Fallout 4

 PC
User Score
5.7

Mixed or average reviews- based on 9559 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4,044 out of 9559
  2. Mixed: 1,929 out of 9559
  3. Negative: 3,586 out of 9559
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. c4mpbell
    Nov 11, 2015
    5
    4 hours in. It does not make me want to keep playing. Its like DLC for fallout 3. Very disappointing.

    Plus the facial animation is like something from 2010. Come on Bethesda.
  2. Gord
    Nov 17, 2015
    6
    That game IS worth your time. I don't believe you can rate a game from zero to ten, its either a game worth your time or it's not. For the sake of delivering a certain message, I will put 6 just as a reference keeping cons and pros in mind.

    New dialogue system is really bad. If you take Mass effect system as a comparison, that would be an ideal far beyond. It's true what people say: you    That game IS worth your time. I don't believe you can rate a game from zero to ten, its either a game worth your time or it's not. For the sake of delivering a certain message, I will put 6 just as a reference keeping cons and pros in mind.

    New dialogue system is really bad. If you take Mass effect system as a comparison, that would be an ideal far beyond. It's true what people say: you really have to guess what you are going to say. I thought this is an exaggeration, but it's not.

    I feel very mixed about writing. At some points, writing does seem silly at the level never experienced before in a Fallout game. Your protagonist feels like a child: naive and inconsistent. In case of this game, the main story is forced on and you have extremely little part making choices here.
    That's where voice acting and a strong (by default) character would come in (like Mass effect series), but here it results in a disastrous sense of controlling and watching a complete imbecile. I do not want to bring spoilers in, but voice acting and your character's comments usually seem absolutely ridiculous and out of place during major events and plot twists.

    On the other hand, some characters are pretty good even compared to Fallout: New vegas. Their background is interesting, motivation is interesting as well, so it's a job well done in this case. Their texts (dialogues) are much better as well and are interesting to follow as well. Side quests are decent too and they keep you playing.
    Attention to detail is great and satisfying. Old magazines, notes, terminals - that's very well made and provides you with a perspective on a lore and the old events that took place. NPCs usually have a few interesting things to tell as well.
    Random events are very rare, I have encountered just a few during my playthrough. Exploring buildings without quests was not rewarding, there is a slight chance you would encounter something interesting quest or story wise.

    About RPG elements.

    The new SPECIAL system could have been a good move if made properly, but it's not. With this, the game feels like a shooter. You can comfortably shoot your way through the game without investing points in combat related stats or perks. And it's a disastrous thing in a Fallout game. If you make a shooter, why do this and keep VATS, other related elements? At this point (gameplay wise) it's a poor shooter AND a bad RPG. Betheseda should decide where to take this, and a proper way would be to improve on the old system, making it more logical, deep and accessible.

    This game lacks atmosphere and deepness of the old games, but everything stitched together, it still manages to make you want to play this. But it's a dangerous way, making gamers feed on nostalgia and mere references. This time I can enjoy that game, but if the next Fallout comes out like this, I will probably pass and look elsewhere.    … Expand
  3. Armis
    Nov 12, 2015
    8
    It's a Bethesda game, what can I say. Some things have changed, much has stayed the same. It's a massive world to explore with all sorts of kooky places to find.

    - You can build settlements. It's OK. A bit slow and fidgety, but I guess some people enjoy that sort of thing. - You can modify gear extensively. It's fun, if a bit annoying to hoard up the required components. This goes for    It's a Bethesda game, what can I say. Some things have changed, much has stayed the same. It's a massive world to explore with all sorts of kooky places to find.

    - You can build settlements. It's OK. A bit slow and fidgety, but I guess some people enjoy that sort of thing.
    - You can modify gear extensively. It's fun, if a bit annoying to hoard up the required components. This goes for the above as well.
    - The dialogue system has changed. I think it's a downgrade from earlier Bethesda games, but it gets the job done.
    - Skills are gone, there are only perks now. I miss the skills, but it doesn't ruin the game.
    - The story is competent. Nothing new here.
    - Worst negative so far: I had a quest fail due to the time running out, I guess. Bad Bethesda! No timers on quests! (Especially invisible timers).

    Bottom line: It's another Bethesda open world time sink.. and I LOVE it.    … Expand
  4. Leviadragon99
    Nov 14, 2015
    8
    Having played for 17 hours, I still barely feel I've scratched the surface, but I think I've seen enough to get a general feel for the mechanics, stability and the general narrative quality, at least going by sidequests.

    First off, is Fallout 4 a flawed game? Definitely, this is Bethesda we're talking about, some bugs are lingering, though speaking only from my own experience, my    Having played for 17 hours, I still barely feel I've scratched the surface, but I think I've seen enough to get a general feel for the mechanics, stability and the general narrative quality, at least going by sidequests.

    First off, is Fallout 4 a flawed game? Definitely, this is Bethesda we're talking about, some bugs are lingering, though speaking only from my own experience, my playthrough has thus far been more stable than my first run at most other Bethesda games in recent memory, so make of that what you will. The graphical fidelity is also below what many would prefer or demand, but this isn't really an issue for me, they make damn good use of what they have, the aesthetic design makes up for any losses in raw power, though your mileage may well vary.

    Fallout 4 is not a zero-star game, this page and the trolling scores inspired me to make a metacritic account, because yes, some things have been streamlined, weapons no longer degrade (something for which I am actually grateful) and stats/skills/perks have been revamped substantially (which I have more mixed feelings on) but ultimately I feel that what has been lost is more than made up for with new things.

    For example, the town-building system may be fairly rough, but there's still enough nuance, interesting systems and purpose to it for me to be engaged, it is a weirdly Zen feeling to clear away tree stumps and house debris so that I can make new crops and buildings, and the ability to set up shops in these places means you have greater options for unloading your surplus gear, you really do feel like a community leader after a while, even if most settlers are too gormless to figure out how to help themselves.

    Another new system that I very much enjoy is the weapons and armour customization, almost all modifications alter the appearance of the weapon in some way, and many dramatically affect performance rather than just staple on a few extra points of damage or range, there are the expected scopes and stocks for sighting and stability, but there's also adding a lens to your laser pistol to turn it into a sawn-off laser shotgun, or wrapping your Minigun's barrels in barbed wire and blades.

    But at the end of the day, it's the little things that make me love Fallout 4, the way Feral Ghouls move disturbingly, charging and tumbling, playing dead, instead of just screaming a bit and swiping at you, the way that they've made Power Armour a lot more than just top-tier standard armour, the way that pipe weapons exist, these cobbled-together improvised weapons that raiders prefer, because they don't always have access to pre-war assault rifles.

