Coming from a long line of impressive predecessors, Fallout 3 had large shoes to fill and incredibly high expectations to meet. With the Fallout name having been passed from Interplay Entertainment (Fallout) to Black Isle Studios (Fallout 2) and now to Bethesda, hope in the franchise was both at its peak and at its most vulnerable. Upon its release, Bethesda had struck gold. The gameplay was smooth and interesting, the open world offered countless hours of exploration, and the customization kept gamers coming back again and again, causing a fantastic game and a legendary series.