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. DJShepherd
    Apr 10, 2017
    10
    So glad I didn't listen to any one else and bought the game. It's clear Fallout 4 is NOT Fallout 3 or Fallout New Vegas. Anyone looking for a game like that should just play them instead. This is Fallout 4. I absolutely love the Power Armor, and fantastic game play. The main story line was good, but could of been better. It's a great game to pick up on sale. Bethesda needs build onSo glad I didn't listen to any one else and bought the game. It's clear Fallout 4 is NOT Fallout 3 or Fallout New Vegas. Anyone looking for a game like that should just play them instead. This is Fallout 4. I absolutely love the Power Armor, and fantastic game play. The main story line was good, but could of been better. It's a great game to pick up on sale. Bethesda needs build on this, and expand the story options and provide more story paths. The MOD community for this game is incredible. It enhances the game on so many levels. There is a lot of history, story and lore in the game, you just need to look for it. There was a lot left out of the games that people were able bring back by modding the game. Lots of potential.… Expand
  2. Mendoras
    Nov 11, 2015
    7
    The game is fun.

    BUT: The graphic was known, especially in comparison with a Witcher 3 it is extremely dowdy and dreary, but graphics are not everything. Much worse are the problems on PC. Who goes to a terminal of more than 110 FPS stuck to 90%. On my 144 Hz GSync monitor only remains for me to hrottle by hand to 85 Hz, because otherwise he would just always trying to reach    The game is fun.

    BUT:

    The graphic was known, especially in comparison with a Witcher 3 it is extremely dowdy and dreary, but graphics are not everything.

    Much worse are the problems on PC.

    Who goes to a terminal of more than 110 FPS stuck to 90%. On my 144 Hz GSync monitor only remains for me to hrottle by hand to 85 Hz, because otherwise he would just always trying to reach the 144 Hz. If I keep the FO4 FPS Lock, it runs only on ~ 10 FPS.

    The control has been even worsened compared to FO3 and Skyrim. How can such a system release on the PC is a mystery to me. Alone the "Quick Bar" is bad, the whole navigation just as cruel as in FO3.
    When building, it is a single seizure and there was just 0.0 thinking how possibly could better transpose on the PC.

    Who can come to terms with who can also buy the game and will probably have fun, but you should be absolutely aware of it.

    Before the developers do improve here MASSIVELY I can not fully recommend, as sorry as I am..    … Expand
  3. Malcolmfx
    Nov 12, 2015
    7
    Oh yeah and regarding the supposed "dumbing down for kids".

    I am in my late 30s and have played games all my life. I guess "dumbing down" is equal to streamlining and improving...? Most of the dorks that scream about Bethesda's later games not being as good as the earlier ones are probably still virgins with no outside hobbies, friends (that exist outside the internet/video games)    Oh yeah and regarding the supposed "dumbing down for kids".

    I am in my late 30s and have played games all my life. I guess "dumbing down" is equal to streamlining and improving...?

    Most of the dorks that scream about Bethesda's later games not being as good as the earlier ones are probably still virgins with no outside hobbies, friends (that exist outside the internet/video games) and so on.

    In all honesty, even if Bethesda made a game faithful to the old ones in every way, these people would moan that they "haven't moved on" or are "stuck in the past".

    I guess you just can't please everyone.    … Expand
  4. Doomsday4766
    Feb 2, 2016
    10
    I love it! Fallout 4 is SUCH an improvement over the mechanics of 3 ! if they put out DLC half as good Fallout 3's this will be the best game in existence . I always felt that console games really lacked that 'sandbox' feel. Honestly i am a PC gamer, i need mods. Fallout 4? I haven't had the need or want to install a single mod, ok , maybe I could use 'scrap scrap' but other wise this is aI love it! Fallout 4 is SUCH an improvement over the mechanics of 3 ! if they put out DLC half as good Fallout 3's this will be the best game in existence . I always felt that console games really lacked that 'sandbox' feel. Honestly i am a PC gamer, i need mods. Fallout 4? I haven't had the need or want to install a single mod, ok , maybe I could use 'scrap scrap' but other wise this is a solid installment to the Fallout franchise.

    Fallout 3 was just so rigid You couldn't do anything besides murder and kill everything .. which isn't so bad. Fallout 4 however really adds a 'progressive feel' like you actually accomplish stuff. Unlike 3 where in the end your only left with a dead story and all your 'stuff' . I could play Fallout 4 forever and still have my settlements to improve, or random events to find, or legendary gear to collect.

    10/10 because unlike every other big company AAA rated game Bethesda still tries to give us something new and different , I appreciate that.    … Expand
  5. JJUSA12
    Nov 13, 2015
    8
    My only real gripe with the game is they way dialog is handled. Only four choices available for a dialog is not enough. The game is though beautiful and really fun to play.
  6. Yiyas
    Nov 19, 2015
    8
    Fallout 4 is an improvement to almost every mechanical aspect of the Fallout franchise. While that has left less time to fulfil some parts of the game, it is far from 'betraying the franchise'. I believe it is a huge step forward to progress the franchise as the game plays far better than before.

    The changes to VATs combat, critical attacks, container handling, loot rewards, puzzles,    Fallout 4 is an improvement to almost every mechanical aspect of the Fallout franchise. While that has left less time to fulfil some parts of the game, it is far from 'betraying the franchise'. I believe it is a huge step forward to progress the franchise as the game plays far better than before.

    The changes to VATs combat, critical attacks, container handling, loot rewards, puzzles, random situations and environment are all improvements. Compared to all the other games I am having more fun playing the game than before and have not looked at the game once and said "you know what, this needs to be modded so much it's not even the original anymore". The major additions I'd say for the game are the Power Armour (which I don't use and haven't needed to but will create another character to play with), the weapon modifications and the Settlements. Each one is a fantastic feature of the game and the sheer level of customisation from them is really rewarding and gives that brilliant sense of 'this is MY game'.

