Decidí por fin jugar Fallout 4 gracias al enorme hype que me trajo la serie, aparte obviamente quería jugarlo en algún punto considerando que Fallout New Vegas es uno de mis juegos favoritos. Pero voy a admitir una cosa: Fallout 4 es Soso.

El hecho de que haya terminado el juego y que no sepa básicamente nada de la Commonwealth, sus habitantes y especialmente las facciones es algo que me sorprende porque se sintió como NADA. Ninguna de las facciones me pareció interesante, elegí una al azar para terminar el juego y... Ya. No hay créditos, no hay múltiples escenas, sólo el epílogo y si quieres seguirle, adelante. Por lo menos siento que sí aproveché el dinero que usé para comprar el juego, pero la verdad es que no creo volver a Fallout 4. Está regular.

Creo prefiero esforzarme y darle más seriamente a Fallout 76 que a esto.

When I finished this game, I thought, "That's it?" This phrase summarized my experience with this game.

Exploring is still fun, especially in downtown Boston. Some of the settings in this game, like the Prydwyn or the radioactive sea, are stunning and a joy to go through.

However, the gameplay loop of getting a quest, going to a place, and killing everything in sight gets boring extremely quickly. It gets boring after the third or fourth quest. It made me avoid doing quests because I already knew what I needed to do. A few side quests strayed away from this loop, which I appreciated and wish there were more of.

While the gunplay is certainly a step up from its predecessors (not much to go but up from there), it still gets boring after a while. There are the same 3-4 enemy types in the whole game, and there's no real change in difficulty outside of an increased health bar. I also constantly ran out of ammo in the early to mid-game, as enemies were complete bullet sponges, and ammo was scarce.

I also see people criticize the lack of "RPG" elements, like the shallow dialogue tree. I honestly don't have much of a problem with this since I think Bethesda tried to make the playable character more of its character. Although I wish they had fully gone this route instead of half-assing it.

I still haven't played the DLC, so maybe that'll change things, but I doubt it will.

I've never imagined that I would ever find a game that seemed both fun and boring to me, but I did. I truly believe that Fallout 4 could exist without a plot and be better than it actually is.

Don't get me wrong, I really loved this game and can't wait to play more! But now that I finished the story, I can't help but feel disappointed. Since it got worse as I went further in.

As a newbie in this saga, the faction system is really confusing. Almost feeling like you're being coerced into joining one before you even blink after your first encounter with them. And the story keeps pushing you towards an underdeveloped but great plot element: Your son.

Playing is easy and fun in this game; roleplaying? Not so much... Ohh yeah, of course, the weapon system is really cool, and shooting is so satisfying and building and crafting stuff is addictive! But... What does it matter if I feel so confused as I keep playing?

Maybe I have to replay it yet again? Yeah, and I definitely plan to do, but for now, I'll try Fallout 3 and New Vegas just to see if I get better experiences. Still love this game!

As much as I might want to call this a mediocre game, my 250 hours (which I would've guess was 50) spent playing it would insist I think otherwise. And I don't know that I truly DO think otherwise- I feel as though it is by obligation to the gaming community that I dislike anything bethesda's done past Morrowind. But truthfully, I kind of love this game. For me, it's got the right amount of dopamine hits, the minimum amount of thoughtfulness, the minimum amount of difficulty that I can put this game on at any point and just play. And while, sure, there's something to be said about a game that's kind of designed to be played with your brain turned off, I think there is also room a defense of that game. Not a strong defense, but there's definitely a place for them. The game has a very strong loop, entertaining and diverse companions and characters, fantastic music, and does upkeep the world built by the first fallouts decently. I don't have a fantastic way to end the review. The game's an accessible dopamine fest with strong roots and I think its flaws are self explanatory. Enjoy

2015 was an insane year for video games, I need to stress that. Witcher, Metal Gear, Batman, and Fallout! So many big names, so many hits! How does this one stack up?

Not too well, I’m afraid.

The first time I played Fallout 4, I was impressed. Improved combat, fresh factions, a great score and atmosphere, and the added settlement system added up my playtime quickly. However, there’s a fly in the ointment - like many Bethesda titles, it’s fantastic on first contact and deteriorates with repeated playthroughs.

Fallout 4 is too streamlined, too smoothed over, and lacks the defining bumps or characteristics that made New Vegas and 3 stand out. It is the ultimate Bethesda game - most of the series’ RPG elements have been stripped clean, the main story is lacking, and the whole experience has been thoroughly idiot-proofed. The majority of quests are kill/fetch errands, and dialogue is relegated to four options. Honestly, it feels like the game plays itself half the time. Let me explain.

Nate will ask an NPC what’s up. The NPC will explain, Nate will respond in the attitude of choice, your companion will like/dislike it, and then you take the quest. Rarely is there ever a branching path or second option, it’s just a straight line. Characters seldom sound invested or urgent in dialogue, it’s just two people droning lines at each other. I’m not someone who hates the idea of voiced protagonists, but it requires a tremendous amount of talent to get it right. This goes doubly so for an RPG, where playtime will be in the tens or even hundreds. Nate and/or Nora don’t cut it for me, it’s just an additional sting for how bland the dialogue is. The one part of the dialogue system I do enjoy is how it interacts with your companion. Companion comments breathe a bit of life into the game, and make you feel like you’re not alone on the dull journey. The system built around them is a positive addition: learning their likes and dislikes over time is neat, and I think each one fills a niche that ensures that everyone will have at least a favorite or two by the time they finish the game. Nick was a big one in my first run, and Codsworth rocked in my second. It’s reminiscent of the first Dragon Age, though I think it’s done better there.

Like its forebears Oblivion and Fallout 3, the atmosphere and soundtrack is top-shelf. I don’t have any complaints about 4’s sound design, it’s remarkably solid all around. There’s a high level of detail in the presentation, with distinct sounds for every interaction, weapon, and general circumstance. I appreciate how there are distinct markers for loot containers: adhesives/tools for red boxes, drugs for blood-stained yellow ones, etc. There’s a language to scavenging that works here, and the settlement system purposefully connects to it. I played on the hard difficulty and had a fun time in combat, as it plays suitably different from normal. Using landmines and other traps is incentivized, as even your best weapons can have trouble putting down tougher foes.

Even in recognition of its few merits, the game’s skill system puts it all to waste. Gone are the days of allocating skill points and passing skill checks. In Fallout 4 you can be 20% better at something, what joy! Snark aside, its construction is a terrible pity and the reason why I chose to write this review in the first place. By removing skill-stacking, specializing, and instead focusing on perk points, the game attempts to foster a “one more turn” feeling, only to fail due to a crucial fact: the content in this game is slop. MMO-tier quests, stilted dialogue, awful story. What’s the point of chasing those perks if the only path to get there is so boring?

Imagine making your failsafe faction route composed entirely of radiant quests headed by the most annoying fucker in the whole game. That’s The Minutemen. The settlement system stapled to them doesn’t help in the quest department, as every quest is the same. Go here, kill that. The Brotherhood is almost different until they pull out Liberty Prime for the finale, which is a big disappointment. After hearing the game’s radio stations reuse songs from 3 on repeat, seeing the game rip plot points at the finish line felt like salt on a wound. That simile is an apt descriptor of 4 on the story side, as any attempt to draw into it deeper than surface level leads to unending pain.

It feels a bit mean to end my thoughts on Fallout 4 with the idea of “unending pain”, but really, it’s to be expected. 4 is the red-headed stepchild, perpetually damned with faint praise and loved for its DLC alone.

… And Nick Valentine. I think everyone loves Nick Valentine.