Fallout 4

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 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!

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.

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.

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!