New screens of the successor to the hit Fallout series have just been released from Bethesda Softworks. Though several Fallout spin-offs have been produced, this third installment promises to be a true successor to the original two, the initial attempt codenamed Van Buren (by the all-but-defunct Black Isle Studios) having been scrapped in 2003.

Taking place within the same universe as the rest of the Fallout series, the third installment is situated in Washington, D.C. in a nuclear post-apocalypse. Played in either first- or third-person perspective, the action-RPG features a hybrid combat system that’s both turn-based and real time, along with 240 potential endings based on in-game decisions. Slated for a release in fall of 2008 (ten years after the release of the original Fallout), the game certainly looks promising, especially the level and character design—which more than hints at being influenced from the Mad Max Road Warrior series. Check out the full size screens below, and we’ll be sure to keep an eye on this one.