    People may be sad that Fallout is different to what they've enjoyed previously... but that doesn't make it a bad game, just a different one.    … Expand
  5. DivineOtter
    Nov 12, 2015
    9
    I am really enjoying my time with this game. While the story telling my not be as good as Fallout New Vegas, the game is no where near the pile of garbage some people are trying say it is. The gun play and melee in this game is miles ahead of previous Fallout titles, and the game is just plain fun! I would 100% recommend it if you enjoy the previous 3-D Fallout games, open world FPS orI am really enjoying my time with this game. While the story telling my not be as good as Fallout New Vegas, the game is no where near the pile of garbage some people are trying say it is. The gun play and melee in this game is miles ahead of previous Fallout titles, and the game is just plain fun! I would 100% recommend it if you enjoy the previous 3-D Fallout games, open world FPS or other similar titles. It's not perfect, but it is insanely fun.… Expand
  6. Zondac
    Nov 15, 2015
    10
    Being as critical as I possibly can, I find it hard to give this game anything but a 10/10. Now, don't misunderstand, that does not mean the game is perfect. Heck, it can be argued that game, much like any other form of art, can't be perfect. It's entirely subjective what one person enjoys over the other, but I, as a fan of the series since the first game, keep finding myself unable toBeing as critical as I possibly can, I find it hard to give this game anything but a 10/10. Now, don't misunderstand, that does not mean the game is perfect. Heck, it can be argued that game, much like any other form of art, can't be perfect. It's entirely subjective what one person enjoys over the other, but I, as a fan of the series since the first game, keep finding myself unable to stop playing it. I do hear that some people have had bad experiences with the game, not getting it to run, frames dropped and stuff like that, but I have not experienced anything of the kind, so it seems I've been lucky, I guess.

    I've put a total of 120 hours into the game. (I received my copy about a week ago, Friday the 6th, due to some shipping error)

    This is the true wasteland experience. The graphics are beyond description. While it does not have the fidelity of other modern titles, it manages to still be aesthetically pleasing in a way that really reminds me of the old, isometric sprites.
    The guns feel and handle like guns do in a modern shooter. Normally this wouldn't be impressive, but combined with an extensive crafting system, a deep and interesting armor system, settlement building, side quests more memorable than any of the ones in New Vegas (Looking at you, Silver Shroud, I'll never forget you), interesting morally gray factions and voice-work way beyond anything else we've seen from Bethesda, it's hard to not enjoy this game.

    Every level you progress makes you feel like you have a big decision ahead of you, because the perk you pick can entirely change your play-style for the next level. They're unique and dynamic in fantastic way, sans a few examples, but with 70 perks, at least some must be boring, right? Well, the one that makes you find more ammo, for example, is really boring. Useful? Sure. But definitely boring.

    The removal of karma and reputation and inclusion of companions being the ones judging you was a stroke of genius. Karma did not affect anything in the previous games either way, it just gave you some insight on whether or not what you did was morally acceptable or not. Reputation did the same thing, but to a smaller scale and with actual impact. Now, this time they've chosen the best option. The real option. The option that says "Oh, you want to steal? Steal, as long as you can get away with it" Of course, your friend might tell you they dislike what you just did, but who cares about what they think? You probably need these resources more than the people you steal it from anyway! This is a perfect example of how morals cease to exist when the world has no government.

    The game in this package is impossible to put down. It consumes you, drags you into the world and doesn't let you go. For this reason, as a video game, Fallout 4 is a nearly perfect 10/10. I am reminded of the first time I picked up Dark Souls. It was so new to me, the entire way it dealt with combat and the world building. Now don't get me wrong, there's only a few examples of this game being subtle about it's lore, but when it happens it's usually heartbreaking and depressing, because it does indeed tell the story of a nation put to ruin, and the lives taken from this.

    Most of the negative reviews I find simply complain that it's not like New Vegas, and I am thankful. New Vegas was outdated, and could never have come out today, even if the graphics were improved. It's on my list of favorite games of all time, but that game has had years of modding to allow it to become something better than it initially was. At launch, New Vegas was a mess, but time helped it and made it a wonderful game. Fallout 4 however, has at least to me, been a wonderful game, and I suspect time will only make it better.    … Expand
  7. Jason999
    Nov 14, 2015
    8
    Here's a few Pros:

    (1) The combat is quite enjoyable. The weapons have a decent feel. (2) The environment is desolate, suitable for the post-nuclear world we're dealing with. (3) The graphics, while not stellar or up to 2015 standards - are acceptable. Remember, you were forewarned well in advance what graphics engine they were using and what to expect. Graphics are quite    Here's a few Pros:

    (1) The combat is quite enjoyable. The weapons have a decent feel.

    (2) The environment is desolate, suitable for the post-nuclear world we're dealing with.

    (3) The graphics, while not stellar or up to 2015 standards - are acceptable. Remember, you were forewarned well in advance what graphics engine they were using and what to expect. Graphics are quite important to me and although Todd Howard is full of you know what - the game is perfectly playable and enjoyable to look at.

    Here's my biggest gripes with the game:

    (1) The inventory management is terrible, absolutely horrid. What arse thought they'd torture us with such an antiquated inventory management system, deserves to be fired and slapped around with a wet trout.
    The need (not desire) to pick up anything not bolted to the ground, does get ridiculous. You need the items (junk) to construct other items.

    (2) Conversations - the lip syncing / movement is horrible. Bethesda should be absolutely ashamed - but of course they aren't.

    Remeber - this is what happens when you try to dress up an old graphics engine with a few new lighting techniques. It still doesn't fix the cartoonish mouth movement, that might have looked ok 8 years ago.

    Overall, I recommend the game.
    I've never played the other Fallout games so I cannot compare, but ithere's enough fun to keep your occupied for quite awhile. Just keep in mind - Bethesda did drop the ball in a few areas and if you're ok with the outcome, then give it a try.    … Expand
  8. Rexy
    Nov 16, 2015
    8
    I can understand the backlash this game has received and the users leaving very poor scores make valid points at the lack of choice and customisation this game has. Certainly it seems that the moral choices are very black and white and there is less of a specialised feel to the character progression. That being said, the game doesn't force you to specialise but you can still create uniqueI can understand the backlash this game has received and the users leaving very poor scores make valid points at the lack of choice and customisation this game has. Certainly it seems that the moral choices are very black and white and there is less of a specialised feel to the character progression. That being said, the game doesn't force you to specialise but you can still create unique builds if you want to. Why not be creative and impose your own restrictions? Just because you could theoretically max out special and access all the perks doesn't mean you have to.

    As a personal opinion, having also loved 3 and new Vegas, I really love playing this. I think what's been culled and unecessarily streamlined is outweighed by the improved gun play, the modding system, the base building and the wealth of tightly designed side questing. Specifically the dungeons that aren't even scripted quests. One of my favourite examples was clearing out super mutants from an office building. Whilst doing this the computer logs, audio recordings and dungeon design told an entertaining story of a dispute between the partners of the company. It seems to me that there's a story everywhere and quite often the story told outside the quests is more entertaining than those in the quests.

    If you have an open mind and actually look at where the work went in this game I think you'll find plenty of satisfying content.    … Expand
  9. Dtweak
    Nov 15, 2015
    10
    This game is the Apple of the gaming industry. Everybody is trying to push android without ever even trying an IOS device.

    This game will not please everybody but its not because something is wrong with it. Almost everything has improved in the game and there is a ridiculous amount of content. So much that anybody reviewing the game at this point may have had and entirely different    This game is the Apple of the gaming industry. Everybody is trying to push android without ever even trying an IOS device.

    This game will not please everybody but its not because something is wrong with it. Almost everything has improved in the game and there is a ridiculous amount of content. So much that anybody reviewing the game at this point may have had and entirely different experience.

