I would give the Survival Edition 0 stars, except that the minimum is 1.
Let's review why one would buy this edition. The Survival Edition is identical to the Collector's Edition, except that it includes a Pip-Boy 3000 replica. The price difference (at the time of this writing) is $50. Therefore, logic would suggest that the Pip-Boy 3000 is being billed as a $50 value.
Now that we've established the value of this item, let's consider what the Pip-Boy is worth from a fan's perspective. I am a big-time Fallout fan. I played both Fallout and Fallout 2 when they came out and have played through each game several times with different characters and different types of choices. When I learned about the different editions that would be offered for Fallout 3, I jumped at the opportunity to get the Survival Edition with my very own Pip-Boy.
I received the package at work at noon. I can't install and play the game at work, of course, so I opened up the Pip-Boy box and checked it out.
Initial Reaction (under 1 minute): The Pip-Boy is a piece of junk! It's a couple pennies worth of injection-molded plastic, a cheap compass (woo, a moving part), a non-functional dial that moves 30 degrees or so, and a non-functional knob that moves 45 degrees or so. It'll all green, except for the clear buttons (not red like in the picture), the very distinctive white LCD numbers (much more white and noticeable/distracting than in the picture), and the white and red compass. The rest of it is just a cheap green plastic color, with no gray highlights as shown in the picture. Not very impressive.
Second Reaction (T+ 1-2 minutes): Put in the batteries. My, the numbers are hard to read. It's hard to even see them with my office lights on and the faint sun from the mostly cloudy skies outside my window. It doesn't look anything like the nice, big, readable numbers in Amazon's photo. Hmm, how do I set the time? Wait, why did the clock just switch from 12:00AM to 12:01PM? I thought one learned in elementary school that 12:00 is the transition point from AM to PM and vice versa... Made in China indeed.
Third Reaction (T+ 2-3 minutes): The manual says to push the left button and the clock will flash, allowing you to set the time. Umm... no, it doesn't do anything. Try pressing it once (as it's worded in the manual), holding it in a short time, and holding it in a long time. Ditto for the other buttons. Okay, now for combinations of buttons. Nothing. Great!
Final Reaction: It's going back. I didn't open the game's DVD case, so I hope I can return it without any problems. I do feel like Amazon should be obligated to process the returns quickly since this is the "Amazon.com exclusive" item. Heck, I'm already getting the information ready to contact my credit card company. (With all due respect to Amazon, of course; I totally love Amazon and buy from it all the time. I'm just really upset about this product.) I went through the online return process, packed up the game in the original materials, slapped on the return postage slip, and, after taking some time for lunch, walked it over to the nearest post office to mail it back.
I'm really sorry I bought this item. If you've bought it and get anything from this review, you might not even open it and instead just go through the return process; it's that bad in my mind. I'd hoped Bethesda would provide something worthwhile for its new Fallout fans (since they bought the franchise after Fallout 2 came out). Deep down, I had hoped they'd toss in a surprise bottle cap or something like that. But no... this is a MAJOR disappointment. When I get my refund, I'm not sure I'll even go with the collector's edition. I love Bethesda's games, but they've gone down a couple notches in my mind on this one. I am really disappointed with them.
Bottom Line: Don't buy this edition. If you want some goodies to go with the game, grab the collector's edition and save $50. If, on the other hand, you want a cheap plastic toy, go get a Happy Meal at McDonalds.