Fallout 4 (Xbox One)

I’ve only been playing for about 20 hours and completed a couple of quest, so I can’t comment on the story but here are my first impressions. There may be some spoilers, but not big ones.Richer PicturesFirst, the game definitely benefits from the console upgrade to Xbone. The look and feel the Commonwealth and the characters within it are an improvement on FO3 and Vegas, although I did like the cartoony feel of those games. In FO4, the shading and background atmospherics provide a richer, more suspenseful feel.InteractionTalking with other characters feels a bit more fluid – more like a real conversation than scrolling through a list of options and getting back a voice recording of the written response. You still have to select questions and responses but the way it’s presented with two-way talking heads like a TV show rather than seeing the non-player character square on all the time makes it feel more life-like. It appears that you can’t just back-track through the responses to get all the information available, like FO3. In FO4, you have to choose your questions more carefully, because some conversation paths appear to be blocked by your choice.No longer god-likeAlthough you do get Power Armor pretty quickly in the game, access to it is actually more limited in FO4. Because it uses a fuel supply that depletes by actions such as sprinting and VATs, you have to use the armor strategically. This is one instance where the gameplay limits the god-like abilities you can acquire in FO3. Another example is that you don’t get warning flags on your compass all the time. Even crouched. Getting jumped by a Feral Ghoul really made me… well, jump. It’s nice to get that suspense back, especially for gamers who know the franchise well.Character progression is simpler by doing away with skills and filling in with perks. This lets you concentrate on the story rather than obsessing on how you are going to get that 5% extra Science skill to hack that terminal. I liked doing that in FO3, but I don’t miss it.CombatThere are a few changes in Combat. VATs doesn’t freeze time any more, just slow it down, which means you can’t switch it on and ponder your next move over a cup of tea. You have to get a move on or you will get tolchocked by that Raider slowly bearing down on you. In real-time combat, the fighting is more fluid and the gunplay is more reactive, giving the feel of an RPG with a modern First-Person-Shooter Emphasis. VATs appears to be more limited and its more about aiming-down-the-sight, Battlefield-stylee in this game. The firearms at your disposal have more of a cobbled-together-post-apocalypse feel too. More Mad Max Fury Road than Mad Max One.CraftingBringing me on to crafting. I was disappointed that weapon-repair from FO3 had been taken out. For me it fit the in-game logic. Poorly maintained weapons malfunction, ask any drill sergeant. Plus, it was a useful way of reducing down the weight all those assault rifles I collected, while retaining their value. The crafting of weapon modifications replaces the weapon upgrading you got with repairs. As I said, the weapons now are crafted for the post-apocalyptic world, out of what Junk you can find. So far as I have got in the game, no-one is toting pre-Great War weaponry any more, which is as you would expect after 200 years. As with New Vegas, there are plenty of mutant plants to harvest which can be combined to make super-foods or chemsWhat I really like is having to use up all that junk lying around. In FO3, I just collected it to sell it on, if the value-to-weight was good. Most of the time it ended up filling lockers in my safe-houses. In FO4, you break it down into useable materials like steel wood or circuitry, to make weapon mods or Settlement objects. In FO3, you sold on your junk because it had value. Presumably someone was buying it to make things with. In FO4 you have become that person.SettlementsThe other ‘creative’ aspect of the game, settlement building is I can see another tempting side-game, which will see me playing for long after I have completed the main campaign. You can clear out old-world spaces and bring them back to life, with new buildings, facilities and gardens. You can eventually link your settlements with trading routes and build your own empire. In a way it adds another game-within-a-game, from FPS, to RPG and now Sim-City-like building strategy too.Natural progressionI’ve played game franchises where the latest sequel is an unpleasant lurch into new territory, sometimes giving me the impression that the developers made the changes to justify bringing out a new release or to bring the franchise up-to-date with current player expectations in gameplay or look and feel. FO4 is not like this. The changes I have seen seem more like a natural progression in the world-history that underpins the Fallout canon. In FO3, you were a Lone Wanderer, eking out a living off the corpse of the dead world of yesterday. In FO4, as the Sole Survivor, you have moved on, building things that can help you and the people around you build a world for tomorrow. Granted, some of the things you are building will also help you make a bloody mess of whoever gets in your way. After all, it’s still an irradiated monster-filled hell-hole.The gameplay has also progressed naturally. No-one who is used to the navigation and combat controls of FO3 will have any trouble with becoming familiar with those in FO4. Certainly, what has been removed is more than made up for by what has been added.I hope all this review helped

I recently dove into Fallout 4 and was blown away by the depth and immersion of this post-apocalyptic adventure. From the moment I stepped out of Vault 111, I was hooked on exploring the vast open world filled with intricate lore, diverse characters, and endless opportunities for creativity.Pros:• Expansive Open World: The game offers a beautifully detailed wasteland, filled with unique locations, hidden secrets, and unexpected encounters that make every playthrough feel fresh.• Deep Customization & Crafting: Whether you’re building settlements, upgrading weapons, or tailoring your character’s skills, the customization options are nearly limitless, giving you full control over your journey.• Engaging Storyline & Quests: The narrative is layered with moral choices that have real consequences, ensuring that your decisions truly matter.• Atmospheric Soundtrack & Visuals: The post-apocalyptic setting is brought to life with a hauntingly memorable soundtrack and striking visuals that capture the essence of a ruined world.Cons:• Occasional Technical Hiccups: While largely stable, the game can occasionally suffer from bugs or performance issues, though most can be easily managed with updates or community mods.• Steep Learning Curve: The multitude of systems (from combat to crafting) might be overwhelming for newcomers, but the rewards are well worth the effort.Final Verdict:Fallout 4 is an exceptional RPG that combines exploration, survival, and storytelling in a way that few games can match. Whether you’re a longtime fan of the franchise or new to the series, this game offers a rich, rewarding experience that will keep you coming back for more. Highly recommended for anyone looking for an immersive escape into a beautifully devastated world!

After playing Skyrim massively and absolutely loving it, I was advised to give Fallout a go.. The game is OKAY, the storyline is very good although the characters lack emotional depth, for instance the guy you are sees his wife shot in the head and your baby son abducted but you show no emotional reaction to this at all, yiu just casually shake it off n go about your day LOL..The gameplay is pretty standard but I found it slow and travelling to new places becomes tedious.. I dont know if I will carry on playing it, just seems like more of a chore, I play n question in my head "am I actually having fun or just playing to get ny moneys worth?"..