Fallout 4

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.

This game is fantastic, make no mistake. Music, graphics, world, characters (with some exceptions), story, choice and exploration are all huge improvements from 'Fallout 3', and if you're at all interested in Bethesda Game Studios' latest offering then I highly recommend you check it out.

However, some flaws hold it back from surpassing the heights seen in previous games. The removal of karma and skill points greatly reduces the customisability of your character's stats, and the lack of a level cap means the need to replay the game is severely restricted, as a patient player could unlock every perk in one playthrough. The new dialogue system is a joke, and coupled with the voiced protagonist results in less choice or role-playing capability seen in other Fallout titles. It's painfully clear that 'Fallout 4' fell victim to the streamlining Bethesda implemented into 'TESV: Skyrim', which doesn't take away from the sheer fun factor but is disappointing to some RPG fans such as myself.

Had Bethesda not begun development so soon after 'Fallout 3', vital lessons could have been learned from Obsidian Entertainment's 'Fallout: New Vegas', which features greater mechanical depth than either of Bethesda's Fallout releases and made huge improvements on the formula created in 'Fallout 3' that seem lacking in 'Fallout 4' or were left out entirely. For example, the factions system in New Vegas resulted in diverse endings and game worlds where in 4 there is little impact had on the world. The developments made in New Vegas' conversation system are curiously absent, making dialogue much less diverse in terms of impacts and outcome (likely due to the inherent restrictions of a voiced protagonist).

In conclusion, this game is ****ing great, I can't stress that enough, but is held back (in my opinion) by simplified mechanics and a story and player character that restricts player choice and customization. But for sheer fun and value, this game is worth your time.

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?

Greetings from Lithuania.

To think that i have invested around 100 hours of my life time into "Fallout 4" (2015), done the main story, made A LOT of side quests and the there is still A LOT to explore encourages me to safely say - "Fallout 4" is a great game.

I had big expectations for "Fallout 4" because 3rd game was probably one of my all time favorites. And although 4th part did not improve on graphics - for this date and age, the game looks OK / good but nothing more, it did improve on almost everything else. I loved the story of "Fallout 4" - it was better then 3rd games. There is also a good twist in a main story which kinda makes you later guessing your actions.

The open world to explore is amazing in this game. Literally when you walk to make one quest, you come back with 3 or 4 more to do. Later some of them were more like "fetch" quests, but there are plenty of interesting one. I loved weapon / armor crafting, house building stuff was OK but nothing more. There are tons upon a tons of places to discover, things to find or to kill. I played this game on hard more from the beginning and by the end i was like a bad ass / Rambo type character - the game is pretty easy even on hard mode.

Overall, while "Fallout 4" isn't as brilliantly fresh as "Fallout 3" was, still this is an excellent game. Hope in a future they do make another one but this time with new game engine.