9. Human Enemies The Fallout Series
Fallout 3s stock-in-trade was showing you just how awful life would be if we nuked each other in an alternative 20th century, and I can get on board with that. If nuclear bombs had landed in America, Im willing to believe the environment wouldnt be full of candy, flowers and magical singing bears. Man can do terrible things when the rules are off, and nowhere is that more apparent than within the Fallout's desolate landscapes, which can at times represent the spectrum of human awfulness. While the scenario being played out is undoubtedly far-fetched, its grounded in a sense of human realism. Then you have the shooting, which yanks you straight out of the illusion by virtue of being so goddamned weird early on. When youre first booted into the real world, youre probably carrying the puniest pistol anyones ever likely to see. But puny or not, even the smallest gun is capable of doing damage with the correct aim Old West ladies didnt keep Derringers in their purses for show, you know. So when you first come across opponents in Fallout usually the rejected extras from Mad Max you cock your trusty pistol and get in close, confident that a head shot equals instant death. Your bullet connects, but joy turns to confusion as you realise the bullet hasn't bothered him it takes eight more to drop him and all realism is lost. I mean, what the hell was in that radiation, that makes a man shrug off a slug to the temple like a particularly annoying fly? You can empty clip after clip into these suckers and the worst theyll ever get is head crippled. Thats effectively shorthand for a hangover, and if it takes headshots to do such a thing to a person, Im wondering why you dont just give up and surrender to the invincible bandits immediately. At least until you get the shotgun and the bloody mess perk, then all bets are off.