Monday, May 04, 2009

Honourable Mentions: Fallout 3

coverThis is actually a game I’m in the process of playing but involves a vampiric moment – of sorts. You are looking for a lad named Ian, to deliver a letter from his sister, his little hamlet is under attack by a gang called the Family, his parents have been killed and the tag of the family daubed in blood on the wall.

Things are not quite how they seem, however. It is Ian who killed his parents in a cannibalistic rage. You discover this when you meet Vance, the leader of the Family. He had somehow sensed Ian, and his urges, and gone to him. He teaches through 5 laws how to drink blood and not be cannibalistic. The laws they follow are:

  1. "Feast not on the flesh; consume only the blood. This is our strength."
  2. "Bear not the child; welcome only the exile. This is our fate."
  3. "Feed not for pleasure; partake only to nourish. This is our dignity."
  4. "Seek not the sun's light; embrace only the shadows. This is our refuge."
  5. "Kill not our kindred; slay only the enemy. This is our justice."

VanceAs you speak to him Vance claims to be vampire but clearly states that, besides their ability to drink blood, the Family have no other similarity to mythical vampires, meaning that he can't turn into a bat and that he does cast a reflection. He can, however, teach the player how to gain sustenance from blood packs – increasing the hit point benefit of drinking a blood pack from 1 HP restored to 20.

The name, the Family, is interesting. There are obvious Manson overtones but it was also the name of the gang in the Post-apocalyptic Omega Man – which itself was based on vampire classic I am Legend.

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