Fallout 4 is finally here. One of the holiday season's biggest titles has finally been unleashed after months of hype and anticipation.
The latest entry in Bethesda Game Studios' post-apocalyptic RPG sees the action shift to the bombed out remains of Boston and its neighboring environments. Aside from the change in scenery, Fallout 4 brings with it some of the most radical design decisions ever implemented in a Bethesda game.
For starters - for the first time in franchise history, the game features a voiced-protagonist and Bioware-style dialogue wheel, a considerable change from the conversation systems of games past. In addition, Fallout 4's leveling system has also been streamlined, with skill points being jettisoned entirely in favor of an expanded perk selection. Other notable new features include the robust weapon and armor crafting system and the Minecraft style settlement building mini-game.
Do all these new additions make the first next-gen Fallout a fresh experience? Or is this a slightly glossed up version of the Bethesda RPG we've grown familiar with for years? Let's see what the critics are saying.
The Telegraph gave the game a perfect 5-star rating calling the story 'Bethesda's best'. Reviewer Kirk Mck McKeand says the branching decisions the game throws at you were particularly well done, making it hard to discern between right and wrong.
IGN awarded Fallout 4 a 9.5 out of 10, praising the game's rich open world and endless stream of things to do. They do point out that the nagging launch-day bugs that have plagued Bethesda games in years' past are here again, so gamers should save often to avoid any quest-breaking issues.
Not all the feedback was positive however. RPGamer rated the game a 6 out of 10, saying the new feature additions can't help mask slightly dated formula of Bethesda's games.
Reviewer Michael Cunningham writes, "The problem comes from the fact that this feels like more of the same, not a step forward. Fallout 4 doesn't break the same new ground Fallout 3 did with its jump to 3D, and its storytelling and intricacy of choice fall short of what New Vegas offered. Fallout 4 just feels safe, even when trying new things."
