Then we come to the strongest thing I believe Fallout does to a person as they play it, that cannot be recreated by most other forms of media and interfacing: seclusion.
Unlike things like Book of Eli and The Road, and even books themselves, there’s something that Fallout does that’s rather profound. It traps you to think.
When you play Fallout, you’re in yourself. Sure, you’re doing stories, and there’s experiences placed there for you. But unlike most other fairs of storytelling ( one that, for example, films do ), Fallout doesn’t just play or perform. You can stray and do whatever you want … which lets the grim nature of the world sink in like it has me.
It doesn’t make you ride the story like a cart, where all you can do is sit and stare and comment on scenes of gravity. YOU are the story. You, YOUR eyes, see and take in the scope of the things set before you in a way that can become very personal. I cannot count how many times I’ve caught myself getting very deep with myself on what I witness and experience in the Fallout games. Because I, ME, am feeling the things as first-hand as I can without actually being there.
To seclude yourself into your own mind for any great length of time ( and everyone can agree with me on this ) is not healthy. Now, subconsciously put yourself into the shoes of someone like the Vault Wanderer in Fallout 3 for hours, passing off your mental ramblings like you do normally. After a while, that builds up, and Fallout begins playing you as much as you’ve been playing it.
For a game, fuck, for ANYTHING to be able to touch the roots of who we are like that … especially on such a subtle level … is nothing short of genius.
-Pinkamena