    I would say the only feature lacking is the dialogue. Dialogue has been simplified into 4 options and there is rarely a SPECIAL or Skill based check in conversations. While this does mean a very charismatic character will cheese their way through almost every conversation it does leave you feeling that your character is not really the expert of science or the cunning survivalist. While it doesn't cater as much to hardcore players (now I say hardcore but really only those who are obsessed with RP) it does cater for a majority of players. Yes your character is voiced. It is an amazing feature, to hear the emotion in your player, to actually hear yourself interacting with the environment. There is no choice in voice or pitch but for the first ever voiced FO game I am not complaining as the blank and empty lines of text are pretty depressing.

    In addition, Karma is removed. It's great. No longer does some magical sound dictate whether what you are doing is right or wrong. Instead your companions influence your actions, while some promote drug addiction and stealing, others promote lawfulness, selfishness, haggling, hacking, lockpicking, etc, nobody says what is actually good or evil. When it comes to that crossroads of who you will side with there is really no good or evil answer. You pick who you want to be and you can be the good guy in all of them because, and here's my favourite the part, if you think its the right thing to do then that's all that matters.

    The only reason I wouldn't give this game any more than 8 is because of the dialogue. It's obvious that dialogue is more important to others, and that one flaw means a score of 0, but for me I thoroughly enjoyed the game. Perhaps it is because I liked the voice itself and enjoyed the personality of my character but if you are on the wall about playing the game you should watch some Let's Plays to see if that one downside is worth rating the game with angst.

    P.S. my favourite feature: the game hasn't crashed once for me, and I can easily alt-tab during loading screens in borderless.    … Expand
  7. AtomicNutzSlam
    Nov 24, 2015
    8
    The game may not be as good as Fallout 3 or NV. However, in comparison to the state of those games at launch, Fallout 4 may very well end up being better.

    (NEW EDIT: After over 100 hours of playing, I still haven't finished the game, but I have seen much more of what the game has to offer. I have changed my review from a 9 to an 8... but I've already played the game for over one    The game may not be as good as Fallout 3 or NV. However, in comparison to the state of those games at launch, Fallout 4 may very well end up being better.

    (NEW EDIT: After over 100 hours of playing, I still haven't finished the game, but I have seen much more of what the game has to offer. I have changed my review from a 9 to an 8... but I've already played the game for over one hundred hours. And it is very worth it, whether it's an 8 or a 9.)

    I still believe most of the people who give this game under a 5 either hated Fallout 3 or Bethesda games in general, or ragequit in frustration after getting mini nuked or otherwise exploded for the umpteenth time. Or came from 4/8chan.

    Fallout 4's main standout is that the combat is much improved. The enemies are much smarter and more exciting to fight (Feral Ghouls in particular).

    EDIT: The combat can be punishing at times, even on normal difficulty. Getting power armor early on is just something different. And the punishing difficulty is probably tuned with the knowledge that you have power armor access from early on. The new system isn't better or worse, but it is different - and before you get accustomed to the difficulty it will leave you in a tough spot when deciding whether or not to go grab your armor.

    I think I personally prefer the longer buildup to getting power armor, and then being able to wear it permanently. But after you've played the game a bit you can better gauge when you may need power armor and leave suits at different settlements to make it slightly less of a pain to manage.

    The difficulty of some settlement defense missions is probably the biggest problem in terms of combat difficulty, because you often don't have time to (fast) travel to your main settlement to pick up your armor, before (fast) travelling to the settlement under attack. Before I built up my defenses at several settlements I had a few fights that I had to reload far in excess of a dozen times before I was successful. Fallout 4 combat definitely has some rage quit inducing potential (and I think some of the negative reviews here are a good indication of that - though they would likely never admit that the "dumbed down" game is actually kicking the hell out of them).

    "The RPG elements aren't as cut down as people are suggesting IMO," is what I said previously. I was wrong. The RPG elements are very cut down. The dialogue wheel and its abbreviated choices are awful, and the four options you get almost always boil down to yes/no/sarcastic/more information. You cannot really play the Fallout 4 protagonist as an evil character through dialogue choices. Moreover, charisma is the only stat that matters in conversation. Charisma in general is very powerful, too much so in my opinion.

    The Local Leader perk is **** It should either be moved down to 1-3 charisma category, or it should be entirely removed from the game and all players should have supply lines and store building by default. Having to have 6 charisma +3-4 perks for all settlement options is **** Having no other int/perk checks for outside the box dialogue choices is also ****

    The Witcher showed that deep character protagonists aren't a death knell for RPGs, but that the choices you do get to make should make an impact. There isn't much impact from the yes/no/sarcastic options of FO4.

    All in all, counter to what I first said after playing only for 10-20 hours, the RPG elements have taken a big hit, and this is ultimately the main reason why I lowered my score from a 9 to an 8.

    My previous main gripe remains, although somewhat abated: the outside world seems rather dead. You go up to a building with raiders in it and there are often no raiders outside. No guards, no sentries, you just walk up and enter the building. Now, there are places that absolutely do have outside raiders, and some of them are pretty challenging/silly, like a place you are likely to come across early on with a raider in power armor and a fat man occupying a great firing position...

    EDIT: The outside world gets more lively as certain events occur in the wasteland and as you move south. But other areas, particularly the northwest of the map where you start, are still quite dead. I suppose this is intentional. I would suggest new players to push forward in the main quest a bit before going off on your own if you want a more exciting wasteland.

