Summary
- Fallout 3 redefined the RPG genre on consoles, making it mainstream with unique settlements and engaging quests.
- Arefu features misunderstood vampires on a bridge, offering players moral choices and intense storytelling.
- Megaton introduces players to the Wasteland with iconic characters, including the option to blow up the town.
Fallout 3 had a profound impact on a lot of gamers. Not only did it make the Fallout series more mainstream, but it also introduced many gamers to this type of RPG, being one of the first major releases in the genre on consoles after Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind and Oblivion.
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Because of that, every inch of the Capital Wasteland is s eared into fans' memories. Deciding which settlements are the best is a difficult task that will probably not please everyone, but that just goes to show how unique each town is in this game. In ranking this list, the population, design, quests, and events of each settlement are all taken into account.
7 Arefu
A Town On A Bridge Terrorized By Misunderstood Vampires
- Built on a bridge
- Important side quest: "Blood Ties"
One's love of this town and the associated quest will all depend on how much they like vampires, but the fact Arefu is located on a bridge is aesthetically appealing, at least. The main event in this town is the mysterious disappearance of a teenager and the murder of his family.
Turns out, the boy, Ian, killed his parents and ran away to live with a clan of self-proclaimed vampires. They have a thirst for human flesh, but sate themselves with blood so as not to become serial killers. With the truth out, players can decide whether they want to brutally eliminate the vampires by force, let them take over the town, or barter a truce between them and the people of Arefu.
6 Oasis
Centered Around A Familiar Face
- Build around a tree
- Important side quest: "Oasis"
A diversion from the typical broken-down pre-war junk, Oasis is just that: an oasis. The inhabitants worship a tree that fans of the older Fallout entries will recognize. Harold was an NPC in the debut entry in the series who had a tree growing out of his head. Now, the tree has taken over his whole body and trapped him in place.
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Harold begs the Lone Wanderer to kill him, but the cult, called the Treeminders, want the tree, also called Bob, either expanded or stopped entirely. Oasis is a fun settlement just because of how different it looks compared to the rest of the game. The Capital Wasteland's visual design can get very repetitive, making Oasis a welcome respite.
5 The Republic Of Dave
One Large Family, One Small Town, All Led By Dave
- Everyone in town is related
- Dave can be ousted as leader, and he leaves the town
Fallout 3 can be too serious at times, especially compared to the black humor of the original two series entries. The Republic of Dave reminds players that the game is not completely devoid of the series' trademark zany, inane humor.
The town is inhabited entirely by Dave's family, and the town previously held the names of his father and prior generations. There are no big side quests here, but players can still influence the town by making Dave lose an election. If he loses, Dave leaves the town to start a new settlement elsewhere. Dave acts like it is a democracy, but it does not seem like anybody else has a chance to rule unless players directly intervene in the town's politics.
4 Paradise Falls
The Headquarters Of Slavery In The Capital Wasteland
- Headquarters of slavers
- All the slaves have bomb collars
Paradise Falls has one of the most unequivocally "right" decisions to make in the game. The place is run by slavers, and players can choose to save the enslaved inhabitants, or do business with the human traffickers.
One can be evil if they choose, but there's no morally grey area like with many of the game's other quests. Honestly, it is more fun to go into Paradise Falls with as big an arsenal as possible and kill every slaver in there. It makes for one of the game's biggest battles and it is endlessly cathartic.
3 Tenpenny Tower
Where The Rich And Powerful Live
- Untouched by nuclear armageddon
- Named after Allistair Tenpenny, its founder and owner
- Important side quests: "The Power of the Atom", "Tenpenny Tower", "You Gotta Shoot 'Em In The Head"
Tennpenny Tower is forever connected to Megaton. Its fate, and the player's relationship with it, are also connected to another quest involving ghouls. A group of them wants the Lone Wanderer's help invading the tower because of their anti-ghoul policy. If the player decides to help, the ghouls lay waste to everyone inside.
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It also makes it high on this list for its unique design. Tenpenny Tower, unlike almost everywhere else in the game, is pretty much untouched by nuclear destruction, and resembles a perfectly functioning hotel. That's why the rich and powerful inhabit it, after all.
2 Megaton
Players' Introduction To The Wasteland
- Built around an atomic bomb
- Players can blow up the town
- Important side quests: "The Power of the Atom", "Wasteland Survival Guide"
One of the first settlements players will visit on their Fallout 3 journey, Megaton is one of the more familiar places to everyone who's played the game. It is also home to Moira Brown. She is one of the game's most charming NPCs, and provides the "Wasteland Survival Guide" quest which is a great way to introduce players to the Wasteland and its various locations.
Of course, the ability to blow the town off the map by detonating the nuclear bomb at its center reinforces how important certain player decisions are in Fallout 3.
Depending on whether players blow up or save Megaton, their home will either be in Tenpenny Tower or Megaton.
1 Rivet City
A City On The Sea
- A naval ship turned into a city
- Important side quests: "The Replicated Man", "Stealing Independence"
Rivet City is a settlement built entirely on a warship, giving it a very unique vibe. On top of that, players will find numerous side quests, and will head there numerous times on their main quest as well.
Dr. Li is there, and she reveals more information about the Lone Wanderer's father. Then there is the doctor searching for an android who escaped the Commonwealth (Fallout 4 retroactively made this quest even more interesting). Lastly, Horace Pinkerton lives in the ship's underbelly and can change the player character's appearance.
Fallout 3
- Released
- October 28, 2008