    I find the is more emphasis on combat and exploration then story and choices. In previous fallout games I pretty much played with the radio on the entire game. This time around I've left it off and have been enjoying the great ambiance this world has to offer. Loot and progression have also been largely improved do to legendary enemies dropping legendary items and the HUGE perk tree. Crafting is also the best I've ever seen in a game.

    The only con i can give is for questing. Quests is oblivion and new vegas were a LOT better at telling a unique story and offering unique ways to complete them but to be honest I haven't made it far enough in the game to judge quests yet as I'm having too much fun exploring and enjoying the combat.    … Expand
  10. Masterhummel
    Nov 19, 2015
    8
    Fallout 4 has flaws. Especially the dialogues and awkward start. But then, the game does a great job on telling story with world building. Most locations feel unique and quite a few tell a story of their own, just told by carefully aranged props, logs and notes, even without quests. Speaking of them, I helped a crew of robot pirates on a flying sail ship, i followed radio signals and foundFallout 4 has flaws. Especially the dialogues and awkward start. But then, the game does a great job on telling story with world building. Most locations feel unique and quite a few tell a story of their own, just told by carefully aranged props, logs and notes, even without quests. Speaking of them, I helped a crew of robot pirates on a flying sail ship, i followed radio signals and found out about the entire history of a settlement from the brothers who founded it to the supermutants inhabiting it in 2282 and i found out about a boy exploiting his teacher who fed his students with mentats - shortly before discovering his mentats stash.

    Fallout was never about a controlled experience that feeds you content step by step, personally i fell like it was always was about observing and exploring instead of participating in a rollercoaster ride. With all the shortcomings the game has - and there are plenty of them - i'm happy they did things the way they did.

    The game might not be for everyone, and that's okay. Inform yourself before you buy- there are enough possibilities to do so.    … Expand
  11. Kaspar
    Nov 16, 2015
    9
    I am 50 hours in and can't put it down. I also only played it on PC.
    I usually struggle to play games more than 3 hours at a time but the first time I sat down to play it I actually had a straight 7 hour session. I think one of the reasons is because there is so much different **** to do in the game.
    I would trade off between building up my settlements, exploring in a random direction,    I am 50 hours in and can't put it down. I also only played it on PC.
    I usually struggle to play games more than 3 hours at a time but the first time I sat down to play it I actually had a straight 7 hour session. I think one of the reasons is because there is so much different **** to do in the game.
    I would trade off between building up my settlements, exploring in a random direction, dungeon crawling or story questing.
    I've had a few bugs with visuals and AI pathing but none that broke the game or affected gameplay in any major way. My only big complain is how the new dialogue system is so simplified, no longer are there dialogue choices that become available because of ability scores or specific perks.
    But all in all if you like Fallout 3 or New vegas you will love this game.    … Expand
  12. Derklucas
    Dec 4, 2015
    9
    Is this game the perfect game? No. Is this game a throwback to Fallout 1 and 2? A little.

    I'm over 100 hours into the game and it has been one of my most fun experiences in a videogame in a long time. Of course that is a personal preference. There's pretty much a pop reference behind every corner. And the difference in atmosphere between the areas makes it a lively game.
  13. Lgzxriotz
    Nov 12, 2015
    9
    I have no idea whats wrong with the people posting negative reviews.
    Fallout 4 is one of the best games i have played in a long time, there are a few features that could have been done better but the game has been near perfect so far
  14. Bomber365
    Nov 12, 2015
    10
    While all moth up to the release all of my peers were bashing the game, I was extremely happy with the game. In fact it blew my expectations out of the water. I find the game very polished and extremely fun to play. 10/10 I would recommend this to anyone.
  15. Akrabra
    Nov 14, 2015
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A Masterpiece in its own right. Fallout 4 might be a little rough around the edges, but when the world opens up and welcomes you into it, then there is no turning back.

    Detailed world - Simply put the details in this game will put many developers to shame. Every object in the world is placed with care and though, every object has functions and animations to perform these functions.

    Game-play - A huge step up from FO3 and New Vegas. Gun play is vastly improved to give the game a good weapon handling feeling. Though easier to hit enemies without proper stats, it is still tied in nicely with weapon crafting, armor crafting and SPECIAL/Perks. Keeping it grounded as an RPG with the stats doing its magic in the background. Other crafting also includes a cooking system, and a chem system.

    Story - The story is quite solid and actually has some twists and turns you won't see coming. The characters you meet in the world are interesting and unique. Dialogue is better than ever and every dialogue choice made might move the conversation forward in unexpected ways, so weigh your options carefully. Factions are present in this game and they are all well presented within the setting. Having their own motivations and ideology. Will you save the Commonwealth from itself? Will you turn it into a state for human hope, or take it down a dark path? The choice is yours and it works well.

    Companions - Interesting individuals might join you on your journey, and they are a fancy bunch of misfits in true Fallout style. Each individual joining you have their own motivations, backstory and preferences. Dialogue is tied to a like/dislike system which works very well. Unlike other game with companions you can't have everyone liking you because of the choices you make in the game. Their combat AI is abit rough, and they can grate your nerves, but the positives outweigh the negatives on this one.

    Atmosphere - The new colour palette, lighting options, water graphics and weather system all lends the game a much needed lift in the atmosphere depatrment. The world is beautiful, and scary. The music does it part to keep you hooked, both inside and outside of combat. Every small detail adds to this atmosphere and keeps the world fresh throughout the game.

    Exploration - The exploration is top notch in every aspect. Assisted by great gameplay, atmosphere, and the attention to detail no two locations are the same and every location has a story to tell. It might lead to a new quest from a note, holotape, computer or just an npc that needs your help. Every time you go around a corner something new is happening, and it keeps you hooked for hours on end.

    Graphics - As atmosphere is part of this, the graphics are in its way great. Though the engine is now very old, and it is sadly a console port. Textures range from amazing to very poor. Character models is a huge improvement compared to Skyrim, but lacking compared to other RPG's out this year, same goes for animations.

    UI - The UI quite bad, or it is easy enough to use, but it was built for console. This has however been a problem with Bethesda since Morrowind, and TW3/DA:I also had these problems. I don't see this changing for any huge RPG in the future, seeing as consoles are the main market.

    All in all to me this game is not perfect. It has its rough edges and some things that i wish were different. To me though those things just evaporates when i start exploring and taking part in this amazing world Bethesda has built. This is the masterpiece i was waiting for, and got. 10 does not mean perfect, it just means i enjoy it that much.    … Expand
  16. xoma262
    Nov 12, 2015
    10
    First of all, I'll say that I've played TES: Morrowind, Oblivion, Skyrim. In Fallout series I played Fallout 3, New Vegas and off course Fallout 4. They share the same game engine and Fallout 4 just continue it.
    I was really surprised by graphics part. Bethesda Softworks are well known for lack of graphic quality in their games. Just look at the Skyrim. It's awful, despite that, game    First of all, I'll say that I've played TES: Morrowind, Oblivion, Skyrim. In Fallout series I played Fallout 3, New Vegas and off course Fallout 4. They share the same game engine and Fallout 4 just continue it.
    I was really surprised by graphics part. Bethesda Softworks are well known for lack of graphic quality in their games. Just look at the Skyrim. It's awful, despite that, game still awesome.
    Yes, I know graphics is not the best. It's not like "Crysis 3" or Call of Duty, or whatever you expected. For the open world game graphics is really good.

