I really can't decide.  Both games I've played thru more than once.  And both blew my mind.

ME probobly has the better story and voice acting.

Fallout 3 has more meaningful customisation.

Probobly dead even in graphics, though ME has better sound.

So which do you think is the best futuristic wrpg?  and why?

Fallout 3 was easily the better of the two. While the futuristic areas of Mass Effect were nice the story itself was fairly transparent. I knew how it was going to end well before the game actually led you to the final conclusion. Also the sheer ammount of things to do in Fallout 3 is edging on ridiculous. There are hundreds of people to run into, hundreds of little quests to do.

You can be good or bad, in ways not so obivioS as in Mass Effect. In Mass effect choosing good or bad is deciding between two obviously good or bad choices. In Fallout I'll use the Pitt expansion as an example. SPOILER: You choose between helping the slaves you've been talking to throughout the expansion, or helping a tyrant that only uses the slaves as a tool to improve the world, who will eventually set them free once the city becomes a stable place to exist. In the end it's hard to make the choice because they are both good and bad at the same time. Not like Mass Effect's be good or be evil black and white system.

I rate both equally and cant decide between them. If you held a gun to my head I would probably say Mass Effect because the combat was slightly more satisfying than Fallout 3 for me. But then again, I know a lot of people that would pick F3 for the VATS and gore.

good example there, to be fair tho, mass effect has some moments where it is a tough choice, like the whole 'do wqe save the council thing'

im tempted to say fallout had a better story, but the conversation with the reavers in mass effect was just so cool and opressive feeling.

this is a tough choice.

   Fallout 3. A very immersive game with unique setting. A game that gives player a real freedom and has the battle system that doesnt get boring too fast thanks to VATS mode. Solid character development system where the way you develop your character and skills you learn affect the gameplay and your experience.

   Mass Effect. A game that is Kotor minus Star Wars setting-wise that only pretends that it gives player a freedom whilst in fact remains being extremely linear. A game that features boring, repetative battle system, poorly designed dialogue system where you always know what answer is the 'right' one, uninspired character design and almost non-existant character development system. The game is pretty immersive and features well-designed planets and the main city.

   I guess it's clear which one of the two I prefer.

They're both goodish, but none is anyhwere near the best Sci-fi RPGs, which are:

Fallout 1 & 2 (better story, characters, customization, meaningful choices... basically better than ME/FO3 in everything except graphics)

EVE Online (One of the best MMORPGs ever, and the one closest to true Roleplaying)

Anachronox (almost no choices, but a great, charming and funny story with great characters)

Kotor 2 (great story, writing, characters, some meaningful choices and has Kreia.. better than Kotor 1)

I might be missing some

im not sure kotor 2 was better than 1, it should have been a lil longer, then yeah.  great game tho

and yes fallout 1 and 2 are the best rpgs ive ever played ;)

also wanted to try anachronox it just took so long to come out . . . i should get it, you reminded me of its existence

I think Mass Effect because its attempt at being a shooter is more successfull than Fallout 3. at the same time, one complements the other regarding the main quest (stronger in ME) and sidequests (stronger in Fallout 3).