ZZ-Tops89 said:
I don't know which one is better to play, since I've played exactly neither of them, but I do know that the advertisements for Fallout 3 in Washington DC were insane...
That's awesome. It would have been even better if there were ads right at the Capitol Building and Washington Monument, so you could look at the ruined structure in the ad, then just look a little to the side and see the real thing.
Ok, I've never actually played Oblivion, but I have played Morrowind, so I have an idea of what it's like. Maybe you could say Fallout 3 is better simply because it actually made me want to even play it? As far as I can tell, I have to go with Fallout 3, for a couple reasons -
The setting is amazing - the ruined 50's style world is so detailed and well-crafted, and even though it's drably colored I still think it's just as beautiful as Oblivion, if not more so. And it's pretty varied - urban ruins, suburban streets, open wasteland, different buildings like gas stations and factories and office buildings. I've only seen screens of Oblivion, but it looks pretty repetitive and bland itself - just forests and fields and occasional ruins that all look the same. Lush countryside can be just as unappealing as blasted wasteland. And I'm a huge fan of the original Fallout games as well - the post-apocalypse Americana is just so awesome and original, while Oblivion just seems to be derivative, Tolkien-esque fantasy.
And the gameplay, I feel, is superior as well. The SPECIAL system is great, flexible and easy to use, and the perks are well-designed and useful. The leveling system in Morrowind (which is pretty much the same in Oblivion, I think) is obtuse and unsatisfying. And the melee combat isn't very much fun for me. In Fallout, you have all the different sorts of guns, VATS is a blast (I'll admit, real-time shooting isn't as fun). And you can still use melee weapons if that's what you prefer.
So, like I said, I've never actually played Oblivion. Maybe I'll get around to it someday and it'll blow me away, replacing Fallout 3 for my preferred game. But until then, I'll be wandering the wastes if you need me ;D