A honest Fallout 4 review by an old fallout player.
I just created this account just to write a honest review what bothered me the most in fallout 4 and my impressions.
I play fallout games since 1997.I played fallout 1 /2/3 Fnv ,also tried a bit Brotherhood of Steel spin off in 2004.
I am totally dissapoited by fallout 4.I waited for so long....yet the game has lost its character and spirit.We were waiting for a post apocalyptic open world RPG with FPS and survivable elements.
We got a streamlined casualized shooter.
I cannot play the damn thing.I reached level 32 went to the Intitute .Game is so poorly written that gives me no clue what the Institute goals are nothing.Started a new char...stoped.Enough rant.My impressions.
First of all...the character background choise.We play fallout 4 /pc games cause we want in our game time to escape from reality.To feel unique.To be ,driving car drivers,astronauts,pilots,generals ,survivors ,knights,elves ,name it.In Fallout 4 the main story plot forces us to be ..ehm...a papa.....
Second:Overall theme could be a good.A la Blade runner.But it is poorly written.
Let's go to the main game :
About graphics/UI.I have no problem at all.Graphics are fine(could be a little bit darker though).i would expect more cinematic graphics in "i am Alive" style.
Environments are very good designed.Armors ,clothing hoever ,not.too fancy,too colourfull.
UI is fine.
What annoys me and i feel overall brought down the game:
Voiced protagonist:This forced simplified dialogue lines and choices.Also immersion.Hardly to imagine ourselves speaking as the US actor does .We would not speak so fancy.example:when we finish minutement guest and return to report we say to the settlers."I...took down these raiders for you".well this is american style of speaking i mean the attitude.It shows a spesific character .But fallout 4 is an rpg..we don't want a predetermined character.we want to have our own.With such speaking and moves?impossible.
Quests/exploration:The few vaults in this game are dull.No good written quests.Not enough vaults.no mystery.No metro.No caves.no tunnels.No interesting discovered landmarks.Except dunwitch mines.
Armor:20-30% of Fallout playerbase plays with PA.Here you are forced to play with power armour from first hour.It breaks immersion,character development.Powera rmour was a powerfull pre war tech.Now we have access to it from day one.
Armor Design:Only 4 (!) yes 4 armors in the game.Leather,Metal ,raider,,combat.While i was level 32 i saw a reinforced Combat Armor II ,in a loading screen.Anyway i will not spend another 30 levels to try to find it.I almost finished the game...
Almost all of F4 non powered helmets are bad aesthitically designed.At leat these you can wear them.
Map:map is not small however in pip boy it looks small and all the landmarks are clattered causing comfusion.
No cover system in 3rd person view.
In 3rd person view animation at aimed scoping are not good.Bethesda look at FNV....
Survival has been removed as a perk/skill.
Different ammunition from FNV have been removed.
Armor/weapon repair has been removed.
Rewards in game such as different armor/weapon/chems/food recipes have been removed.From day one,you the cheerfull papa knows to do chems,craft all food and nearly all armor.
There is no sense of exploration.Landmarks are swallow.Deathclaws do not live inside caves just behind rocks....Yao guais are in the bushes..
Removal of iconic weapons /armours of F3/FNV.Chinese stealth suit is gone.Ranger armor is gone.Assasin suit is gone.etc......These were beautifull artistically designed sets that made our chars to look impressive.Yet they are not in the game.
Verdict:Game was rushed and casualized. Streamlined for fps shooter audience ,just adding rpg elementsin an post apocalyptic enironment.Average target age of the product:12-17 year old teenagers.
As for the statements that they developed this game for 5 years...The game has a development cycle less than 3 years and it shows it clearly.No metro no armors no vaults simplified story.
i am so sad...