    It remains my opinion that there are legitimate complaints about this game, but as far as a new Bethesda open world game release goes... Fallout 4 is one of the better ones, and almost all of the previous games with rockier starts are now classics (after much patching/modding/DLC). I do think FO4 will only get better. And we can only hope the dialogue wheel and abbreviated RPG system dies a painful death as a result of the outcry for butchering much of Fallout 4's RPG elements.    … Expand
  8. LockNesTom
    Nov 10, 2015
    10
    I absolutely love this game. Have played several hours now and Its great. So far the story is amazing and the settlement system is very enjoyable. There are the occasional glitched but that is to be expected from a game this size.
  9. dtechno
    Nov 11, 2015
    8
    If you liked Fallout 3, you'll like this, if you didn't, you won't. The game takes a couple of major leaps forward from F3, mainly in the combat system, and a couple of steps backward from Fallout New Vegas, mainly in the story/character development. The world-building and exploration element remains superb.

    It has the usual problems Betsheda games have always had: buginess, subpar    If you liked Fallout 3, you'll like this, if you didn't, you won't. The game takes a couple of major leaps forward from F3, mainly in the combat system, and a couple of steps backward from Fallout New Vegas, mainly in the story/character development. The world-building and exploration element remains superb.

    It has the usual problems Betsheda games have always had: buginess, subpar graphics and one infuriating one present in skyrim and FO4: a terrible PC UI. Luckily those problems are usually alleviated by modders after a while.

    Overall though, it's a very good open world exploration FPS+RPG.    … Expand
  10. Nickisnick4
    Nov 11, 2015
    8
    People who are complaining are people who like fallout 3...did you play fallout 3? its legit exactly the same? Yea the graphics arent great but who cares? they took some rpg elements out, but nothing drastic. the game is very fun to play and you can easily get into it, worth the purchase.
  11. Sh8de
    Nov 18, 2015
    8
    Overall I enjoy this and while I do wish Bethesda was better at making titles for the PC instead of porting it over with sub-par menus and settings interaction. Shouldn't have to go into ini files to change FOV etc. Game play wise though this is very good bugs aside, the mod community as usual will pick up for Bethesda's shortcomings with features that should be part of the game (ammoOverall I enjoy this and while I do wish Bethesda was better at making titles for the PC instead of porting it over with sub-par menus and settings interaction. Shouldn't have to go into ini files to change FOV etc. Game play wise though this is very good bugs aside, the mod community as usual will pick up for Bethesda's shortcomings with features that should be part of the game (ammo crafting, etc) which is as usual their saving grace. The visual bells and whistles part of me is disappointed without a doubt but the game play while similar to Fallout 3 is good enough and has enough subtle changes to keep me interested.… Expand
  12. Ascendant
    Nov 10, 2015
    10
    Probably the funnest game i've ever played..

    It's a shame people are spamming negative reviews because they are mad at Bethesda for one little thing.
  13. GamesBeatAll
    Nov 10, 2015
    8
    The complaints by other users confuse me - yeah it is slightly buggy but FAR less so than equivalent games on launch. Moaning about the graphics - this IS Fallout - who plays Fallout for fancy graphics? The UI does take some getting used to - not the comfortable transition as from F3 to NV, and Perks instead of skills, well why not? Let's give it a chance, we may even prefer it. I'm only 6The complaints by other users confuse me - yeah it is slightly buggy but FAR less so than equivalent games on launch. Moaning about the graphics - this IS Fallout - who plays Fallout for fancy graphics? The UI does take some getting used to - not the comfortable transition as from F3 to NV, and Perks instead of skills, well why not? Let's give it a chance, we may even prefer it. I'm only 6 hours in and more than happy to give it time and see where it takes me. And to those complaining about price - how much did you spend in ONE evening in the pub, takeaway or cinema? Value for money is unquestioned in my book. To summarise my first impression, it is very much the same and very much different. I think I'm going to love it (the curse of having an open mind).… Expand
  14. Victordeus
    Dec 4, 2015
    9
    If you liked Fallout 3 you will probably love this game as well. If you loved Fallout: New Vegas you might not like this game as much. The story and RP is definitely there, but it isn't as strong as it was in New Vegas. My little nitpicking of the game is that I miss having my skills and intelligence helping me out during conversations, if there is any of this in Fallout 4 I haven'tIf you liked Fallout 3 you will probably love this game as well. If you loved Fallout: New Vegas you might not like this game as much. The story and RP is definitely there, but it isn't as strong as it was in New Vegas. My little nitpicking of the game is that I miss having my skills and intelligence helping me out during conversations, if there is any of this in Fallout 4 I haven't noticed it. Everything interesting seems to be based off of Charisma.… Expand
  15. ieatllamas
    Nov 12, 2015
    10
    Everything you expect, and more. The world is extremely densely populated with things to do. People spamming "1" ratings probably haven't spent more than 5 hours playing the game, if that. Gunplay feels better, the crafting system is awesome, and settlements are a huge time sink. Easiest 10 I've ever given.
  16. Locuxt
    Nov 21, 2015
    10
    Well to be honest...Fallout 4 is a masterpiece plain and simple and towards the people that have been negative they obviously don't know what a good game is, harsh? Not really, especially since this game is getting way too much hate, it's ridiculous. Or perhaps they just don't like; huge open worlds, dialogue choices, engaging story, lots of crafting, plentiful customization, interestingWell to be honest...Fallout 4 is a masterpiece plain and simple and towards the people that have been negative they obviously don't know what a good game is, harsh? Not really, especially since this game is getting way too much hate, it's ridiculous. Or perhaps they just don't like; huge open worlds, dialogue choices, engaging story, lots of crafting, plentiful customization, interesting characters, challenging AI and all whilst traversing an outstanding looking wasteland.

    If you want to know why I hold such a high opinion over this game, stop reading this text right now and go play it yourself!

    Since it's release I have sunk 85 hours into it and have still not even scrapped the surface...see what I did there?...Do you want a vast open world with something to discover at every turn? Check. Endless amounts of loot that will over encumber you which forces you to use your companion as a cart horse? Check. Questing away only to be driven off into a certain direction due to enthralling distractions? Check.