    System Requirements:
    Before writing this review I saw some people complaining that requirements too high ...
    . . . Really?!
    I found only one "high" requirement: 30 Gb on hard drive. Done!
    I'm assuming that no one trying to run game on old Pentium with 32 Mb of GPU memory...
    And there is a nice Metacritic review, telling us that guy has rig for 20 000 Euro and he has 10 Fps in game ... Nice joke. This review has to be deleted.

    Gameplay:
    I like Fallout 3. Who feels same - you will like Fallout 4 too. It's fully expand and upgrades everything we had in F3 and now you can do a lot of things and spend a lot of time just trying to settle. Nothing really more to say than just other positive reviewers.

    P.S. About ratings. here. I don't understand why people giving 0, 1, 3 as a rating. This rating mean that you really hate this game and comparing to the 100% trash. Really? I'm pretty sure that you don't know how to evaluate games.
    I'm giving 1010 just to raise user score, which is unjustified.

    My more honest grade would be 8.5-9 out of 10.
    Good Luck!    … Expand
  17. Kazuto
    Nov 13, 2015
    10
    i've had so much fun with this game! I dont think i have gotten this much pleasure from a video game ever before (set aside fallout 3). The only other franchise that can compare with this game is the witcher. I think this is a sizable upgrade from fallout 3 and NV, with all new polished graphics, new combat system wich is fantastic, AI is smarter than ever before, and are capable to makei've had so much fun with this game! I dont think i have gotten this much pleasure from a video game ever before (set aside fallout 3). The only other franchise that can compare with this game is the witcher. I think this is a sizable upgrade from fallout 3 and NV, with all new polished graphics, new combat system wich is fantastic, AI is smarter than ever before, and are capable to make complex decisions based on their surroundings. The new dialouge system is acctually quite cool and the voiced protagonist is simply brilliant. A solid 10 from me.… Expand
  18. yogesh487
    Nov 18, 2015
    8
    This game sure has flaws but this game deserves a 7.0 rating at the least.
    what"s Good
    1. gun-play & customization
    2. building houses
    3. good graphics for a Bethesda game
    4. great open world

    Cons
    1. rpg element less than fallout nv
    2. clunky
    3. Characters

    and this game is not in any way better than witcher 3: Wild Hunt
  19. advertise_this
    Nov 21, 2015
    8
    Now normally I don't like to discuss other reviews, but you must have seen the sheer volume of hatred directed at this game. Before you take their word for it, have a look for these phrases "not what it's supposed to be like" "Not what I was expecting" "not what I want from an RPG" or "The worst game of all time". Does this sound like fair and balanced criticism to you? Or the sheep-likeNow normally I don't like to discuss other reviews, but you must have seen the sheer volume of hatred directed at this game. Before you take their word for it, have a look for these phrases "not what it's supposed to be like" "Not what I was expecting" "not what I want from an RPG" or "The worst game of all time". Does this sound like fair and balanced criticism to you? Or the sheep-like whining of cynical, overly entitled gamers who talk of old games in hushed tones, with a tear in their eye and anything that came out this year in a manner usually reserved for infectious diseases?

    But never fear - this game is actually fantastic. Lots of bugs, but mostly just funny little quirks that'll get ironed out. For the $60 price tag, you get at a minimum 100hrs of gameplay, even if you don't really deviate from the main story. All of it enjoyable and varied. One minute you'll be a caped-crusader tackling organised crime, the next a bank robber pulling off a daring heist. You can explore countless buildings to discover the fate of their previous inhabitants, or get to know their newest residents. Just don't be surprised if they don't all like you. I'm not exaggerating either. In the largest settlement, there isn't a single building which isn't populated.

    Some features from previous games are gone though. Imagine, a game company attempting to try new things and innovate. The sheer audacity. You may have noticed the same 'missing' features come up time and again in negative reviews, so lets run down the most popular:

    Karma: In Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas, you were only rewarded if you did everything wrong (stealing, lying, intimidating) or everything right (helping, healing, giving). You were Pol Pot Or Gandhi. Martin Luther King or Adolf Hitler. So what's your motivation now? Your travelling buddies. They all have different morals and will reward you with a helpful perk if they like the cut of your jib sufficiently. I can only assume those criticizing this are basement dwellers to whom friends are an alien concept.

    Repairing stuff: The most IRRITATING feature added in New Vegas by independent developer obsidian, thankfully not carried over to this game by Bethesda. For the sake of 'realism', this meant every gun and piece of armor got steadily worse until it broke or you repaired it. So tough luck if you're stuck in a dangerous area without your chosen weapon, you'll just have to reload an old save. How very immersive.

    NPCs can't die in this game: They can take enough damage that they will no longer fight for you until the battle is over though. Bethesda have given a good reason for this. In play tests, they noticed people getting frustrated with their companions constantly dying. They kept reloading old saves until they could get through tricky bits, eventually opting to just travel alone. This compromise makes them more useful, less irritating and more fun to be around. But 9 times out of 10, if you're getting your ass handed to you, so are they, so don't expect them to win the fight for you single-handed either.

    Character backstories/ lack of RPG elements: This is one criticism I can't get my head around at all. Apparently all RPGs up until this point allowed you to play as any conceivable character. Just think about this for a second. Can you think of any RPG where you weren't at least partly expected to accept a certain amount of backstory? There you go. But you can decide if you want to be a super genius, or a simpleton. A charismatic Lothario, or a socially inept recluse. Do you outsmart your enemies or outgun them? Charge in head first, or sneak around through the back entrance, picking a lock or hacking a computer terminal?

    Lack of conversation options: The onyl difference between this and New Vegas is you have four distinct options, rather than five ways to say the same thing. No, you can no longer see exactly what you are going to say before you say it. This is actually quite fun. Choose to intimidate, be sarcastic or persuade and you are treated to a unique bit of dialogue for every option (something which was entirely missing from previous games in the franchise).

    Story/voice acting: Possibly the strongest aspect of the game. Better than any Bethesda game to date by a mile. I have no idea where the hate is coming from on this front. You won't be spoon fed anything though. You have to hunt the best stories out, which only makes them more rewarding. You tend to find out more about stories as you venture further into locations, often only discovering the full story at the very end. Avoiding spoilers as much as possible: find a lake in the southwest of the map. Find a cabin. Access the terminal. One of the saddest tales in gaming will greet you. By far my favourite thing though is the visual stories. There are just so many, some hilarious, some sad and some disturbing. All entertaining.    … Expand
  20. Radioactivebuny
    Nov 21, 2015
    6
    THIS REVIEW WILL REFLECT THE CREDIT THE DEVELOPERS GET FOR THEIR LAUNCH OF THE GAME. The Mod community will absolutely add a phenomenal amount of fantastic content to this game, which is what made Fallout 3, Skyrim, and Fallout NV so incredibly fun and long-lived despite the vanilla games being rather "eh". It really is just Bethesda planting a seed and the community taking off andTHIS REVIEW WILL REFLECT THE CREDIT THE DEVELOPERS GET FOR THEIR LAUNCH OF THE GAME. The Mod community will absolutely add a phenomenal amount of fantastic content to this game, which is what made Fallout 3, Skyrim, and Fallout NV so incredibly fun and long-lived despite the vanilla games being rather "eh". It really is just Bethesda planting a seed and the community taking off and helping it grow. I'll address the potential of mods at the end, but until then it's just the base game as it is with mods I'm using now mentioned.

