A Few days ago, we published some leaked Fallout 3 screenshots along with a comment stating that "the game's dismemberment system also seems to be gruesome and unprecedentedly realistic". (The screens were later pulled off as per Bethesda's request).
Today, Bethesda's public relations representative, Peter Hines, explained that violence is not the Fallout 3's focal point and that it is not that realistic.
"We don't want it to be the focal point of the game, but it is what it is. It's a violent world, and so the combat should be violent as a result", said Peter Hines.
"I think we've done it to the extent that it's not realistic. It's a bit more tongue-in-cheek. It's Quentin Tarantino. So it's not storming the beaches of Normandy in Saving Private Ryan, where it looks like it's actually happening. It's more Kill Bill. It's violence that's a bit more over the top so it's more comical than disturbing."
"It's definitely a game for grownups. It always has been. I think we've been very clear about that", Hines concluded. "This is a mature title for mature audiences. It's not a game for kids."