Fallout 3 Speedrun Record Set for Second Time in Two Days

Remember that record-breaking Fallout 3 speedrun from yesterday? The one where YouTube user BubblesDelFuego blasted through the game in 23:55, beating the previous record by a full 25 seconds? Remember that? Well, forget about it, because the record has been broken yet again.

A YouTube video posted today shows Tom Rowe saving the Capital Wasteland in 23:13, 42 seconds faster than yesterday’s effort. Rowe and other speedrunners make use of clipping via quick saves and loads to skip entire areas. Rowe believes that a sub-23 minute run is possible by utilizing a glitch that allows players to enter the GECK earlier than normal.

While I can certainly see the level of skill, knowledge and patience required to defeat a game like Fallout 3 so quickly, I fail to understand why anyone would want to do this. To me, speedruns are the equivalent of watching a movie at triple speed, or reading every fifth paragraph in a book; possible, but not very fun or useful, and entirely missing the point.

Especially in a story-based game like Fallout 3, speedrunning by exploiting glitches seems pointless, and feels entirely in opposition to the point of the game and gaming in general. Regardless, Tom Rowe is the best in the world at blowing through Fallout 3, for whatever that’s worth, and however that lasts.