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| Fallout 4 on PS4 lets fans build and explore the updated wasteland |
FALLOUT 4 arrives on PS4, Xbox One and PC sporting a more mature wasteland and improved gameplay but is it the same old story from Bethesda?
Fallout 4 is the fifth major instalment in the Fallout Series and was released worldwide on the Playstation 4, Xbox One and PC on the 10th November. The game has been developed by Bethesda and is built on the same engine that powered Elder Scrolls: Skyrim.
For players not familiar with the series, do not be put off by this game being part of a franchise. It is very much a standalone game and you will have a great time exploring it.
For fans of the Fallout Series the game is instantly recognisable and like putting on an old comfortable winter coat, although the holes and tears are still there.
Fallout 4 takes place 200 years after a war over resources that ended in a nuclear holocaust. The setting for this game is post-apocalyptic Boston, Massachusetts and other parts of New England known as the Commonwealth.
I could elaborate more regarding the Fallout 4 story and plot but I don't want to give any spoilers away. The, story has an emotional maturity that has been developing across Bethesda's titles in the last ten years. However, the way in which the game requires you to level up to continue the main story can create obvious roadblocks.
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| Fallout 4 will continue to be patched by Bethesda |
Bethesda games, like all RPGs, encourage a hoarding disorder to develop with players rationalising “I need these chipped plates and rotting magazines.”
The studio started to justify this behaviour in Skyrim with the ability to craft potions, mod weapons and build a house. Fallout 4 has broadened this concept by allowing players to build their own settlements.
The first time you do this in a story, it is a bit boring and tedious process, but once you have the time to sit down and do it properly you can create some places.
It doesn’t have the depth of Minecraft but it is thoroughly satisfying and doesn't require you to be stuck on a crafting table for the whole game.
Modding weapons is an enjoyable experience and allows some violent creativity to come through. It is a far more personal experience then Dying Light. The modding is very important with combat as a slight statistical difference can make a big difference.
[READ MORE: Bethesda give update on Fallout 4 DLC]
Combat has also been improved over Fallout 3. The VATs system is still there to allow you slow motion tactical shooting, but the game has a solid FPS feel to it. It may not be as polished as Call Of Duty or Destiny and is closer to Bioshock and Dishonored, but it is still a great experience.
The companions are a lot more engaging and have better personalities than in Skyrim. However, as with all AI there are the occasional instances where you will curse their existence in ruining your ability to use stealth.
The canine companion, Dogmeat, is the best in the game as he knows the ability to stay. However, I have currently lost him somewhere in the wasteland and can't remember where.
Pro Tip:-Do not play this game in the same room as a dog. They will jump at the screen and bark anytime Dogmeat is there.
I played Skyrim's entire meta game and focused on doing everything possible. Over 200 hours of gameplay.
359 days passed in game. 1116 people, 416 animals, 307 creatures, 592 undead, 70 Daedra, 125 automatons, 47 dragons killed. Archmage of Winterhold. Bard of the Bard college. Leader of the Companions. Listener of The Dark Brotherhood. Thane in all of the nine holds. Leader of the Blades. War hero of the Stormcloaks. Champion of all the Gods. Nightingale of the Nocturnals. Guild master of the thieves. Slayer of Alduin and Miraak. Dovahkiin the Last Dragonborn.
Skyrim promotes this kind of gameplay because you are a nameless prisoner freed into the world. It is the story that you develop for the Character that justifies your chosen path.
The main story of Fallout 4 does not encourage this style of gameplay as there is a clear goal for the player to accomplish. Fallout 4 is less of an open-sandbox title and more a Role Playing Game with a clear protagonist and quest.
The game is entirely single player and has more than enough content to keep you occupied for over 200 hours. There is a large amount of land to cover, enemies to kill and quests to finish. However, Fallout 4 is no longer unique in this scale. The transition from Fallout 2 to 3 was huge and when originally released the size of gameplay was rare.
In the seven years that have passed, the genre has become a mainstay of the industry with games such as Far Cry, Assassin's Creed and Just Cause.
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| Bethesda continue their tradition of creating imperfect open-worlds |
The Skyrim engine is instantly recognisable to players with the familiar loading screen and feel of the game and while some gamers have remarked that it plays like a Skyrim mod of Fallout rather than a game in its own right, I disagree with these comments.
The Fallout 4 setting is majestically constructed to immerse the players fully into a is a post-apocalyptic retro-future, with an excellent soundtrack adding light hearted jaunty tunes combined that only adds to the feeling of dread that the desolate nuclear fallout wasteland captures well.
The original music and sound effects add to the setting, while the voice acting is performed to a high quality that brings passion and pathos to the NPCs.
During development of the game a feature that Bethesda focused on was the NPCs and character interaction. This has been majorly improved in the dialogue. The conversation tree has changed from being options of full sentences to undefined terms that require less reading by the player and speeds up the process to make it more fluid.
A common criticism around this game has been it’s graphical presentation being different from the dark colour palette associated with the Fallout series. This similar line of criticism was targeted towards Diablo 3.
The game is incredibly bright and colourful when compared to the greys and browns that dominated Fallout 3. I personally like this change as the game takes place in a different area of the USA and stands it out from Fallout 3.
Graphically the game looks good, but not as great as you think it could be on Playstation 4. I’m not one to hold graphics over gameplay, but if you want greater visuals I would recommend the PC version as there are already mods coming out that will improve this.
An opening line of the game is the recognisable “War, War Never Changes”. Many of my peer reviewers, have been using the line “Bethesda, Bethesda Never Changes.” I believe that we all have had this in our heads due to our collective unconscious and be rushing to publish the review first to get this line out.
The major downfall of this game is the bugs. Although this is not as bad as in other titles released in recent years.
In the first three hours playing the game I encountered four instances of NPCs either repeating themselves or dialogue suddenly cutting off. Furthermore, the game crashed on me twice within the first twelve hours of playing.
There are reported instances of players being unable to get out of the Vault. Players well versed with Bethesda games come to expect this, but this should not be accepted for this title.
I’m filled with dread for the future that more of these issues will come to fruition in the coming weeks, and as with Skyrim that certain mission quests will not be able to be completed.
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