Fallout 4

Want to hear about the most #FirstWorldProblem ever?

I have too many videogames to play and too little time to play them. 

See, I told you. Now feel sorry for me. 

"Doggy come back!!"

Per that introduction, it's safe of you to assume that I haven't nearly done everything Fallout 4 has to offer (I don't have 200 spare hours). In fact, it's not even close. Like most open world games these days (i.e. last year's GOTY, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt), there is so much to do, it's a bit daunting -- in a good way. Unless you're a 2-or-3-games-a-year gamer, one's hopes of finishing Fallout 4 100% are minimal...something that the inner completionist in many of us struggles to accept. Personally, I've gotten used to it. I play probably 8-14 new games per year so I really can't afford to sink so many hours into a game while there are new ones out there that need to be played. As the summer months are often slow, I'll come back to some of the larger games if I really enjoyed them, but most of the time, large-scale open world games like this eventually resemble something akin to a breakup for me. One where I longingly wish I could play more of it, but have decided to move on to newer things (sounded less creepy in my head).

Fallout 4 was arguably one of the most anticipated releases of 2015. It's predecessor, Fallout 3 was a highly influential game and one that, at the time, was highly unique because of it's combination of first-person shooter, RPG elements, VATS gameplay, critical choices, dark humor, and post-apocalyptic world. For many it was their GOTY several years back and others regard it as their favorite of all time. I've got a few games ahead of it on that list, but it was a fantastic game with some really memorable elements. Will any of us who played it ever really forget the choice we made about the live nuke in Nuketown? I know I wont...probably the most guilty I've ever felt in a game still to this day. Reminiscent tangent aside, the excitement for Fallout 4 was high. And having now played the game for a large chunk of hours, I'd say it was well deserved. It doesn't reinvent the wheel really in any grandiose ways and it will be far less influential on the gaming industry overall, but it's more of the same and, in this case, that's a very good thing. 

Anyone else getting a Bioshock Infinite vibe here?

I swear I didn't do that to him on purpose.
That's just simply the side effects
of a grenade in close quarters...

This new installment takes place in a completely new territory from 3's Washington DC wasteland, but exists in the same world. Many of the hallmarks of culture from the last game carried over from NukaColas, to PipBoys, to Stimpaks, etc. This game takes place in the Commonwealth which amounts to the "Boston" area of the nuclear-ravaged world. Arguably, this choice is far less interesting than DC and all of its monuments. The map is very large and somewhat varied, but I never found it to be strikingly memorable, which is a shame given all the opportunities I can think of. Example, why Boston when L.A., San Francisco, New York were on the table? Or hell...any other world city? Sydney, Australia could have been amazing. That's not to say I didn't enjoy the territory...it's a well thought out,, gigantic world with even balances of mystery, cities, open space, etc. I just don't think I'll distinctly remember the world at all once I move on. 

I think the reason for Boston though is because of the story, which is kinda-sorta somewhat directly tied to the last game. As is the case with Bethesda games, I really dug the story and while I didn't find it to be one of their absolute best, I still really enjoyed the structure and there is a core twist that was pulled off really well. All of the dark humor aside, this is still a highly complex world with multi-dimensional characters (another thing that Bethesda knocks out of the park). There's blatant racism, pursuits of power, politics, etc. and often the player is asked to make decisions related to each. I was interacting with several different factions, many of which had conflicting interests. While one wanted to rid the wasteland of synths (AI humans made of synthetic material), the other wanted to protect them, while another were making advances in manufacturing them as more human-like. Knowing all of this made certain decisions really difficult and you have to use something you rarely do while playing games: your heart and your gut. I had true moments of conflict -- ones where I had really tough decisions to make -- and it's always incredible to me when videogames can compel me to think about the choices I'm making. What are the long term ramifications? What will I gain from this? What will I lose? How will this look to other characters? It's all pretty heavy stuff. There was a particular instance where I completed a mission and my current faction ally didn't like the outcome of my decision. He began to attack me and I had to react fast; he had become a formidable foe. In my panic, I realized that this was it. This was where I would lose my trust with this faction for good. I completely shredded him apart (literally) with a minigun and thus my time with the Railroad faction came to a close. It was a tough pill to swallow and a gaming moment that became instantly memorable. 