    Dialogue: It's had me in stitches for 80 hours. When you click to interrupt someone on an important part (i.e. them talking about their dead kid or something) and you just go "Uh-huh" or "Hmmm". Funny as hell.
    Story: Didn't even beat Skyrim, and don't care to ever beat Fallout 4. Apparently it's crap, though, but I'm only gonna give it half as much weight as usual since I don't care for it to begin with.

    Gunplay: VAST improvement over Fallout 3

    Customization: I'm a huge fan. Lots of options, lots of fun. Well done, in my opinion.

    Power Armor: I wish there was more mysticism to it, really. I wished that deathclaw in the very beginning smashed the **** out of my armor and I didn't get another set for 30+ hours. that would have been better.

    Difficulty: Total mess. AI is smarter, but for Bethesda, "Hard mode" is literally doubling their damage and halving yours. Nice job, idiots. I'm trying various damage mods, and found 2.5x for me dealing and 3x for enemies dealing evens things out a little more. Can be done to 3x and 4x I guess. Might try that later. Those multipliers with the damage mod do a decent job at that, though. As it stands now, buckshot to the face will kill even a Super Mutant my level as it should (though some wildlife has way too much health), my power armor can take a good beating before I go down but I still need to stick to cover usually, and even a raider my level wearing just some crap metal will get demolished from a couple laser blasts to the chest or one to the face, usually. Again, as it should be.

    When I'm out of my power armor I still take a considerable amount of damage, though, but then again I haven't fought much outside of raiders out of my power armor. I'd like to be about as fragile as all of the other enemies with ARMOR and what type of enemy it is determining how much it takes to kill, and not level. I'm getting close to that with these damage modifiers alone, for now, and I'd recommend them.

    I can also smoke a Deathclaw with a few blasts from a fully modded combat shotgun. One to the face should kill pretty much anything, but I wish it would take more to kill them as they're not frightening anymore with the mods I have. They can kill me pretty quick, but again the damage mods only multiply what damage is done, and I can't really change the balance between enemy types yet until GECK comes out. Still, look into those mods.

    Base Building: I see many, many hours of my life being lost to this.

    AI: In combat they're solid. A lot smarter than before. Watching the robots, bugs, and deathclaws juke my shots is nice. Except for the deathclaws. It's just horrifying in those cases. Companion AI pathing makes me want to scream. It is awful, atrocious, and whoever wrote it deserves to have their hands cut off so they can never do something like that again. End of story on that.

    Graphics: Throw on some ENBs and it'll look presentable. Again, these Bethesda games never looked good vanilla, anyway.

    Map size: Not sure if I'm greedy after TW3, but it feels small despite being of relatively respectable size.

    Final: The unspeakable amount of fun I've had playing the game minus the quite considerable flaws grants it an 8 in my book. It's good. Not what we hoped for, probably, but it's good. It'll do. Let's hope Bethesda can do better next time, though, because there's a fine line between me loving and despising this game. Luckily it's holding.

    Mods: This is where the magic happens. Already there are some fantastic mods out that greatly improve the game. From more balanced fusion core draining, to these damage mods I mentioned, to sound and texture/graphic and enb mods... There's a crapton within two weeks. Once the GECK comes out it'll be unreal. The weapon mod system, base building, and settlement system are PRIME for mods. One of the first will be to build settlements ANYWHERE, I can guarantee you that. Hopefully they can expand the map as well. Bethesda made a decent framework that's great fun as is, and for that they get a good rating, but certainly not GOTY with The Witcher 3 reigning supreme in that regard. Now the community will be what makes this game a truly fantastic 10/10. They deserve ALL of the credit for that. Can't wait to see what lies in store for Fallout 4.    … Expand
  21. Pitonas
    Nov 27, 2015
    7
    Good think about fallout is that it's fallout and after waiting for eight years I was counting days before it's release. Now when I finished it I am very much disappointed. It does improve over fallout 3 but is lacking atmosphere of Fallout. Like fallout and fallout2 had. Removing dialogues is a big mistake, I am happy that it's voiced but YES,NO,SARCASTIC is just... Story line is shortGood think about fallout is that it's fallout and after waiting for eight years I was counting days before it's release. Now when I finished it I am very much disappointed. It does improve over fallout 3 but is lacking atmosphere of Fallout. Like fallout and fallout2 had. Removing dialogues is a big mistake, I am happy that it's voiced but YES,NO,SARCASTIC is just... Story line is short and ending is incredibly disappointing. Especially that linearity in last missions. All an all it's 8 but would be 6 be it some other game and not Fallout franchise.… Expand
  22. kellboy
    Nov 11, 2015
    7
    After seeing all the reviews for this game i felt i needed to sign up and write my own review. Now i dont have an issue with negative reviews. My issue is giving something a 0 or 1 just because it didnt fulfill their every expectation. In absolutely no circumstance is this game a 1 or 0/10. And similarly while I understand people want to raise the metascore it is also no way a 10/10 andAfter seeing all the reviews for this game i felt i needed to sign up and write my own review. Now i dont have an issue with negative reviews. My issue is giving something a 0 or 1 just because it didnt fulfill their every expectation. In absolutely no circumstance is this game a 1 or 0/10. And similarly while I understand people want to raise the metascore it is also no way a 10/10 and both are misleading and do no justice in helping people make a decision to buy this game.  

    Its worth mentioning at this point I am not a die hard fallout fanboy although i have played both 3 and new vegas. I Hope this will help give any reader the impression i can deliver a fair review.  

    Ill start with the bad and get it out the way!  

    As others have mentioned the graphics are quite poor and more importantly the performance and frame drops should be better considering they are not up to standard. While i agree graphics are not everything we are indeed consumers and in no other industry would you pay top money for an out of date product ( think mobile phones etc )  

    Bugs- during my 16 hours I have had no game breaking bugs or hard crashes . However they are present and can at times break immersion or be frustrating.  

    Dialogue wheel - A great device in bioware titles where games usually give you a defined character . But Bethesda titles are usually more about creating your own character with motives and so it just doesn't fit in well here. The topics are extremely vague so it is also hard to know what your character is going to say.

    The mediocre  

    Story telling and characters. - While i have not completed the main story I have played enough to not feel emotionally attached to the centre plot. The character voice acting to go with it is also neither bad or good and just rather does it's job then actually impress.  

    The good.  

    Combat- Improved over previous titles without losing that fallout touch. VATS is even better now that it does not freeze time. Depending on the situation this can be a blessing like as an enemy dives out of cover. It can also be a curse when your forced to make decisions quick. In all it adds more depth to the combat system.  

    Perks- a marmite subject atm. Some believed the new system has been dumbed down. I Disagree which I will cover in the next point. I personally felt there was a alot of trash perks in the older games. The new perk system gives you a good amount of freedom to make your favourite arch types but enough restriction to make you invest points carefully.  

