One of the most oft heard complaints from cantankerous Fallout fans is the expectation that Bethesda is shaping Fallout 3 into nothing more than a soulless Oblivion clone. Never mind that these “fans” haven’t even played the game yet, but hey, they obviously know best.

Bethesda vice president Pete Hines has decided to weigh in on the matter; letting gamers know that even if Fallout 3 ends up being an Oblivion clone, it’ll still be better than Oblivion was: hopefully suggesting that the dialogue will be recorded by more than four voice actors.

“I don’t have any doubts that on the whole, and I think this is a belief universally shared on the team that Fallout is a better game, but we’re also not oblivious to the fact that we have a lot of extra baggage that we’re carrying, being the guys picking up this franchise, that are re-imagining this series from 10 years ago, and there’s something that comes along with that. We’re very well aware of what we’re up against.”

“I have no doubts in my mind that, at its core and for everything that it provides that Fallout [3] is a better game than Oblivion was- for sure.”

I assumed Fallout 3 would be better than Oblivion the moment I discovered that it features stuffed animals as lethal ammunition, but maybe that just means I’m easy to please. Still, do you think Fallout 3 will ultimately overshadow the fourth entry in the Elder Scrolls franchise, or will it disappoint fans and newcomers alike?