@IAmYourBossLady
This review is based off of the PS4 version.
Welcome back to the Wasteland, fellow vault dwellers! This time we step out of the vault and into the Commonwealth, or as we all know it, Massachusetts. Specifically, the Boston area. I was both super excited and a little wary based off the rumors that were floating around the Internet.
Pre-War
Fallout 4 takes an unusual approach to beginning the game. You start out in the year 2077, the year the bombs fell. This gives the player more of an idea of what pre-war life was like. In previous games the most we ever got about pre-war life was glimpses through hacked terminals or audio tapes found locked in safes or laying around. It’s a nice change of pace.
The pre-war life is pretty short. The Vault-tec guy comes to the door and you sign up. Shortly after, the bombs start falling and it’s a race to get to the vault.
As most Fallout fans know, the vaults were never meant to save anyone; they were set up as experiments. Vault 111 is no exception, the events that transpire once you enter the vault lead you to quite an adventure across the Commonwealth.
The story starts off like that, and it only gets better from there. My only qualm is that you have to face off with a Deathclaw not long after you reach Concord. There are a couple major plot twists, but the story has endless paths you can take, depending on the side that you choose.
Character Creation and Names
Fallout 4 really upped its game in the character creation aspect. Aside from being able to choose your sex, you also have the ability to sculpt your facial features. Do you feel like the preset nose size is too small? You can sculpt that to your specific needs. This has allowed for some truly great creations such as Nigel Thornberry, Beavis and Butthead and even the great Ron Swanson. You can also adjust your character’s weight.
One of things I was excited for was the pre-programmed names, mainly because I figured that mine would be on there. Kelsey is a pretty common name, but not to the makers of this game. A Reddit user did put together a list of most, if not all the pre-recorded names, which you can find here. See if your name made the cut.
Combat
The combat is a little different in this iteration of Fallout. The combat is essentially the same, but now when you use VATS it slows down time. VATS also now has a critical shot bar, that when filled, guarantees a critical shot. This comes in handy when you’re fighting that legendary Deathclaw.
The new VATS system, while very useful, was confusing to use at first. Having gone from the old system to the new one, it was a bit of a shock, and a little hard to get used to.
Enemies/Creatures
Speaking of legendary Deathclaws, there are now legendary enemies. This is a nice addition to the game, and it also brings the addition of legendary loot, which consists of both weapons and armor. Aside from the fact that they added legendary enemies, the already terrifying creatures of the wasteland look even more terrifying. Mole rats are smaller, but way more detailed. Mirelurks look like something out of my nightmares, and Deathclaws, even though they made me run before, make me run even more. Enemies are also smarter. They will dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge from your attacks, so it is more crucial to accurately place your attacks.
Settlement Building and Modding
One of the new features of this game is settlement building. You have the ability to create and run settlements, similar to that of Diamond City, or Megaton. It’s not every location that you can do this, but certain ones with workshop benches. One of the places you can do this is in Sanctuary Hills, the place where you used to call home before the war. Once you complete the mission in Concord, you take the Minutemen back to Sanctuary Hills and set up a settlement. If you continue on missions with the Minutemen, you will help other settlements, and start even more settlements. If you do side with the Minutemen, it seems like you are forced to build settlements, so if settlement building isn’t your thing, don’t do many of the Minutemen quests.
Aside from building places for people to live, you also have the ability to upgrade and modify weapons and armor. You need certain perks to do so, but it is entirely possible. You can go from a machine pistol, to a machine rifle, to a machine sniper rifle with a few clicks of a button. You can make all your weapons to your liking, assuming you have the materials to do so.
That brings up another new feature: materials. The junk you find throughout buildings and in containers is now forever useful. That pencil you found? You get lead from it to build something. No matter what it is, you can scrap the item and use it to build either settlements or mods for your weapons or armor. It’s a little annoying that you now have to pick up every little piece of junk, which clogs up my inventory and bogs me down when I could be carrying weapons instead.
Leveling, Perks, and the Map
This game also features a new perk system. With every level, you get a perk, which is nice, but the new perk chart was a little confusing. I started out putting points on my S.P.E.C.I.A.L. instead of on perks because I didn’t realize which perks I was eligible for. Don’t get me wrong, I like the new system, but it was a little hard to get used to.
While the perk and leveling system update was a little confusing for my old brain, the new additions to the map are really nice. You can follow the Freedom trail through Boston and visit real life places. I pulled up an actual map of the freedom trail, and it matched up pretty impressively. Your waypoints were also updated. The best part of the new and improved waypoints are that they tell you how close you are to your destination, and they even show you if you need to go up or down a floor.
TL;DR
Fallout 4 is a great addition to the collection of Fallout games. The character creation is vastly improved from previous games, allowing you to really sculpt a character the way you want. The main story keeps you hooked until the very end, almost enticing you to not step away from the console. Settlement building and gear modding is a nice addition, but the settlement building portion seems a little forced if you do certain quests. Overall, Fallout 4 is one of the best games in the Fallout series. So, if you don’t see me around, you know where I’ll be.
+ Improved VATS
+ Realistic-looking creatures
+ Character creation
- New Perk system is confusing to use
- Doesn’t say my name, or probably your name either
- Power armor requires fusion cores
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