In December 2003, gamers collectively shed a tear, as Black Isle and parent company Interplay shut its doors and put its assets on the auction block. That brought an end to big-name games like Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale, Planetscape: Torment and Fallout ... and a project codenamed Van Buren, the third game in the critically acclaimed Fallout series. The project was scrapped, and the Maryland-based Bethesda snapped up the licensed the rights to Fallout.

Nearly four years later, Bethesda releases a Fallout 3 trailer which shows that the company plans to stay true to the game's origins. It perfectly nails Fallout's trademark post-apocalyptic atmosphere, complete with rubble, retro-futuristic advertisements, ethereal music and beautiful voiceover at the end. So, will Fallout 3 deliver the perfect sequel to the Black Isle series? By the looks of the teaser trailer, Bethesda seems to be working on something special.

With that said, we still have plenty of concerns about the new game. Bethesda has yet to give straight answers about viewpoint, interface and turn-based combat elements. Technically, the "Oblivion with guns" rumor could still be correct, but after looking at the trailer, and the fact that it uses real assets from the game's engine, Bethesda seems to be doing its best to stay faithful to the IP/franchise that it purchased April 2007.

The rumor mill says Fallout 3 will continue to use the series' SPECIAL (i.e. Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility, and Luck) character attribute system. Rumor also says characters from previous games will make return appearances; though they'll need to travel from Southern California (the setting for the first two games) to Washington, D.C., the major metropolitan area in the game. This change would be a good move for Bethesda since it will help keep the game fresh and allow the development team to create a new history for the series (and cheap assets since the developer is located a few miles from the D.C. border).

Fallout (1997) and Fallout 2 (1998) brought gamers different settings and a whole new type of game. The role-playing game delivered a mature, anything-goes attitude, the complete freedom of choices it offered and the diverse characters found throughout the remnants of the western United States. Bethesda plans for an M rating, which suggests it plans to retain the violence and strong language the series is remembered for.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, another Bethesda game, perfectly balances between linear and non-linear. A main quest can be completed in increments, or players can walk away and find hundreds of hours' worth of quests unrelated to the main storyline.

Fallout veteran Ron Perlman reprises his role as the game's narrator. Bethesda also signed Liam Neeson to voice the main character's father, who will play a substantial role in the game. The dedication to use high quality voice acting and high-end graphics show that Bethesda has lofty goals. This definitely bodes well for Fallout 3.