Earlier this week, video game conceptual artist Adam Adamowicz passed away from cancer. 

 

 

The name Adam Adamowicz may not ring a bell and it would not surprise me if you had no idea who the person in the above photo, but perhaps you might recognize the image below:

 

 

Adam's work is what you see when you are wandering the Capitol Wasteland in Fallout 3.  A massive open-world game.  The game was definitely not perfect (this has more to do wtih lockups during VATS for me), but even with that, the ambiance was enough to make me keep playing.  It is one of my favorite titles for my PS3, warts and all.  He was also involved with Skyrim (which I have yet to play). 

 

 

 

While playing Fallout 3, I spent as much time sightseeing as I did killing raiders, rescuing slaves, helping wastelanders, etc. (I might be a goody two-shoes, but I am also the LAST thing the scourges of the Capitol Wasteland see).  There were even some locations I recognized, such as L\'Enfat Plaza and the Smithsonian, both places I have been to in real life. 

 

 

 

Though I was a late bloomer to PC gaming (and have pretty much left it for consoles), I have fond memories of the first Fallout, and was impressed with the transition from isometric to first-person perspective.  

 

 

 

 

 The weapons were the perfect mix of 1950's era science fiction and Mad Max-style improvised devices.  There is plenty of variety to keep you interested.  As my character became more and more skilled, switching weapons was just something I did.  Making weapons was fun too.

 

It seems a shame that I did not know the name considering how much I enjoyed Fallout 3. The game seemed to have a fresh orginal quality. Part of the reason for this was because Adam did his work on paper rather than via digital media. Fallout 3 was designed from the ground-up that way. On Kokatu, a fellow concept artist described him as "a humble man who got little to no recognition, nor sought it".

 

Rest easy Adam.  This one's for you.