    How about maintaining you're own settlement? Food, water, power and defence have to be maintained oh and yes you have settlers that can move in over time, actually have you got enough beds? Check. Crafting Guns, Armor, Chemistry, Cooking, Workshops for building components, Power Armor customization, oh and Jet Packs! No I don't care that I emphasize the capital letters here...JET PACKS!!! Visually the game is stunning it which is another aspect that puzzles me when some say they think it's ugly!? I can recommend a great optician that may resolve that issue.

    Anyway the commonwealth really feels like a wasteland, detailed character models, water looks like well you know...water! textures are all well presented and the game runs at a solid 60fps if you have a good machine. Bethesda seem to optimize their games so well, I've never had a problem anyway. Animations have improved greatly from past instalments, however there are some clipping issues and awkward limb moments that get stuck in rather amusing positions.

    Finally the sound is top notch, voice acting is good, music is fitting and will sound familiar to others that have played previous Fallout titles. Voiced protagonist for me is welcomed, I can feel more attached to the character but at the same time I can understand why people dislike this aspect. It may feel as though Bethesda moulded the character for you. I mean you can simply counter that by murdering the occasional bystander and all will be right as rain!

    Come on people stop comparing this to the other games of 2015, Fallout 4 fights in it's own corner with 2 very strong power fists! The developers are moving with the times as they should be, with that said thank you Bethesda you certainly delivered here.    … Expand
  17. deadher0
    Nov 10, 2015
    10
    The game is incredible and is exactly what I've been waiting for as a Fallout: New Vegas fan. I find the negative user reviews bizarre. I do have a beefier gaming rig to run it so I'm not experiencing the issues others are having (consoles).
  18. Ryyx
    Nov 10, 2015
    9
    Don't listen to the haters, if you are a fallout fan, and ok with bethesda bugs, this game is great. First 7 hours of the game have been utterly flawless. Not sure what everyone's beef with the graphics are... They are certainly Next Gen, even if they are on the lower end of the next gen benchmark. Settlements is a cool new feature, though i suspect it will become tedious later in theDon't listen to the haters, if you are a fallout fan, and ok with bethesda bugs, this game is great. First 7 hours of the game have been utterly flawless. Not sure what everyone's beef with the graphics are... They are certainly Next Gen, even if they are on the lower end of the next gen benchmark. Settlements is a cool new feature, though i suspect it will become tedious later in the game.

    The crafting and modification system is fun, I am constantly seeking new components to make new mods for my favorite guns.

    Sure, it doesn't have micromanagement of repairs and boring stuff like that, instead you get settlements and a robust crafting system.

    The inventory system still sucks, no idea how my character can carry so much crap... But whatever. It's all good when it comes together.

    Now, if you will excuse me. I got some raiders to hack apart.    … Expand
  19. Pantal00ns
    Nov 10, 2015
    9
    Most Fallout players came to this game thinking it would be Fallout 3: Part 2. Sure, I may have thought this too but the game, none the less is still great. I have around 6 hours logged so far and it's pretty fun. The quests are engaging, the graphics are great and the guns feel great (if you remove mouse acceleration).

    In my eyes, there are so many bad reviews because people thought    Most Fallout players came to this game thinking it would be Fallout 3: Part 2. Sure, I may have thought this too but the game, none the less is still great. I have around 6 hours logged so far and it's pretty fun. The quests are engaging, the graphics are great and the guns feel great (if you remove mouse acceleration).

    In my eyes, there are so many bad reviews because people thought this would be the holy grail of games (Protip: No game is gonna be that way). Sure the game was dumbed down a bit but it feels smooth now, instead of constantly being in your inventory. The game is meant to sell, and in doing so, Bethesda will try to sell to the largest demographic. Not everyone wants to spend countless hours slowly finding things in desks, the new system is fast and appeals to so many gamers.

    The Game was hyped a lot and when there's hype, each person wants the game to fit to their own wishes.
    Bethesda can't please everyone.

    Great game so far, can't wait to play more.    … Expand
  20. Valosar
    Nov 11, 2015
    10
    I will start by saying that I did not strictly enjoy Fallout 3 as the game was drab and boring from the get go and never really hooked me. Fallout New Vegas on the other hand hooked its claws into me and took me for a long ride which sadly ended due to the instability of the game far before I got to the end. I still had a great deal of fun with the game but in the end I couldn't put upI will start by saying that I did not strictly enjoy Fallout 3 as the game was drab and boring from the get go and never really hooked me. Fallout New Vegas on the other hand hooked its claws into me and took me for a long ride which sadly ended due to the instability of the game far before I got to the end. I still had a great deal of fun with the game but in the end I couldn't put up with the constant crashes and nothing I did fixed it. Enter Fallout 4, a lot of people are complaining that it is a dumbed down non-RPG console shooter but I have to disagree. Yes the skill system is gone, but no the perk system is not a more simple system that replaced it. Rather the skills and perks have been combined to make things easier to visually absorb while having the exact same effect as the previous skill system. How many times in New Vegas or Fallout 3 were you really putting 1 point into this and 1 point into that. If you are anything like me you were dumping all 5 points into the skill you needed improved the most at that moment in the game, and fit your ultimate goal for the end game.

    Imagine this scenario, you come across a chest, you cannot unlock it because your skill is too low. Which game are we talking about here the great RPG New Vegas or Fallout 4 the non-rpg shooter? BOTH! In new vegas you have to pump your skills to get those chests unlocked as soon as possible, or use a magazine to try and crack open that chest with the loot you want early. In Fallout 4 you simply pick the lock picking perk and gain the ability to unlock the chest. In a way it is a bit more RPG as it is not so prone to min maxing. Nothing you can do will allow you to access the higher level of that perk without leveling up first. The pacing is over all the same, I'll get that computer later, I'll come back to that chest later when I've got the skills to pay the bills!