    Weapon and armour modding- Not only do both weapon and armour mods have cosmetic changes, they drastically change how your character plays. Thus still having strong rpg elements. How you build your armour and guns should reflect your play style and if they dont. You will notice your combat abilities suffer. The entire crafting system across the game is fantastic and there is alot of variety for making grenades , food, and the meds etc.  

    shelters- The new craftable towns amd shelters does not really serve a purpose at the moment but that doesnt stop them being fun to use and building on an all ready good sandbox game.  

    Environment- The strongest thing about this game. Tonnes of areas to explore, you will want to spend a lot of time just wandering the wasteland! New dynamic weather affects are cool like the radiation storms!

    If you want to see what a 1 out of 10 game is. Watch angry joes review of ride to hell. Use this to learn what a really bad game looks like.    … Expand
  23. Tizodd
    Nov 22, 2015
    10
    DISCLAIMER: this game honestly deserves an 8 or 9, but I gave it a 10 to try and offset all the unfair 0 rating's I've seen. Even if it's not the best Fallout game ever...by no means does it deserve a 0. Now for my quick 2 cents on the game so far...

    When I initially started the game, I was a bit disappointed in the toning down of some of the rpg elements like the skill system and    DISCLAIMER: this game honestly deserves an 8 or 9, but I gave it a 10 to try and offset all the unfair 0 rating's I've seen. Even if it's not the best Fallout game ever...by no means does it deserve a 0. Now for my quick 2 cents on the game so far...

    When I initially started the game, I was a bit disappointed in the toning down of some of the rpg elements like the skill system and dialogue options. After a bit of time playing however (level 22 atm), I have to say I'm really enjoying the game it is. There are tons of things to do and while the map may seem small at first, it's really misleading because there are many underground areas, areas inside buildings, and even an airship. There's been a big change to power armor, which makes it a powerful limited resource. I do wish there were more trash mobs and random happenings going on in the world as you travel.

    The gameplay is much more fluid than past games. My PC specs are (I7 | 3.2ghz |12 gigs of ram | geforce gtx 750ti card). Not a super powerhouse machine, but I've have had no crashes or any type of graphical issues so far.

    Long story short, if you liked previous Fallout games, particularly Fallout 3 and New Vegas, this game is definitely worth a try. People often don't embrace change, but after some time playing this game you'll most likely come to realize the changes really aren't bad...just different.    … Expand
  24. TemplarGR
    Aug 10, 2016
    5
    I have been a Fallout series fan since the original, owning all games in the franchise. It is one of my favourite series. I didn't particularly like Fallout 3 AKA Oblivion with guns, but i enjoyed it for what it was. New Vegas was a vast improvement, technical issues aside. Still, Bethesda seems to lack basic understanding of what made the Fallout series great, and they seem to want toI have been a Fallout series fan since the original, owning all games in the franchise. It is one of my favourite series. I didn't particularly like Fallout 3 AKA Oblivion with guns, but i enjoyed it for what it was. New Vegas was a vast improvement, technical issues aside. Still, Bethesda seems to lack basic understanding of what made the Fallout series great, and they seem to want to turn it into a Farcry-wannabe instead of a proper RPG.

    Fallout 4 is not a bad game, but it is not a great game either. It is first and foremost a Farcry4 type shooter, with more dialogue and minecraft elements. That's about it.

    My problem with Fallout 4 is that it feels empty, tedious, boring, lifeless. It has no soul, it is just a "product", not a work of art. Sure, shooting mechanics were improved, looting is faster etc, but those are only minor improvements and don't make up for the loss of unique settlements/npcs/questlines. Most of the quests are randomized, most NPCs are just randomized, game is a repetitive grind. It is perhaps the only Fallout series game that i struggled finding the motivation to keep playing, i had to actually convince myself to play it, to try and have fun with it.

    There are many things that grind the game's pace to a halt. The loot system is bad overall. Junk are more important than proper equipment now, since your craftable mods are better than whatever you find or buy. You also need tons of junk to improve your settlements (the map has few prebuild settlements, you have to create most of them yourself). So wherever you go, you just have to loot everything, and there is only so much space in your inventory... Having to make multiple trips back and forth to base is not uncommon, to transfer all the loot. This gets boring fast. Sure, you may argue that you can choose not to get all the junk, but that means that by the time you need to craft a mod, repair armor, or just improve your settlement, you won't have everything at hand.

    The story was ok-ish, for a Bethesda game. You don't play Bethesda games for the story after all, but for the sandbox. But it just doesn't offer you much of an incentive to keep grinding. You never feel like you need to get to the end to find out about the lore, you just don't care, it is something that just exists.

    All in all, it is a by the book Bethesda product. It has no ambition, and no character. You can have fun with it, assuming you are not bored to death with Bethesda's recipe already. You aren't missing anything if you never touch it, no important lore or really good gameplay. You can skip it. Witcher 3, this is not.    … Expand
  25. GolovA
    Dec 7, 2015
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Well, first of all, people, i don't get u - y u giving 0, 1, & 2's or on the other spectrum - 9 & 10's? I mean 0-3 score is basically an abomination to avoid, and 9-10 is perfection itself. And FO4 is neither. The funny thing is that 1's balance the 9's at the end and the mean average is not really affected. But come on - giving a game a 1 just because "the graphics sucks, man!" is not helping anybody, plus the technology is not moving at a lightning fast speed. It is still gradual, although i agree the graphics in FO4 are behind - mind you, most likely because the game was designed for an outdated console. Giving it a 9 is also obnoxious - the fact is, it is far from being a masterpiece.

    Having said that, i will not dwell in depth on the topic. What i'd like to do is to share a few observations in defense of my rating. I am currently playing Fallout New Vegas and Fallout 4 and can compare the two. Now i have to admit, i am playing FONV with mods such as Nevada Project, EVE, Weapons Mods Extended, and Nevada Skies. However, even though they greatly improve the atmosphere of the game, they don't have any effect on some of my criticism of FO4. Also, all of the mods are almost as old as New Vegas.

    First thing's first - bugs. Yes, there are many many bugs in the current release. Are they destructing? You bet your sweet bb gun they are! Annoying? Bull's eye too. But the game is still entertaining enough to get that Save reloaded and start over. Just pray your last Save isn't an hour old! :D RELOAD!

    Lip sync. Lip syncing in FO4 is quite atrocious. By comparison - NV is like a lip syncing marvel. What does it tell me about developers of FO4 and their mentality towards gamers? /:) yep. RELOAD.

    Dialogue. Man, this latest trend to streamline everything that doesn't need to be streamlined is bugging the **** out of me. All dialogue is watered down to 4 choices most of which are very obscure since all of them are limited to like 3 words! Are you crazy!? Sentences such as "Give Money" make no sense, and plenty a time i had to find out that behind a remark was hidden a line of dialogue i did not wish to follow. Give money to you? Are we talking about giving money? Will you be giving money to me? Is there a catch? By comparison FO3 and NV dialogue trees are extremely prolific. RELOAD!

    Combat. I don't know, man. I don't know. I guess combat is a little better and more dynamic? I don't know. Just slightly. I don't see it anything to be raving about. It's ok. Not gonna give the game a 10 because i can throw a grenade (finally!) with a key.

