death or the true intentions of an old woman in the woods is just as thrilling as assisting what may be the last violin player in the apocalypse or a random shopkeep in need of supplies. The battles for survival with fantastical monsters along the way only builds upon this similar feel, making each new bit of information or quest completion feel earned and increasing your desire to take part in another task as soon as possible.
Dishonored
Though not as much of an open-world experience as other entries on this list, Dishonored does provide a similar atmosphere and sense of observing the aftermath of a crisis as Fallout 3 does. Each new area unlocked provides new clues as to what happened in the months or years leading up to what lies around you. An old diary may recount the hostile quarantine methods used by the government, made all the more impactful by the signs of struggle and conflict that surround it. An audio recording, meanwhile, could delve into a corrupt politician’s reasons for usurping the former queen’s throne and reveal what treachery he still has up his sleeve. The infected citizens and hostile guards also provide a great stand-in for Fallout 3’s more hostile wasteland inhabitants. Varying greatly in their strength, method of attack, and how they can be dealt with, they can make you feel both like an unwanted element that has to fight for its survival and like a master of stealth that holds their fates in the palm of your hand. All the while, the game’s stealth action gameplay, and sci-fi elements blend just as beautifully as Fallout 3’s and keep the gameplay entertaining enough to want to stay in the world for as long as possible.
Metro: Exodus
The third entry in the Metro series, Metro: Exodus builds upon what the first two games did right to provide an even better delve into its post-apocalyptic world. Following the events of the first two games, protagonist Artyom sets out to prove that there are still survivors outside of the Moscow Metro. This doesn’t take long, as he quickly discovers that signals from all over the world were being blocked by an as-yet unknown faction. Artyom then sets out on a journey across Russia, eager to meet other survivors and potentially rekindle humanity’s hopes for rebuilding after the apocalypse. The game has some pretty clear parallels with the third installment in the Fallout series, the strongest of which being the challenges of maintaining morality in a hopeless world and exploring a desolate and imaginative wasteland. Metro: Exodus’ takes on these factors are just as if not more well executed than Fallout 3’s and serve to provide a more modern take on these themes. Likewise, the game’s many factions and creatures that inhabit the world sell the sense of danger and horror all around you, just like Fallout 3’s do. A ramshackle town made from scrap, or the monsters out of a nightmare that wander the surface, illicit the same wonder or terror as anything out of the Capital Wasteland and its enclaves.
Bioshock
While they may not seem all that similar at first glance, Bioshock and Fallout 3 have a lot in common that could leave fans of either game pleased with the other. Like Fallout 3, Bioshock puts a touch of late 1950s culture into a dire and near-apocalyptic setting. Survivors of a violent civil war search the wrecked streets and buildings for supplies, with music from before the fall playing on an endless loop. Both games see you come in as an outsider as well, unaware of how things fell to the state they’re in. Only by piecing together what happened with audio logs and the final messages scrawled across walls can you begin to understand how this hell was born. There’s also the gunplay with scavengers throughout the game’s world, battles with creatures and monsters out of science fiction, and a fair number of machines to destroy or hack to your side; all of which should scratch a gameplay itch for fans of Fallout 3.
The Outer Worlds
Considering the studio responsible for creating the Fallout series made The Outer Worlds, it’s little surprise the game is great for those looking to play something similar to Fallout 3. A dystopian sci-fi open-world RPG with a killer wit, the game sees you dropped into a galaxy controlled by mega-corporations. Their rule has resulted in an ultra-capitalistic society wherein those with money and means have the highest chance of surviving bandit raids, monster attacks, and various other threats. It’s then up to you to decide how you’ll make your mark on said galaxy. You can go off exploring each planet, helping everyone you encounter to etch out a better life for themselves. Or, you can become a hired hand of the Corporations, squashing uprisings by workers in order to line your own pockets and maintain the status quo. Further enhancing your options for deciding your own adventures are a slew of stats, skills, and abilities that help set your created character apart from the pack. If you’d like to play things as a sneaky silver-tongued devil, you can do so, or you can bash your way through as a muscle-bound melee attacker. It’s all up to you, and given how the entire experience revels in gallows humor the same way Fallout 3 does, you’ll definitely get a few hearty chuckles in along the way.
Fallout: New Vegas
While one might assume that Fallout 4 would be the logical recommendation for people who want to play something similar to Fallout 3, we’d have to give the accolade to Fallout: New Vegas. While it may not have been helmed by Bethesda and is buggier than a beehive, Obsidian Entertainment’s last foray into the Fallout series plays like the logical evolution of Fallout 3. It drops you into a similarly lived-in post-apocalyptic take on a part of the United States but gives you much more freedom in how you want to progress the story and see it to a conclusion. The Perks are more diverse and specified to certain builds, too, lending the character you create even more individuality. This is all without losing any of what made Fallout 3 so amazing. There are still secrets to uncover in the far corners of the map, characters to encounter who will stick with you long after you complete the game, and examples of the series’ trademark bleak sense of humor helping to keep the whole experience uplifting and exciting. Toss in the fact that there’s a metric ton of DLC and mods to lengthen or improve the experience, and you’ve got an easy way to keep experiencing the Fallout universe well after your time with Fallout 3 is done.
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