Review: Fallout 4

By: FRANCESCO LOMBARDO ‘17
PTS Falconer Assistant Editor
SCORE: 8.5/10

War…. War Never Changes, Sometimes for the Best.

Fallout 3 released on October 28, 2008 with raving reviews. It was my favorite game of all time for a long while. The game is a masterpiece; taking place in a post apocalyptic Washington D.C. filled with mutants, monsters, people, quests, and hundreds of interesting locations to find. A few years later Obsidian Entertainment released Fallout: New Vegas, this time moving away from the “Capital Wasteland” and instead to the Mojave strip and “New Vegas”, the rebuilt Las Vegas. This game took many aspects of Fallout 3 and added a more interesting story, aiming down sights, and many new factions to interact with. Finally, after 7 years we are given the next true installment in the Fallout series, Fallout 4 taking place in the “common wealth”, the post apocalyptic version of the city of Boston.

I want to start off by saying one thing; this game is massive in every way. While many people complained about the map size, when it was initially revealed as being about the same size as Skyrim, I can assure you that there is ten times more to do in Fallout 4 than in Skyrim. Every nook and cranny has been filled with something of interest. Whether it’s finding an old suit of power armor or an abandoned building filled with useful supplies, you’re bound to find something in the wasteland.

Speaking of power armor and finding supplies, Fallout 4 implements the most complex and interesting crafting system in a Bethesda game to date. During the 2015 E3 presentation Bethesda revealed that every object would have a use. I found this hard to believe that EVERYTHING would be used, but I was quickly proven wrong. You see that toy car lying on the ground? Yeah, pick it up you’ll need the screws and aluminum it drops. That random piece of junk you would usually pass up on in a regular RPG or in previous Bethesda games has now become the biggest part of the game. As you level up your science, weapon crafting, and armor crafting skills you’ll gain access to new modifications that you can add onto your weapons at any crafting station. The components to fill those recipes can be found in every object in the world, so nothing in Fallout 4 is there without meaning. Power armor has vastly changed as well. It no longer requires you to be trained in the skill of wearing it and has now become a sort of iron man suit that can be modified and painted however you like. You can even add a jet pack onto it. Not only is customization limited to weapons and armor, you can even build your own settlements across the map. You can build turrets, lights, buildings, anything really and eventually settlers will come live in your settlements. There is nothing you can’t build with the new settlement feature.

The gunplay has increased significantly, it now feels and plays like an actual shooter. Modifications also drastically affect how guns feel and look; no two weapons that you modify will be the same. My only gripe is that there is no auto aim, making it a bit difficult while playing on a console. Aside from that one of the highest points that Fallout 4 hits are the visuals. The game is simply gorgeous for how big it is and the number of items it needs to generate. Fallout 3 had a strange green tint to it that has thankfully been removed for the better. Everything looks so colorful and vibrant compared to previous installments. Some textures do look muddy and the facial animations are still wonky, but overall it did a wonderful job on the visuals.

Although the gameplay, exploration, look, and the feel of Fallout 4 is awesome, one aspect that really disappointed me was the story. After many hours of putting off the story I finally went ahead and finished it. That is one of my biggest regrets in gaming. Finishing the main quest locked me out of a ton of quests for other factions since you’re forced to side with one of the 3 factions. This bothered me to no end, why couldn’t I come to a resolution between all the factions like in Fallout: New Vegas? When I played Skyrim I was not only a Dragonborn, but also part of the Dark Brotherhood, Thieves Guild, Companions, Imperial Army, and Mage Guild. There was no stopping me from joining all those factions and experiencing the entire game without having to make a new save file and character. The story itself was very lack luster as well, what starts out as a very interesting search for your lost son quickly turns into a lackluster story that falls flat on its face. The voiced character is another one of my gripes with the game. Limiting me to only 4 choices per dialogue is very irritating. I understand Bethesda was trying to do something new with the dialogue, but the old-fashioned dialogue choices in Skyrim and Fallout 3 were much better.

Fallout 4 is an amazing game. The improved gunplay, graphics, and the immense amount of customization really vary the game. The biggest issues lie within the story and dialogue. I really didn’t feel like the story was very interesting and the new dialogue system needs some much needed upgrades. I highly recommend Fallout 4 for anyone who wants to loose themselves inside a fantasy world.