Because in real life, blowing someone's head up is also only worth 8XP points...

Hey! The Hulk is in my Fallout 4! Bad Hulk!

Potentially even more impressive than the story is the core gameplay. As I mentioned earlier, this is mostly untouched from Fallout 3. There are tweaks and additions here and there. My least used/favorite was establishing settlements around the world. I think it would have been a lot more interesting to me had there been a single establishment that you build up, but by the time I had nearly 20 different ones, I lost interest in really beefing up any single one of them. I instead became much more involved (read: obsessed) with gun modifications and Power Armor modifications. Power Armor is probably the single most impactful new addition to the gameplay and it's how it sounds: large bulky armor that makes you really, really hard to kill and immune to radiation. I really do love the Power Armor, I do, but it basically amounts to the game's easy button in most scenarios with all of the perks that come with it. Other than that however, this is classic RPG and FPS gameplay. The ever popular/awesome/gory VATS targeting system is back and I still think it's one of the single greatest gaming devices created. Having the ability to "pause" time, choose an enemy and a body part to shoot at, and fire away leads to some awesome, organic gaming moments. This is all complimented by a deep, slightly overwhelming, perk system that allows the player to choose a new gameplay element each time they level up. Some are awesome, some are poorly explained, others are useless, but the attempt at having so many unique ones is nothing short of admirable. These elements all come together in what Bethesda has perfected: a "time sink". Fallout 4 is a game that that you'll pop into your console, play a few quests, say "just one more thing", and before you know it you've spent more than double the amount of time playing it than you had intended. It's that gripping, even after hours upon hours of gameplay. 

Choices, choices...

Unfortunately, the one thing that you won't get with Fallout 4 are the next-gen graphics that you'd expect. This looks like a really nice version of Fallout 3, sure, but it's still hindered by its ambition in this regard. For me, a game this large more than justifies the lower pixel count, but I do think it could have used some additional polish perhaps. On top of that, load times are often lengthy -- ranging anywhere from 10-60 seconds. This may be the low technical point however as many of the gameplay effects are awesome (mini mushroom clouds anyone?) and the original score and sound editing is fantastic. 

Fallout 4 is a game that plays it incredibly safe, but that's really to its strength. Where Fallout the third changed the landscape of gaming pretty drastically, Fallout 4 refines that formula slightly while giving gamers exactly what they were hoping for. A lack of surprises shouldn't be counted against it as it's a game that newcomers, series lovers, and everyone in between will absolutely lose themselves in. 

CONS:

• Despite the map's strengths, I wasn't the biggest fan of the locale. Post apocalyptic Boston isn't all that interesting given all the other options on the table
• Not exactly "next-gen" graphics and some load times get pretty lengthy
• Perk tree could be considered "too" deep as several perks don't do much and other lack any real explanation as to their purpose
• "Carry more, dammit!"
• Too many establishments caused me to not care about a single one
• Doesn't bring much new to the genre or series

PROS:

• Damn. This game is so fun to play. On the surface it's a shooter, but the core mechanics offer a much more in depth RPG with a lot going for it
• VATS is still incredible
• The RPG elements can be overwhelming at first but you come to love them. Perks can really change your character, trading is addicting, as is leveling up, and I became obsessed with gun mods
• Not Bethesda's best story, but still very, very good. They nail characterization and there are some very memorable moments throughout with some very difficult choices to be made
• The game's dark humor is well balanced with the actuality that there are problems in this world that echo our own. Racism is a societal issue, as are overarching organizations that think they have everyone's best interests at heart. Sometimes it's a little on the nose, but never really "wrong" and more than often insightful
• My betrayal moment was one I'll not forget for a while. I panicked and paid for it
• Despite my displeasure with the map's location, it's huge and has a bunch of cool, hidden features
• Power Armor is badass
• SO. MUCH. TO. DO. DEAR. LORD. 
• After some years where there were several AAA games that disappointed or weren't quite what gamers had been told they were, Fallout 4 represents a promise completely, 100% kept true. It's more of what defined this series and nearly everyone is happy about that

Rath's Review Score: 9.5/10