    Going on lets consider the skills in weapons, now instead of putting 1 point into your rifle (Which I'm sure you never really did) you simple choose a rifle perk that increases the damage you do with them, very little if any difference in the over all flow of the game play. It is still an RPG, there is still progression up a system of ever increasing powers and abilities it is simply different.

    Fallout 4 feels like Fall Out New Vegas to me, but in addition to the incredible landscape, interesting characters, and involving quests we also have what Gun Runners tried to create, the ability to customize your weapons in great detail. The weapon customization system allows you to take a gun and make it your own, mold it to your needs as you see fit. No longer are you bound to what the game devs deemed fi to place in the game, if you want a sniper rifle with night vision and full auto with a long barrel and fold stock and bayonet on it by God you can make it ! This system also finally makes all the junk you find in Fallout games useful for once!

    Couple this with the outpost system which allows you to build your own home and you've got a very deep RPG That allows you to play the way you want to. Yes the dialogue options are limited but it is always very clear which option is going to have the response you want it to. How much time do you really want to spend talking to NPCS any how? I just want the story to progress so I can get on with what I really want to be doing at that point in time. I don't remember a thing that doctor at the start of new vegas said, or anything anyone else said in that game, but I do remember sneaking around in the Vaults reading the documents and computer logs revealing the game lore for myself. THAT is still in Fallout 4 and it is just as rich as ever.

    Don't let these cry babies ruin an experience for you , go into it with an open mind and I believe you will find that the game is worth the price and then some. Regarding technical issues I've got a rather low end PC and I run the game at medium settings perfectly fine The graphics are beautiful, the faces are better than any previously in a Fallout game , better than Skyrim by a large margin. With a radiation storm blows in I believe you will be blown away as I was by the smooth and creepy change in the weather, it does not suddenly begin to rain. Rather lightning flashes in the distance, the wind picks, and the sun is covered by black clouds as lightning flashes near the player cause radiation damage.

    I've yet to experience any game breaking bugs, the worst I've seen so far is a mole pop up under my dog and send it flying into space. These kinds of things are to be expected in a Bethesda game and they always have been. Ever since I saw a main quest character in Morrowind float into the ceiling and disappear forever before allowing me to complete my quest I've known to expect these sorts of things. They were in Fallout New Vegas as well!

    Play the game for yourself, watch a live stream! Don't take some sour persons word for it!    … Expand
  21. krieg29
    Nov 11, 2015
    10
    Very good game for me, running all on ultra with a 670 jetstream and i never be low than 45fps. The dialogue are **** but u will find a lot of paper and text that explain what are happening in the world
  22. dnce
    Nov 13, 2015
    10
    I'm an avid RPG player, fan of open-world games and Fallout series in particular. This game is not without it's flaws, but I enjoy this iteration of Fallout world immensely. Everything so far has been a real upgrade from previous titles and Skyrim. Bethesda didn't reinvent the wheel, but jagged it up and polished it. The love and care which gave birth to Fallout 4 is clearly seen and II'm an avid RPG player, fan of open-world games and Fallout series in particular. This game is not without it's flaws, but I enjoy this iteration of Fallout world immensely. Everything so far has been a real upgrade from previous titles and Skyrim. Bethesda didn't reinvent the wheel, but jagged it up and polished it. The love and care which gave birth to Fallout 4 is clearly seen and I sincerely believe Bethesda gave this game their best effort. In my eyes the end result really shines, but I understand that this is not the case for all. To use an older engine is not a sin, since they reworked it to the next level and introduced us many next-gen graphical gimmicks which bring the wasteland to life. Special mention to the atrocious shadows and lighting from Skyrim which are now beautiful and purposeful.

    After playing Fallout 4, Fallout 3 seems like a proof-of-concept and New Vegas a playable demo =) I salute Bethesdas stubborness to iterate their concept rather than build everything from scratch. This is a new and so far best version of Fallout universe, not a groundbreaking new game.

    This game is not perfect, the long development cycle is visible in some last-gen textures and meshes, but this is something that modders or perhaps Bethesda themselves will fix (remember HD patch for Skyrim?) And complaining about textures and meshes while ignoring all the greatness of core mechanics and engine improvement is just... silly. If my car is powerful and great to drive I couldn't care less about last season rims or fading paintwork.

    I like the evolved skill and perk system from Skyrim, which hides tedious statistics under the bonnet. People **** how rpg elements have been dismissed but they ARE there, just not shown in sheets. Role playing is about playing a ROLE, not fiddling with stats. Stats are there to constrain your abilities to your role, but they're not something that has to be visible and fiddled with. From paper RPG:s they've been a necessary nuisance and I'm glad Bethesda agreed with my minority vision and hid them from plain view. Or would you really like to see some virtual dice-throwing before each shot?

    Quests, dialogue and writing is far from Bioware quality, but they're in a league of their own. In my wet dreams I'd like to see Bethesda and Bioware join ranks. Imagine Bethesda's modular openness with Bioware's dramatic content? Drool,...

    I'm not saying the content is bad, by no means! Voice-acting is a huge leap from Skyrim and the wasteland is now an exceptionally lively place with people going about their business, chatting and bickering. Quests are interesting and have some nice twists and on a whole they are more interesting than tedious, and do not sacrifice replay value.

    My only gripe is with the FOV and mouse smoothing. These suck and require too much fiddling to be changed. That's the ONLY whine I've found. Not bad Bethesda, not bad at all. Fix those annoyances, please. For all the else, Kudos and Respect. You've made one kick-ass game with love and care. For that, you deserve 10/10.    … Expand
  23. MCHammerTime
    Nov 27, 2015
    9
    Awesome, game in the Fallout tradition. Looking forward to the DLC as an addition to the game now fixes and unfinished pieces. New settlement mechanics is a very good new feature set that will be hopefully improved upon.

