Luckily, we did just that, jumping around to a handful of new areas in and around our nation's capital. We were introduced to Fallout 3's version of Ghouls, humans that had actually survived and adapted to the radiation from the bombs, but were turned into zombie-lookin' dudes in the process. Despite their look, Ghouls aren't inherently any more evil than normal humans, but get a little too much and you can go feral. Get way too much and the radiation can actually be absorbed -- and released in a massive radiation (and damage) causing explosion. In the dilapidated, claustrophobic corridors of a run-down house, we met both, but in addition to providing what will likely be a few good scares, it also showed us how the Vault-Tec-Assisted Targeting System has matured.

VATS on a functional level is much like it was when Bethesda first showed it off; a quick way to pause the game, zoom in on specific enemy parts and queue up different types of attacks -- including against multiple enemies, which is key to handling some of the more intense firefights. Since everything is still governed by action points (even if you're just firing from the hip in real-time), VATS allows you to be more precise with shots, as well as shows just how likely you are to make a serious dent in enemies. Plug one guy in the leg to drop him and buy you more time while you do a point-blank head-busting shot to the guy charging you and shoot a weapon out of that third guy's hand. Sure, you'll have to have the stats and skills to pull it off perfectly, but that's why VATS gives you those percentages.

Bethesda has been hard at work tweaking the cameras that are used once you've issued your actions and watch them play out. Now, the FatMan Portable Nuke can be fired and the mini-nuke has an attached camera that follows it all the way through the arc into the air and then into some poor fool's face. Likewise, headshots, or exploding body parts are shown with more cinematic pans and virtual dolly moves. The idea is that just because you're carrying out the same basic strategy on a group of enemies that you won't have to watch it all play out in exactly the same way.

Case in point: a battle in the National Mall that was something of a constant struggle between the Super Mutants and the Brotherhood of Steel, names that will be quite familiar to Fallout fans, but for newcomers suffice it to say they don't really get along. We watched a completely decked-out main character literally chew enemies to pulp with a chain gun in real-time, then checked out a couple of VATS-guided pause-and-fire scuffles before watching an AI-driven fight break out between the mutants and human forces. Eventually we joined the battle, launching a bunch of mini-nukes to end things as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, that end came for us as the main character was blasted to bits, with the remaining hunk ragdolling back from the impact.

There was one other little gem that we were treated to early on in the demo: Dogmeat. After rescuing the junkyard dog during a mission that randomly shows up early on, we were introduced to the AI companion and his remarkable knack for finding food, helping to attack enemies and searching for items. Once you've befriended him, you can actually send him out to look for a few days of in-game time for certain things and he'll dutifully return with something if he can find it. It's good to have a companion when you're traveling the wastes.

Bethesda is sticking firm to their Fall 2008 release for the game, and from what we've seen, it's coming along magnificently. We'll finally be able to actually play the game come E3 time, and when we do, we'll be sure to report back on the full details. Check back soon, and in the mean time be sure to digest the new few new screens we've just kicked up.