I know we’re all feeling a bit down lately. It might be because the pandemic has been going on for so much longer than we all thought – or maybe we’re just struggling to find jobs. Without the outside world, we all have stuff we need to deal with, you know?

It could also be that we’re all terrified that we’re on the brink of a world war. 

Whatever it may be for you, this last little niggle happening in the general scheme of my life has brought me back to Fallout. 

Fallout 3 was the first proper RPG I played. I remember it very clearly – I was so enthralled in creating a character, that Liam Neeson was my dad, and the whole idea of living in a Vault. Once I left Vault 101, though, I promptly walked right past Megaton and straight into the fire ants – for about four hours consistently. The confusion as to why this game was so tough was real. 

Well, I finally found Megaton, as you would assume, and Fallout 3 swiftly became my favourite Fallout game (and generally just one of my favourite games of all time). 

Don’t kill me just yet, because yes, I got obsessed with New Vegas as well. But Fallout 3 gives me a specific kind of nostalgia that I can’t find anywhere else – it was the catalyst that turned me into a truly massive nerd. It’s my OG game. 

A comfort game, though? A nuclear war that culminated in crazy experiments, super mutants and giant animals that are the stuff of nightmares?

Yes.

The comfort in Fallout

Nuclear war. Honestly, something I hope to not see in my lifetime. But what can you do with politicians? When I play games, I do it for the fun, the escapism, and sometimes just because I feel like shooting some people in the head without any real consequences. 

While Fallout may seem a little too real right now, it’s actually the perfect thing to dig into. Essentially, Fallout gives me the opportunity to thrive in the worst environments. The apocalypse. The mass destruction of the world. 

Fallout tells me hey, the world is super messed up right now, but have a gun and some power armour and make the best of it. You’re going to be the cool raider/saviour/whatever you want to be and you’re going to do it well. 

Beyond the immersion, though, Fallout 3 has some top tier side quests and stories to fall into. You can build your own world in these stories, make your own choices, and find ways to be the person you always wanted to be – a survivor. A thriving survivor. 

And aren’t we all better after Three Dog?

So, yeah, Fallout (and very specifically Fallout 3) is one of my main comfy games. Throw me into the wastes of demolished buildings and strange happenings today, tomorrow, anyday – because it tells me I can achieve my evil dreams even in uncompromising devastation.