    -The gun-play feels nice and tight, and you now have the option to melee attack with firearms. -There's tons of crafting in the game from cooking to chemistry to    Awesome, game in the Fallout tradition. Looking forward to the DLC as an addition to the game now fixes and unfinished pieces. New settlement mechanics is a very good new feature set that will be hopefully improved upon.

    -The gun-play feels nice and tight, and you now have the option to melee attack with firearms.
    -There's tons of crafting in the game from cooking to chemistry to upgrading gear to building.
    -Different armor is available for each limb, it's not just bodysuits like in Fallout 3.
    -The perk chart is well done and perks have requirements before they can be leveled up.    … Expand
  24. mijxero
    Dec 10, 2015
    10
    There are a lot of "mixed" reviews on this game. I was a huge fan of all Bethesda games from Morrowind and up. Is it perfect, no. Is it what we were used to, no. Is it a ton of fun that I will probably invest hundreds of hours not even counting the fun of using mods, yes. This is more fallout and yes unlike the catchphrase, war is changing. I don't miss the clunky gunplay from beforeThere are a lot of "mixed" reviews on this game. I was a huge fan of all Bethesda games from Morrowind and up. Is it perfect, no. Is it what we were used to, no. Is it a ton of fun that I will probably invest hundreds of hours not even counting the fun of using mods, yes. This is more fallout and yes unlike the catchphrase, war is changing. I don't miss the clunky gunplay from before and don't understand how that is a bad thing. I like customizing the guns, much like enchanting in skyrim. The settlements just add more and if you don't like them, they seem very optional. Overall it has still wowed me and earns a 9 for its pure enjoyment divided by dollar equation.… Expand
  25. Jarvis
    Nov 14, 2015
    8
    It's amazing how much bad press this game has gotten, especially when you look at the actual complaints.
    Fallout 4 is pretty similar fallout 3, just with some changes, most good, some a little disappointing.
    I'm Gonna try and get the negatives out of the way first. -Some environments are too big, causing the frame rate to drop. It's not constant, and only happens in certain areas, and    It's amazing how much bad press this game has gotten, especially when you look at the actual complaints.
    Fallout 4 is pretty similar fallout 3, just with some changes, most good, some a little disappointing.
    I'm Gonna try and get the negatives out of the way first.

    -Some environments are too big, causing the frame rate to drop. It's not constant, and only happens in certain areas, and it doesn't drop too far either, just enough to be annoying.

    -During conversations with NPC's, you only have four options to pick from at a time.
    Each option usually gives you four more to choose from so you can continue the conversation, But fallout three had much more options than this.

    -this game has less survival elements. Stimpacks can't be administered to specific limbs, and weapons cant break.

    -And now, the con that irks me the most,
    The skills have been assimilated into perks. Unlike in previous installments, Instead of gradually upgrading your skills as the game goes along, all the skills are now perks as well, meaning you cant customize your character quite as much as would be desired.

    And now for the pro's,
    -The games appearance is very enthralling. Their is a lot of detail put into practically everything.
    I have heard a lot of criticism branching from people claiming the graphics are terrible, which is contrary to the truth.
    The game has a very bright color scheme,
    (Yes, this is an apocalypse game witch acknowledges the existence of color's other than brown and grey.)
    This can highlight some of the poorer parts of the game (such as a few noticeable decals on objects instead of details on the 3D model,)
    Overall, the bright colors makes the games graphics look... different?
    Whatever the word you wanna go with, it doesn't look bad, just unusual.
    And the game makes up for this with many beautifully constructed environments.

    -Weapon modification gives a wide variety of possibilities for different status and affects, making your load out more personal.

    -The town building feature is a nice way to spend time and immerse yourself in the games universe.
    You don't need to constantly check on the town, just occasional, so if you don't care for it, you only need to have an adequate town made.

    -The combat is much more advanced than in previous installments.
    V.A.T.S is now in slow motion instead of stopping time entirely,
    This sounds like it would make it more difficult to use, but time still moves very slowly in this version, so its really doesn't make much difference.
    Melee attacks are actually fun to use now as most blows from a melee attacks will either push an enemy back or even knock them over,( you can also whack enemy's with your gun) compared to how in fallout 3, in which they basically just did damage, and occasionally made an enemy stumble, which kind of killed immersion.
    Similarly, the way your dog act's in combat is more realistic.
    Instead of working exactly like a melee weapon with wheels, your dog usually will either restrain enemy's by biting their hands or feet, or tackle them to the ground and bite them.
    Basically, your dog attacks enemy's the way a real dog would.
    Finally, you're power armor (which is now customizeable) works less like an equippable item, and more like a vehicle, each specific part has it's own health and can brake, you can't carry it around with you, you find a place to keep it, and when you use it, it has basically the same affects as previous games (enhanced strength protection etc,)

    Overall, I really enjoy fallout 4, and really don't understand why people are acting like it's the worst game ever made.
    I am disappointed in a few regards, but not enough to make me hate it, It is still a very fun game, And definitely worth a buy if you're a fan of fallout or the open world genre.    … Expand
  26. DeciusFrecentis
    Oct 18, 2016
    10
    This is easily the best game produced since the original Deus Ex. A truly magical experience. It''s hard to even know where to begin.

    Right off the bat, I felt a deep and visceral connection to my wife and child. Fallout 4 really made me feel, which I have never seen before in a roleplaying game. The story really hits some emotional notes early on, and has a great sense of adventure    This is easily the best game produced since the original Deus Ex. A truly magical experience. It''s hard to even know where to begin.