    Character development and skill tree. Oh boy. It's new. But i can't bring myself to like it. Basically, in place of skills (all skills) you now have perks. Again, streamlining something that needs not be. In FO3 perks were unique and depended on your characteristics, and you could put points in any skill you wanted. So if u were an Intelligence 1 Village Idiot, you could still up your science or repair or whatnot, but would never get perks that depended on intelligence. In FO4 you only get perks, so, using the example above, you cannot become a master hacker with Intelligence 1. It's kind of more realistic, yet also so limited and even degraded. Can't there be an Imbecile Savant (u know wat i'ma talkin' bout!) who can hack computers at a whim but like unable to get dates?! :D come oooon!!! RELOAD!

    Side quests. Ok, ok - my friend who finished the game testifies that i am about one-third in. At this point i can say a few things about the main story line and side quests. Some side quests are pretty involving and fun, while others (such as "Build me a Village") are plain boredom. Sure, it is fun to recycle old cars and broken fences in order to built some houses for the nomad Minute Men - but that's precisely where the danger lies - while being fun IT IS NOT FALLOUT! Damn it, what's next - "Fallout Settlers", "Apocalyptic Minecraft", "LEGO Fallout"?! Dude! My husband was just shot, and i am searching for my kidnapped baby! You want me to build you a shack, you lazy **** I'ma shoot you in your foot for dat!
    Yes, i do like building - but, man, when i start playing FO i am as far from wanting to build as North Pole is from Jamaica. Call me Paradigm Dave - but i don't like my white wine in the same glass with the red. RELOAD!

    Main Story - it's pretty decent, and has its own twists and turns. Sure, it's not elaborate, but come on - the main story is ok. And if the old dialogue system remained it would actually be pretty damn good, i reckon, if only too linear. But you know what, i am playing NV right now, and the main story line is too - kind of linear. Compare to Fallout 1 & 2, where, for example, you could play with INTELLIGENCE 1 and play a different story almost.

    Oi! :) can i recommend Fallout 4? No. Not at this stage. However, after the bugs are fixed, and Mods come out from the loving community - this will be a nice solid game. But don't expect anything specia    … Expand
  26. GoneTomrrow
    Nov 14, 2015
    7
    Although this game certainly doesn't match up to it predecessor, it's not an outright horrible game. The mythos and world is still there.

    I'll just list my own pros and cons: Pros: 1. Excellent combat, one of the only accolades this game has received. AI can be genuinely hard, not relying just on how much damage an enemy can take. 2. Graphics are decent enough, though only    Although this game certainly doesn't match up to it predecessor, it's not an outright horrible game. The mythos and world is still there.

    I'll just list my own pros and cons:

    Pros:
    1. Excellent combat, one of the only accolades this game has received. AI can be genuinely hard, not relying just on how much damage an enemy can take.
    2. Graphics are decent enough, though only marginally better than Fallout 3.
    3. Settlement building is a neat idea and a great way to make use of the confetti items like fans, cups, etc.
    4. Reasonably lengthy game like most Bethesda titles.

    Cons:
    1. Some unforgivable glitches right from start. No matter what configuration I select for my character's appearance, the moment I leave the vault I either get a pasty freckled face with black irises or sometimes a hilarious jet black face. Dare I say blackface? RACIST BETHESDA!

    2. Graphics are nothing special. Very mute color scheme and potato-faced NPCs.

    3. As has been mentioned profusely, you get way too much way too quickly. After just 15 hours I was level 12+, had powered armor, and had most of the weapons in the game.

    4. Very weak dialogue writing and phony voice acting. I cringe whenever the main character speaks.

    5. Lackluster story compared to Fallout 3. Character origin is rushed and spelled out for you.

    So in conclusion, this lacks a lot of polish, but it's still fun enough to occupy my time.    … Expand
  27. rile
    Nov 12, 2015
    6
    Fallout 4 is a game that does many things, but at a shallow level and is often flawed, yet it's the larger picture of the puzzle that comes together that makes the game a fun time.

    The game sets out by introducing the player to a time before the war, where tensions between america and russia is at an all-time high, as you'll immediately hear it on the news. You're allowed to play either    Fallout 4 is a game that does many things, but at a shallow level and is often flawed, yet it's the larger picture of the puzzle that comes together that makes the game a fun time.

    The game sets out by introducing the player to a time before the war, where tensions between america and russia is at an all-time high, as you'll immediately hear it on the news. You're allowed to play either a male or a female character, (a tradition of the Fallout franchise), the husband or the wife. Shortly after, you're introduced to your infant son, in hopes that you'll bond with him. You won't. After a few minutes of exploration the alarms are set off, public service announcements are sent out on the radios and you make your way to a vault, shelter for humans to outlive the radiation of the nuclear bombs and the wasteland, for a while.

    This solidifies the suspicions that the writers of Bethesda fundamentally do not understand the concepts and themes the previous installments explored. It's meant to be a morbid but comedic insight into the reestablishment of society, where various ideas on how it's meant to be done are tackled. Yet Fallout 4 chooses an on-the-nose approach without much conceptual exploration. You escape your icy prison back to the surface 200 or so years later. Only to discover that not much has happened for two centuries and people are still stuck culturally in the time you left behind. Odd, given that we as a species develop and establish fast. Do you remember what happened that long ago? Chances are you don't. At the very least, Boston is a joy to explore and the attention to detail is what sets it apart from other games, and unlike previous titles in the franchise, it features a lot of vertical exploration.

    Boasted as new features to the franchise, settlements and customization of armor and weapons, albeit only to consoles. PC players has had these features /since/ Fallout 3, thanks to the modding community. Albeit, Bethesdas implementation is much more elaborate and /workable/. A common thing you'll be seeing throughout the game for all new additions to the game have been previously available as a mod.

    A staple of the Fallout games /skills/ has been removed, in favor of solely focusing on perks and S.P.E.C.I.A.L. stats. A total of 70 perks are in the game, each of them can be expanded upon by sinking more points into. Yet, one will find that the perks are by-the-numbers and that the developers lacked imagination when it came to shaping your character, as gameplay features are entirely taken out with some, and other simply give boring damage increase or reductions.

    Now, let's talk about dissonance between player and character. For there is a -lot- of it this time around, due to two new implementations. A voice for the character, and the popular but hated dialogue wheel. The VO is often overacted, lacks emotion and subtlety, and the stale facial animations rarely expresses the topic at hand. The wheel, clearly /taken/ from the Mass Effect franchise and solidified by the works of Telltale, reduces the broad set of options one would have in previous Fallouts, and dialogue /used/ to be a big part of the franchise, now taken a backseat in favor of the more guts galore combat. Rarely are the choices given to the player representative of what the character will say or do.

    At the very least, shooting bullets, scrap and lasers, chucking grenades, planting mines and firing of mini-nukes has never been this satisfying in a Bethesda game. The developers obviously drew inspirations from Destiny - last years noteworthy multiplayer shooter, a highly criticized product. You'll be get to obliterate humanoids, beasts, mutants, robots and all manners of foes. Most notable addition the the array of target practices, are legendary foes. They're tougher, and deal more damage - but they always guarantee you a unique drop. You'll waste a lot of resources taking them down, shooting them in head or heels /over and over/ while going through your stimpaks (healthpacks) quickly, unless you're exploiting the ridiculously dumb AI.

