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!

One of the biggest criticisms that gets lobbed at Fallout is the overall plot and the story of the Sole Survivor. I have to add that I haven't played any of the other Fallout games but I actually disagree. I like the overall arc of the Sole Survivor in Fallout 4 and his quest to find/avenge his family, I admit that it would be boring/too familiar of a revenge quest without the inclusion of the other factions but having played through the campaign twice, I was still caught up in it. I also really like the choose-your-own-adventure aspect of it, getting to pick which faction you support and seeing how it impacts the story is a lot of fun. I'm a bit of a sucker for when that mechanic is done well and this is one of the better games I've played that gives the player that kind of freedom (I'd also recommend the Far Harbor DLC for the same reason).

While Fallout 4 is defined as an RPG, I agree with the fans that its more of a FPS with RPG elements. The positive side of this is that the gun play is well designed and tons of fun. If this kind of game isn't your specialty, the inclusion of VATS (its a targeting system that helps the player play percentages of where to strike at an enemy) helps keep the game play fresh. There is a lot of variety with the enemies you can fight against, the ability to upgrade your weapons and your armour to buff against certain types of foes and damage. It was ahead of its time and it holds up pretty well.

I'd be remiss to not talk about my other favourite aspects of this game which is characters. The Sole Survivor is the audience avatar, he's got a driving force but you choose who he/she is or how they impact the Commonwealth. But the side characters are a colourful, vibrant and interesting group that I could continue to just gush about. They're alp distinct and grab your attention. The companions would be enough for me to recommend Fallout 4 alone and while your ability to interact with them properly falls short (more on that later), I couldn't help but be transfixed by their depth and their backstories at points in the game.

I wish it was all just praise but this game does become more of a mixed bag upon revisiting it. Firstly, while the game features an ample campaign with many missions, the pacing does drag, especially in the introductory missions for the factions. You get a lot of the standard fetch/ eliminate the target quests and while that is to be expected, that can be tiresome. The next is the dialogue system. To be fair, this isn't easy to do, to create natural sounding dialogue while giving the player choice. But the summation of the option in the dialogue wheel isn't always accurate and when you step back, the cadence of the responses becomes easier to discern. A lot of the dialogue is clunky because of this and picking one option could lead to a different result than you desired because of the inaccurate summary. Lastly, the RPG mechanics aren't as finely tuned as they could be. It was clear when I was playing this that the previous games were more focused on this and that in an effort to modernize the franchise, it got pushed to the side. I didn't think they were as awful as some do but underwhelming isn't a bad way to describe it.

Players of the classic Fallout games spit venom at this game and at Bethesda for diverting the the franchise. But coincidentally, most of the people who played this game first before other entries in the franchise (like me), really enjoy it for what it is. I haven't even touched on how big the map is and all the areas that can be explored (conversely, there's not as much aesthetic variety to the post-apocalyptic environment, another mixed element in 4). This game is the definition of a mixed bag with some strong virtues and some glaring weaknesses but its a memorable experience and even after playing the campaign twice, I'll probably revisit it again someday. If you're interested and willing to put the time in, I'd still recommend it. I'll play 76 someday but while that game was panned, at least this one had a mixed response overall?

Fallout 4 is the latest entry in the post-apocalyptic, role-playing franchise, Fallout. The trailer for this game generated loads of hype, and I, for one, was anticipating its release. This game was the first I purchased for the Xbox One and has managed to suck me in for tons of hours. While it is certainly not the strongest Bethesda game I have ever played, as that honor belongs to the Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, it is still a very good installment to the Fallout franchise. There are several noticeable changes that have been implemented to the game- some good and some bad. Several positive aspects of the game are the improved character creator, weapons and armor customization, an abundance of companions, lots of content and quests, and finally, power armor, which has been altered to support a tank-based, combat role. However, the changes to dialogue and a lack of varying endings neuter an otherwise solid RPG.

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.

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.