    Right off the bat, I felt a deep and visceral connection to my wife and child. Fallout 4 really made me feel, which I have never seen before in a roleplaying game. The story really hits some emotional notes early on, and has a great sense of adventure and ominousness. It loses the latter two qualities about 2/3s of the way through the campaign, but this is in the wake of a very original and emotionally charged plot twist. The whole "synth" concept felt a little half baked, but it does make for a more morally nuanced story than anything we've seen before in Fallout.

    The combat is amazing. It is FPS quality. I remember my amazement when I first saw an enemy lean out from behind a wall to take shots, or blind fire from behind cover.

    The world feels alive. This is something I felt Oblivion had that was missing in Fallout 3 and Skyrim, but its back in Fallout 4. Returning to a location you've already been to can present new quests, and an even more pleasant surprise is that even refusing quests can have complicated. I remember once I decided not to help an NPC out with his problems, only to find he got himself killed trying to handle the situation by his lonesome.

    There is a sense of organicness in Fallout 4 that just seems to be missing in RPGs. There are slickly done scripted events (such as when I entered a dark room and suddenly all its lights turned on and I found four heavily armed people pointing guns at me), the conversational animations and believable and intricate and add a great sense of intimacy and believability. I will never forget the pain I saw in a synth's eyes who described himself as "discarded Institute trash". Nothing feel formulaic. Its the little touches that make the game great. The way documents like newsletters are presented in their original form rather than green text, or the player character whispers "yes" when he/she successfully picks a lock, or the way everything from stimpak injections to drinking water is animated.

    The characters are a mixed bag. Nick Valentine is a character as well written as anything in Mass Effect 2. Other characters become painfully one dimensional. Paladin Danse is nothing but a soldier. Piper seems loveable at first but soon appears to be nothing more than a reporter.

    While its far from perfect, Fallout 4 is one of the best games ever made.    … Expand
  27. Robobob
    Nov 24, 2015
    8
    First off. Fallout 4 is a great game. Don't listen to all the hateful gamers on here who pined for a sequel to Fallout 3 and when it wasn't perfect they slam it with a ridiculous low score. Look more at the professional reviewer's scores and you'll get a better idea of what this game is like. I'll guarantee that half of the gamers haven't played the game or played very little beforeFirst off. Fallout 4 is a great game. Don't listen to all the hateful gamers on here who pined for a sequel to Fallout 3 and when it wasn't perfect they slam it with a ridiculous low score. Look more at the professional reviewer's scores and you'll get a better idea of what this game is like. I'll guarantee that half of the gamers haven't played the game or played very little before reviewing the game.

    The number of locations to explore is one of the biggest Bethseda has ever created. I don't know if the map is bigger, but once you get close to the couple of towns or cities there are so many points of interest so close together it seems mind boggling. I think the level design is amazing in that each building seems like a realistic remnant of a what was once a full functional home, business, factory etc. There is something fun, cool or unique to find hidden away in each location as well so exploring never gets old. The number of weapons you can wield is amazing. 100 hours in and I'm still finding cool different weapons to punish enemies with like the a freezing gun, a gun that shoots syringes and strange ancient artifacts fused with technology to become powerful weapons. Crafting is the best I've ever seen it in any game. You can actually modify any weapon or armor at least a couple levels. Anything in the game's world can be picked up and broken down for use in modding. I find my inventory constantly maxed because I'm constantly grabbing old phones and microscopes for their copper and other useful elements. The companions are numerous and varied and spending enough time with one grants you a unique perk which gives special bonuses, so this makes me want to play with each companion long enough to get that bonus. BTW, the companion Deacon has some of the funniest lines in the game. There are at least 3 factions to play with with different side missions and bonuses to each. Settlements can be founded and rebuilt with the build tool which uses the game's crafting elements some more. This system is fun but was a little dumbed down for consoles. Hopefully patches to this will be made soon. Speaking of dumbed down, the game was obviously designed for consoles and ported to PC, which is frustrating that it doesn't have a better menu system or inventory management but didn't deter me from enjoying the main game. If this is a reason to give a game a ZERO than you need to grow up a little. haha

    At first I was frustrated with the enemies ability to instantly spot me and start attacking before I could spot them, but I just started sneaking more often and used the VATS system to spot enemies that are hidden behind steal grates, buildings and bushes so that solved that grievance.People have complained about bugs, and I've only seen 4 in 100 hours of playing. 1 crash to desktop. 2 load screen hangs wher I rebooted and a funny glitch where my companion was swimming through the commonwealth. That's it. That's about average for a PC game so I don't see the big deal.

    There are a few issues I did have with the game. I have a 4 year old gaming rig PC and the Fallout doesn't look too hot. Last year I could play Tomb Raider on near maxed out settings yet Fallout looks too similar to Fallout 3. Herein lies the problem: Bethseda keeps using the exact same system which it used for Oblivion, Fallout 3 and Skyrim. You can tell because some buildings require loading times and the NPC animations are still as stiff and bugged. Time to create a new system for your games, Bethseda, because you are starting to look dated compared to GTA V and the Witcher. Maybe the user scores will help drive Bethseda to make some major changes.

    So, if you haven't tried this game, maybe wait a good month for some patches or modders to fix a few issues, or maybe even wait until the game comes down in price. I don't regret my purchase at all and after 100 hours am looking to probably spend 100 more. There's a few dozen buildings left to loot and I'm halfway through the main story and I'm having a blast.    … Expand
  28. doogs
    Dec 16, 2015
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A great game. Fun and entertaining. However there's two types of Fallout players...

    1. You like Fallout 1-3: Choice driven to a degree but still relatively linear with it's story approach. Karma played a role somewhat but ultimately didn't affect the players decision too much. Your character had a set goal, that was in a sense 'noble' and ultimately in most player's cases ended nobly. The game rewards more for positive karma so naturally most people chose the high ground. Exploration is very fun, as with any Fallout game but it kind of held your hand a little in terms of game play.

