Fallout 4

From the moment the menu screen emerges and the familiar theme of fallout delicately plays in the background, there was no doubt in my mind I was in for a wild ride. Bethesda did not disappoint. The one thing that is most impressive about the game is its sheer ability to retain substance while simultaneously introducing a new atmosphere, full of varying and vast expanses that each hold their own character. The game continues to surprise me at each and every turn as almost every person I begin a conversation with has a deep back story, unique quest, or an occasional homage to the previous games in the fallout series. Bethesda has managed not only to maintain the high level of engrossment that the previous fallout games provided, but has built on their accomplishments. By including new features such as customising not just your own settlements but also your own weapons, and breathing new life into other factors such as the VATS and perk systems, the game has reached a level above and beyond any game I have played before. With the added factor of a mesmerisingly beautiful soundtrack that your character can change depending on their situation and stepping up a level with next generation graphics that make each area you visit a truly unique experience, the game deserves no less than a 10/10. Yes there are some bugs here and there but with a game as large and dense as this, they really don't take away from the experience whatsoever (and can sometimes be hilarious). Fans of the genre and the series should not hesitate to get this game, just be prepared for it to take up a large chunk of your life!

Fallout 4 is probably one of the best games I've played. While it may have let down some, I think that it's great. The combat system isn't awful like some of the previous fallout games, the world is great and full of substance, items are great and NPCs are great (some are better than others). One thing that isn't as good a previous fallout games is dialogue. It's pretty 2 dimensional. There are situations where there's really only one direction to go in, even though there are 4 options. I would have liked there to be a way out of a conflict through dialogue instead of having to confront it. Overall great game.

A brilliant RPG from Bethesda that leads you through an enticing story with 4 different endings and different storylines depending on what the player wants to do. This is another brilliant game by the great Todd Howard.

I, personally, love Bethesda games. I love Fallout, Elderscrolls, Doom, and Dishonered. My favorite game ever for awhile was the Elderscrolls: Oblivion. All of Bethesda's titles are jam packed with content that will keep you busy for hours. After seeing Todd Howard announce the next game, Fallout 4, I was pretty excited. I had loved Fallout 3. And after it came out, i avoided learning and spoiling anything about it. I finally bought it and put it in and was greeted with cool and funny cartoon shorts as my game downloaded. After it was done downloading, i was thrown right in. And let me say, I was not disappointed.

I was thrown into a pre-war intro where you could build your own character and witness, in game, the world go to hell. I'm not going to spoil anything, but the story is great!

Game play is great! There's improved gun play, new slow motion VATS, power armor customization, weapons customization, armor customization, Legendary enemies, great companion and romance systems, and a new great perk system.

The game is set in Boston and is almost twice the size of Skyrim. The Main and side quests are all compelling and exciting. You are never at a lack of things to do. The setting is comfortable and brightly colored and there are many different areas with different kinds of enemies.

Its a great game and I highly recommend it.

I think we may have been holding 'Fallout 4' up to a rather harsh set of expectations. 'Fallout 3' was one of the best games of the decade, and 'New Vegas' was another excellent title. Unless Bethesda pulled off the best game of the year, there'd be a lot of criticism.

The introduction was great, and I'd place it leagues above the first scenes of 'Fallout: New Vegas'. Bethesda successfully place this game firmly within the context of a nuclear apocalypse, taking us closer to the initial devastation than ever before. It's also in the earliest moments of the game that you realise that your character can talk! Bethesda's long-awaited decision to give player characters a voice worked rather well, and I hope they expand on it in the future.

Whilst I have praise for certain character-related modifications made in this game, there are also some problems. It's very hard to play an evil character in 'Fallout 4'. As many people have pointed out, your choices tend to range from 'very kind' to 'reluctantly kind'. That didn't really inconvenience me as I tend to play do-gooders on my first playthrough, but I do find it disappointing that the range of moral choice available to players in the earlier games has been significantly reduced.

Bizarrely, as player choice is restricted where decision-making is concerned, it is expanded tremendously in another area: the workshop. For the first time, we are given the ability to expand a fairly vast number of settlements, giving you the choie to install security, add stores, build homes and - most importantly - attract settlers to populate them. One of the key factions, the Minutemen, also tie in with the settlements feature, as you'll often be called upon to defend them from a variety of Wasteland threats.

I quite liked the Minutemen and their quests, but I wasn't so keen on the Institute. They just don't look as authentic as the other factions we've met. A certain degree of sci-fi can be very fitting in an apocalyptic RPG, and I think the contrast of '50s culture and futuristic technology really gave the earlier 'Fallout' games their charm. Around half-way through this latest game, though, I felt that they went a little too far. Given the importance of the Institute, this detracted somewhat from my ability to enjoy the story, but I still acknowledge that it had some very good moments.

Do I think it's as good as 'Fallout 3'? No. Do I think it's a good game? Yes. I've logged well over 100 hours on it, so something must have worked!