Like many Fallout fans, I’ve been both excited and nervous about the release of Fallout 4. Excited because: Hey! New Fallout! Nervous because: changes aren’t always good, and Bethesda isn’t the best with releasing bug light products.
Of course, just as I managed to get my hands on my (pre-ordered) copy, my eye trouble decided to flare up again, and I wasn’t able to play it for several days.
Now, finally, I’ve managed to get a bit of Wasteland time in!
The introduction threw me a little as you begin without your Pip-Boy and before the world has been turned into the Wasteland.
You, your partner, and your child all live in their neat Suburban home, along with your Mr Gutsy robot butler, Codsworth. Everything seems idyllic, except for that one salesman knocking on your door.
You do eventually get to the Wasteland that Fallout players know and love, and the game begins properly.
I might write more about the story later, but for now I just want to skim over things.
One the game begins properly, and you’re in the Wasteland, the world feels right. Having played Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas, this felt like I was coming home.
The interface has had a few changes, but is still familiar enough to not throw any seasoned players.
The most obvious change is that there is no longer a response box during conversations, from which you pick the ‘best’ response. Instead, each of the four main buttons select a response. Usually X (on a PS4) is mapped to ‘Accept/Yes’ and O is mapped to ‘No’,
The text can appear in different colours depending on whether you need a check (for example: Persuasion) or not. It doesn’t seem as clear cut as in the earlier Fallouts
The Skills have disappeared and the Perks have been broadened to give a strange blend of the old Skill/Perk idea. I’m not sure I like that very much. While there was some confusion over some of the Skills in earlier games, and sometimes the Perk/Skill overlap was a bit strange, I still enjoyed being able to work on individual skills like hacking or lockpicking and to have various goals for them. Now it just feels flat. I may change my opinion later, but right now, I’m grumbly.
The crafting for weapons and armor has been expanded, and they’ve added a kind of crafting for settlements. Yes, you can now build and run your own settlement. Right now I can’t seem to make a decent house, so either more reading, or more practicing is required. It’s nice to have that option though.
Oh, one thing to mention is: I don’t know if this is deliberate, or if I’m just ‘playing wrong’, but I’m finding it much harder this time to keep up my weapons/stimpak supplies in the earlier game. This is not a complaint. It really does now feel more like exploration in a harsh Wasteland. So whatever the reason, that makes me happy.
Overall, I am glad they made this game, and I’m glad I bought it. If you’re a Fallout fan, you should definitely get it. If you’re an RPG fan, you should probably get it.
