The name Bethesda Softworks makes many think of “Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.” This is about to change since the company released “Fallout 3,” which was voted best role-playing game (RPG) of 2008 at the Spike Video Game Awards. This has quickly become my favorite game.

The story begins with the main character’s birth in an ­underground vault. Many of these vaults are located around Washington, D.C., to protect people from the nuclear holocaust that occurred 200 years before the game’s setting of 2277.

The player chooses his or her abilities and is thrown into some challenges to learn the controls. Soon the main character’s father leaves the vault, and you must find him. You venture into a wasteland where multiple quests await you.

This game may turn some people off because it is an RPG, but it has as much action and speed as any other shooting or first-person game. I bought “Fallout 3” thinking I wouldn’t like it since I’ve never been a fan of the RPG gaming style, but after five minutes of play, I knew it was special.

The quests never become ­tedious, and for shooter fans, there are guns. “Fallout 3” uses VATS (Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System), which freezes everything around you, allowing you to choose exactly how you would like to attack your enemy. You can watch in slow motion as the bullets fly or a knife or fistfight plays out. The idea of watching the action again and again in slow motion may sound boring, but actually, it’s the complete opposite. You are excited to see how the battle will go next time with a ­different enemy. Or, conversely, you can just aim your weapon and fire it like any other game.

Now, a look at the problems. Honestly, there are few. While playing, at times the game would stop for a second. Another problem I had was the partner AI. The main character can have followers, but sometimes they become more of a hassle than an aid. The partner might run off and attack an ­enemy out of your sight, and they always have to take the long way around since they cannot jump down or over ­obstacles.

These problems are easy to overlook considering how much work was put into the game and how massive the whole playing experience is. I give “Fallout 3” five out of five stars.