I started my adventure into Fallout 4 the same way I have every Fallout game: as a lone wanderer, except this time instead of standing in the barren wasteland known as New Vegas I was stood in a queue at Eldon Square. That’s right, I was so hyped for Fallout 4 that I attended its midnight release. To put it into perspective, I haven’t been so excited for something since my mum told me as a child that the end of a rainbow holds a pot of gold.
The following therefore is a review of my “game of the year.” It’s pretty S.P.E.C.I.A.L:
S: is for skills. It’s interesting to note that in Fallout 4 all skills have been removed. Gone are the days of maxing out unarmed so that you could karate chop your way through any Deathclaw that stood in your way. Instead, Fallout 4 relies on a perk chart to allow you to hone your characters killer instinct. Don’t worry though, it actually works much better in my opinion.
In fact to fully complete Fallout 4, rumour is it would take you over 400 hours. That means if you played it non-stop without sleeping, you wouldn’t have fully completed the game after two weeks.
P: is for plot. Warning, this section contains minor spoilers, so if you don’t want to know anything about the first couple of hours move on to E. The plot of Fallout 4 starts pre-atomic annihilation, which helps to set the scene for the following events. The game properly begins however, when some mysterious strangers murder your other half and nick off with your baby. I know right, how rude! So fuelled by pain and anguish, you set off into the apocalypse in search of your son, and inevitably more ghouls than you can count.
E: is for easy or hard? The game feels a little more brutal than Fallout 3. Not only do ghouls appear to be much quicker, but radiation has a much greater effect, now eating into your HP bar and limiting your health. On the plus side, power armour seems to be a fairly common find in Fallout 4, so turning from Vault Dweller to Iron Man Mark 1 is much easier than it was in 3 or New Vegas.
C: is for Character. Fallout 4 begins with character customisation. Once I’d finished using my time to create a much fitter better looking version of myself, I was able to find that Codsworth (a robot butler), although able to say over a thousand names, didn’t know my name. Oh, and you have a voice now; I like that!
I: is for inventive. One of the best features of the new game comes in the form of customisation. From settlements to weapons, adapting and changing the smallest of details is simple yet fascinating. There’s nothing like a modified 10mm or automated turret to scare off that pesky raider scum.
A: is for aesthetics. Simply put, Fallout 4 is stunning. It’s so pretty in fact, I find the dynamic lighting more attractive than my own girlfriend. Not only have the graphics been vastly improved, but the multiple weather types allow for gloomy night time raids and gorgeous sunrises.
L: is for length. Fallout 4 is not a short game. In fact to fully complete Fallout 4, rumour is it would take you over 400 hours. That means if you played it non-stop without sleeping, you wouldn’t have fully completed the game after two weeks. What’s not to love then - it looks great, it plays great, there’s more customisation than a Subway sandwich and it has over 400 hours of content.
To conclude, Fallout 4 is THE game of 2015... and V.A.T.S my honest opinion.