    2. You like Fallout NV: Very very choice driven, heavily story focused, decisions held weight right through til the finale. The world felt very much somber, at war and quite depressing. You had no set goal rather than revenge, simple. This method allowed people to take either side of the karma aspect which provided more an experience in story telling. It just felt more open.

    This being said. I love all of the aforementioned deeply but how does this reflect on Fallout 4?

    Fallout 4 has gone back to the 1-2 approach of giving you something noble (SPOILER: finding your child and avenging your dead partner). This isn't necessarily bad at all. The overall experience of Fallout 4 is fun. Which after all is what I'm all about; having fun! But I just felt it spread itself a little too thin in terms of story development and really motivating me to follow the main quest when there's so much else Id rather do. Sorry but I'd rather build settlements than find my stolen child. Hopefully DLC will flesh out the world a little more so I can feel more invested in this installment. If you want fun this is for you but if you're looking for more feeling and emotion then go play New Vegas.

    I can recommend if you have a PC get it on that as the modding community creates a lot more playable value and depth to the world.    … Expand
  29. ShawnD
    Sep 26, 2017
    10
    The overall concept and mechanics of the game are at least 9/10, but the game is virtually unplayable in its current form. I'm writing this at 1:50 PM during my Christmas vacation, and I can't play the game because the game has no brightness settings. I can't see ANYTHING in the game until the real life sun goes down. The game is extremely dark, so things are only visible when the game isThe overall concept and mechanics of the game are at least 9/10, but the game is virtually unplayable in its current form. I'm writing this at 1:50 PM during my Christmas vacation, and I can't play the game because the game has no brightness settings. I can't see ANYTHING in the game until the real life sun goes down. The game is extremely dark, so things are only visible when the game is played in a room with the lights off and absolutely no sun light.

    2017-09-26: I'm changing my rating to a 10. If you can play this in a dark room, you will absolutely love it. I have a total of 387 hours logged in Steam. As with the other Fallout games, you need to mod the game to make it fun. Mods can remove things like the carry weight limits so you can spend all of your time wandering around rather than warping back to town to sell things.    … Expand
  30. Chickendoodles
    Nov 23, 2015
    8
    Let me begin to say how I have not played any other Fallout game other than 4 but I have played many of Bethesda's Elder Scrolls games. I have a degree in game design and I will speak about how this game plays out. I have about currently 30 hours in playing so far so I feel I have a good grasp on everything. I will not be speaking about the story because A) I haven't played through it allLet me begin to say how I have not played any other Fallout game other than 4 but I have played many of Bethesda's Elder Scrolls games. I have a degree in game design and I will speak about how this game plays out. I have about currently 30 hours in playing so far so I feel I have a good grasp on everything. I will not be speaking about the story because A) I haven't played through it all yet B) wanted to focus more on the game play anyway

    Okay with that intro out of the way I want to say how much I enjoy this game. From the start there are so many different paths you can take and go about playing it out. Everywhere you go you can find something new. You can shape how you want to play by choosing what makes you S.P.E.C.I.A.L. and not get penalized for how you play and that's great. You can have a large pool of companions that you can choose to drag around with you and help you go about the wasteland. One thing I will emphasize about this game is the CHOICES!

    Something I see many people complain about is that that world is "Small." Sure if you look at world size it kinda is however looking at how they designed it, it is very vertical. You can go into a majority of buildings, go onto the roofs, or delve into the basements of these buildings. So the game is more built up then wide which isn't always a bad thing.

    There is a lot of lore in the game, I actually find myself a bit overwhelmed with all that you can read with every dungeon. You can hack terminals and read their logs or find different holotapes to listen to that give you interesting insights on different back stories.

    All the mechanics are relatively simple and easy to understand. The only thing that took me a bit to catch on was finding out how much radiation you have and how to trigger a critical strike when using V.A.T.S other than that it is pretty solid.

    There is a system where you can manage different settlements throughout the map and build your own towns. I have spent a lot of time on this and there are many benefits that translate into the exploration phases. So here is how it goes. You go out and explore, while you explore you gather materials that allow you to expand your settlements. You build up and go out again, coming back upgrading each settlement more and more.Then it gets to a point where you can make money off them which makes buying stuff easier. However, If you don't place defenses then your settlements get attacked and you will have to go defend it. My only gripe with this system is how annoying the building can be. Sometimes it locks where you don't want it to or just doesn't want to place even though there is nothing in the way. All in all, still a fun thing to do especially if you aren't exactly the best at shooting.

    So far, for me, bugs have been few and minor. (I'm on PC) The most 'major' bug I run into is when I tab out sometimes the HUD gets all weird and off centered and I have to restart the game to fix it. Other than that, nothing major has happened. Other bugs I have run into are bouncy water that flings you about 80 feet in the air. Me and Dogmeat were having a grand ol' time bouncing around though. All I had to do was reload my save and it fixed itself. Terminals sometimes don't show text and you have to fiddle with it a bit for it to show. That is all I have run into in terms of bugs.

    If I could praise anything about this game the most it has to be the level design. It is EXTREMELY good. I have studied level design and that crap is hard, but they nailed it here. The areas you go through seamlessly and subtly guide you through itself and gets you to where you need to go. I found it really difficult to get lost in any dungeon and that is a good sign. If you wonder off the path they have for you, you can find something cool, probably have to fight something for it but that is a good system of reward and punishment.

    People have complained about the speech wheel thing which I can understand, sometimes not fully knowing what you are gonna say is not the most helpful but I see what they were trying to get at with streamlining it. I don't mind the wheel system but the full chat screen that I have seen in previous fallout games wouldn't have hurt either.

    All in all, a great game. Certain aspects of it could have used tweaking but still all around solid. A pat on the back to you Bethesda.    … 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 »