izigame.me

Fallout 4 is good

and I personally think it received a lot of unnecessary hatred. Especially from the New Vegas circle jerk. If it isn't for all the unfair treatment that Fallout 4 received, I would not even consider writing this review.

To clarify, I have spent about a few hundred hours since the launch of this game, playing a pirated copy, but I felt it was only right that i supported the developer by buying this game. (Or any other games, for that fact. Buy legal copies, guys, support the devs). So do not let my low playing hours deceive you.
I will split my review into a few sections:
Skills and Perks, Dialogue System, RP
Many argue that the dialogue system is watered down, and i agree, the four options do not give you a hint of what you're about to blurt out. But the dialogue system was never the main problem, if you noticed, most dialogues in Fallout really do boil down to this: Agree, Disagree, Inquire, Leave.
The main problem is the removal of the Skill Checks. This is bad. If I role-play as a medic, can i use my medical skills in persuasions? No. In fact, most skills can only be categorized into scavenging, trading or combat. Yes, it is watered down, and I don't stop people from shitting on it.
Gameplay
As a veteran in both Fallout 3 and Fallout New Vegas, I will assure you that gameplay in Fallout 4 has been improved a lot. The enemy are no longer just bullet sponges with high damage. The combat AI though a bit buggy, has seen significant change: humanoid opponents will take cover, and sometimes retreat to heal up; ghouls are now much more intimidating than it was, lying in ambush, zigzagging to dodge your shots and makes unexpected dashes and sprints, they are no longer just a reskinned humanoid melee combatant now, they are actually something better. Deathclaws are no longer enemies that are just stupidly tanky melee fighter - they can sling cars at you, and when trying to close the distance, yes, they will zigzag like the ghouls. Robot enemies now also have various means of hurting you, capable of taking you at range, while charging and attacking you with melee weapons, and if their offensive weapons are disabled they would self destruct to try to take you with them.
I've read players who are pretty dismissive of the gameplay. But I disagree. The combat and exploration is literally half of the game, and I dare say that it is outstanding in that department. Don't even get me started on settlements and weapon, and armor customization. They are superbly done, but they are not crucial to the main quest, so you can forgo them if you want to.
Environment and World Building
The environment and the world that was built was good. Every single houses, piece of furniture and items have been placed with purpose. They're a visual story of their own. Your map is not just a bland empty land with points of interests scattered across, instead you get random encounters, or explorable ruins. Downtown Boston gets especially condensed as you continue to play the game, cramming dozens of points of interests in just a small area; each with their own purpose, and sometimes with their own unique quests.
Writing
The main quests of this game is rather straightforward, if a bit cliched. There's a few factions that you can support:
The Minutemen - local militias that you can build up into a significant powerhouse
The Brotherhood of Steel - militaristic fanatics that hoards pre-war technologies
The Railroad - spy-like organization that stood against the Institute.
The Institute - A mysterious, highly-advanced organization with ambiguous aims. Everyone's boogeyman.
This is where i think Fallout 4 faltered a bit. I would love to have gray areas or more moral ambiguity in the story between the main factions, but in most cases, it makes no sense that they could not work together, and that their goals are mutually exclusive. Some of these factions objectives are not morally ambiguous, you can't really have much of a debate, they're just plain wrong. But the quest design themselves are superior even compared to the previous Fallout titles. The Railroad had you sneaking around, communicating in secret codes; the Brotherhood let you ride a helicopter, while you use the door gun to spray bullets at enemies at Fort Strong to soften them up before they drop you off in the hotzone. There is really a lot of faction-defining moments along the faction quest-lines.
The side quests of this game are rich, and while there are no lack of mundane fetch quests or radiant quests, there are certainly memorable moments and varieties in side quests: there were some that allows you to partake in shady businesses (Bobbi No-nose) or save a stranded Chinese nuclear submarine (Yangtze) or roleplay as a comic-book hero (the Silver Shroud quests). These quests are filled to the brim with production value.
Companions
Companions are superb in Fallout 4, they are easily one of the best part of the game. They are not just a hired gun that follows you around like a generic NPC and shoots stuff for you. They have their own personality, they have their own agenda. They will join in conversations as you were talking to other NPC, providing their own remarks at the situation. Some companions like it when you are generous; others like it when you act a bit more selfish than usual. You can always find that companion that fits your playstyle. And sometimes, companions gives you personal quests that explained their pasts or motives. Their random taunts when you pick up junk, when in combat, or when you are approaching a point-of-interest, it is just so much less bland than it used to be.
Sound Design and Voice
Sound design of Fallout 4 is excellent. The voice acting is especially immersive, now with more realistic character gestures and facial reactions. Gone were the times when you are just taking to a mannequin with moving mouth (yes, 3 and NV). They actually smile and frown properly now. Yes, its still ugly at times, but ultimately, i think the whole is better than the sum of its parts. The little gestures they make, along with the expressions used in their voice, makes it a very immersive experience. It's the little things. The voices actors do not get enough credits, Nick, Piper, Hancock, all of them are memorable not only because of their well-written characters, its the superb voice acting that sells it.
The music in Fallout 4 is great. Combined with visuals, it really makes an impression on you; the entrance of the Prydwen to the Commonwealth is the one of the most memorable Fallout moment that I've lived through, in no small part because of the music. There are also good songs on the radios; or you can listen to the Silver Shroud radio drama - it is a must listen experience. I think the entire story took about half an hour to listen.
Mods
Fallout 4 can be even more fun with mods. However, I think that mods should not be considered in a review about this game only, the credits should go to the modders.

Conclusion
It's a good game. The production value is certainly there - we cannot and should not take it for granted. Every single one of those meticulously crafted side quests? A big map that is actually fun to explore? All these little encounters (where a Raider was mourning at the grave of his dead friend, etc)? The devs actually takes time and effort to build them. And I thank them for it.
People will argue that the game is buggy. Yes.
The RP element is watered down. Yes.
The game engine is aging. Yes.
The main story is not engaging and does not have real consequences. I disagree, but understandable.
Wasted potential. I disagree, but understandable.
This game is mediocre. I disagree, but understandable.
But if you think this game is absolute trash? - No. Get the f out. There are games more deserving of this title, and I will not stand idly by while you discredit everything else this game did right.