    In a year in which The WItcher 3, developed by a much smaller studio than Bethesda and for an even lower budget, comes out with highly praised graphical fidelity, it's inexcusable for a triple A game developer to come out with such supbar looks. Fallout 4, as quoted by Miller himself, looks like how you /remember/ Fallout 3, behind a veil of rose-tinted goggles, even so, it is a massive improvement over previous games, just not up to modern standards. It's subjective, however, and I found myself enjoying the aesthetic, which seemed to be a mix of retro Fallout and recent Bioware products.

    Something that must be noted, and to be expected by a Bethesda game, is the state in which it was released. It's riddled with bugs, broken quests and performance problems. With /many/ players reporting the game taxing their minds and not just their hardware.    … Expand
  28. R3cKi
    Nov 23, 2015
    7
    playtime 4days with lvl 58 on survival.
    love the crafting and new fog and light effects.
    also the skill system is a lot better. but still a lot of missing comfort functions (inventory/settlement management) and technical problems and loading times are frustrating. bugs, glitches that sometimes block a complete quest. settlement crafting is fun but very imprecise and buggy.    playtime 4days with lvl 58 on survival.
    love the crafting and new fog and light effects.
    also the skill system is a lot better.

    but still a lot of missing comfort functions (inventory/settlement management)
    and technical problems and loading times are frustrating.
    bugs, glitches that sometimes block a complete quest.

    settlement crafting is fun but very imprecise and buggy.

    dialogs and decisions are a clear step back compared to F3 or vegas.    … Expand
  29. gpxpnd
    Nov 12, 2015
    6
    Honestly this is a good game if you never never played Fallout 3/The Witcher 3. I think these 2 games story-telling system much more detail for player.
    Sad to notice Fallout 4 is not my cup of tea. Due to its simple dialogue / character build-up point ability system are not in my expectation. Gosh =( That 4 up/down/left/right communicate system ruin the whole story-telling, it's    Honestly this is a good game if you never never played Fallout 3/The Witcher 3. I think these 2 games story-telling system much more detail for player.
    Sad to notice Fallout 4 is not my cup of tea. Due to its simple dialogue / character build-up point ability system are not in my expectation. Gosh =( That 4 up/down/left/right communicate system ruin the whole story-telling, it's definitely a disaster for the Fallout series.
    I appreciate that the combat experience working great, but except these enemies throw instant-explosive matter. You have NO chance to DODGE it. [Quake 3/Quake Live is my best speedy FPS-shooter game]    … Expand
  30. Tilde_Gunderson
    Jan 5, 2016
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Short Review: If you liked Skyrim, you'll probably like Fallout 4.

    This game is not a perfect 10/10, but it's not a 0/10. It's a 7/10 game.

    CONS:
    The game has issues. The story is not exceptionally interesting. Saving your son seems like a worthwhile goal, but once you find him, things don't really progress that much. You're just doing some kind of checklist after that.

    (If you want to avoid spoilers, don't read the next paragraph)
    I joined the Institute, and the final mission felt somewhat empty. I was hoping to board the Brotherhood of Steel airship and kill the command from the inside. Instead, I just hacked Liberty Prime and it did the job for me (which didn't work until I used console commands). When my son died, I felt like there should've been more to do in the Institute.

    The conversation wheel is vague, but I think everyone knows this. Why didn't they just use the Skyrim conversation choices? I know voice acting in the game is an impressive addition and adding more choices would mean more work for them, but even if they just stuck with four options, allowing you to see what you're about to say would be nice. I found myself constantly autosaving during conversations.

    Graphically, the game could use some work. The frame rate's garbage, despite looking like Skyrim.

    Locations aren't are interesting as New Vegas' locations. There isn't much of a variety of location types beyond coastal location, urban location, or outside the city locations (I'm sorry if that's vague). Even Diamond City, the biggest settlement in the game, is really underwhelming and not much happens in it. I just wish I could kill the people in the upper bowl stealthily without the security getting on my ass about it. If you thought Nazeem from Skyrim was bad... well, don't venture into the upper bowl of Diamond City.

    I feel bad for anyone playing the console version because too many times did I have to fix a problem using console commands. I can't list all of the glitches I faced, but when I had to use a console command to complete the most important mission in the game, something's up.

    PROS:
    However, there are some good aspects of it. The combat has been decently improved over Fallout 3. Fighting without VATS feels doable, and using sniper rifles is even more effective than before. Weapon customization and armour upgrades makes collecting scrap a worthwhile endeavour.

    And most of all? NO WEAPON DEGRADATION!

    I don't think one person enjoyed weapon degradation... and if you did, I... I don't know what to say to that. Congratulations, I guess? I think when most people see their favourite weapon starting to wear away and you have to continuously repair it to keep it in perfect condition, it doesn't make them feel good.

    Companions are now more of a thing and the game rewards you for having them with companion-based perks (that stay even if you kill them! Hurray!). They don't hinder stealth anymore, and are generally well characterized.

    NEITHER HERE OR THERE:
    There are some things that bother me, but they aren't exactly pros or cons.

    In terms of equipment, I wasn't impressed with the power armour. I didn't like it when it changed my HUD, making it a little busier and changing my HUD colour. But I don't call this a bad thing since I primarily used sniper rifles and long-ranged weapons to fight, so my opinion on this matter is relatively moot.

    Still on the topic of equipment: I never changed my equipment from the first few items I got in the beginning because the game stopped giving me SPECIAL-boosting equipment after level 15. But this could just be my own experience with the game.

    Graphically, I actually liked the visuals. I don't think AAA games need to look photo-realistic. I just wish the game performed well and never really dipped in frame rates. Not entirely a problem, since this may be fixed later and it didn't hamper my gameplay too heavily.

    Overall, this is a fun game that's well worth your time and $80 (depending on where you buy it).    … Expand
Page:

Awards & Rankings

31
#31 Best PC Game of 2015
2
#2 Most Discussed PC Game of 2015
2
#2 Most Shared PC Game of 2015

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 38 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 30 out of 38
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 38
  3. Negative: 0 out of 38
  1. CD-Action
    Feb 4, 2016
    80
    After terrible first couple of hours Fallout 4 pulled itself together and ultimately was almost as fun as The Witcher 3. There’s a huge chasm between these two games in terms of technology (F4 looks like a X360 game), but their open worlds are equally good and Bethesda did a better job with crafting. [01/2016, p.42]
  2. PCWorld
    Jan 19, 2016
    70
    This isn’t the step forward I expected, though. Here we are, the first Bethesda game on a new hardware generation, and I can’t help feeling like we’ve regressed—like Fallout 4 really is Oblivion-with-guns. A decade later, it certainly makes many of the same mistakes.
    Read full review
  3. Pelit (Finland)
    Jan 4, 2016
    92
    It’s easy to get carried away by Fallout 4’s massive open world. While the gunplay is much improved and the quests fun, I found the UI lacking on the PC. The inventory and build menus are really tedious to use. [Dec 2015]
See all critic reviews »