For reals this time, no more modding or messing around to play one of the most popular PC RPGs of all time. That's right, Fallout 3 has removed Games for Windows Live dependencies in a new patch. This means no longer being reminded of the dark days of Microsoft PC Gaming back in 2008 -- where it tried to turn PCs into Xbox 360 consoles.

And that's not an understatement. Basically it added a requirement to log into a PC version of the Xbox 360 dashboard from within the PC's existing "dashboard" -- your operating system. Which at the time was either Windows XP or Windows Vista. So yeah, this makes removing the Games for Windows Live stuff from Fallout 3 something of an "about time" scenario. Perhaps it's paving the way for an anniversary remaster of sorts, which would be very welcome. Again, we're talking about one of the most popular PC RPGs of all time.

Even though Games for Windows Live represents the dark days for Microsoft trying to create a Windows ecosystem, we're now well and truly beyond that. Xbox Game Pass and the Xbox App for Windows 10 both present a giant step in the right direction. Although there's still room for improvement in terms of being able to properly manage installations, Xbox on PC works where GFWL did not.

Through no fault of our own, it took a while for AusGamers to even nab a review copy of Fallout 3, a game that cannot conceivably be reviewed without a massive amount of time invested in it.

At any rate, here it is - our Fallout 3 review. We've steered clear of any comparisons to the original Fallout games for a few reasons, but mostly because it's more than apparent there will be more people who've never played the previous Fallout games playing this.

It's not as perfect as some people are touting, and we're not afraid to point that out, but this is most definitely a game that must not be ignored. be sure to check our in-depth review for our full thoughts...

Interplay have laid off all 14 staff at Black Isle Studios, and have cancelled Fallout 3 (AKA Van Buren). read more here. promoted forum item