Fallout 4 (PlayStation 4) Review

Getting straight to the point, the character creator in Fallout 4 is incredible, and easily one of the best to exist in a video game, whether a monstrosity that will give a Deathclaw nightmares or a character so dreamy, people will be weak at the knees, is created. Almost every area of the character's face can be twisted and morphed into a variety of shapes and sizes.

Experienced a Fallout title before? The combat system will be extremely familiar, then. New to the series? Here's a quick explanation: at any point in combat, the protagonist can start using a system called VATS, which slows down time and lets them select a limb of the creature they're trying to kill, specifically damaging a certain limb. The player can only use so many action points per VATS before they have to recharge, and they can also miss depending on how good the character is with that type of gun. Not a fan of VATS? The general gunplay is much more enjoyable than it has been in the past, and it's fairly easy to just not use the system at all.

After the whole... nuclear war business, it's created some truly horrific looking monsters. They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes - from mutated, bloodthirsty cockroaches to the infamous Deathclaws, which can quite literally, rip characters to shred in just a matter of seconds with their razor sharp claws (oh, and they're the size of a caravan). A solid new addition to the series is legendary enemies. These have a super slim chance of spawning; however, they carry with them some of the best loot in the game, but they'll be a challenge for even the most experienced player.

Whenever an enemy is murdered, a building is constructed in a settlement, or a quest is completed, experience points are rewarded, just like any other RPG. What sets Fallout 4 apart from others is the perk chart. Every time the character levels up, they'll be rewarded with a single point, which can be spent on one of 70 different perks, each of which has three stages (229 in total!). These perks mean that characters' abilities can be completely tailored to suit a preferred play style.

Perks really define how the game is played, by offering significant bonuses in various attributes, such as being more accurate with automatic rifles, mastering lock-picking, or being handier at bargaining with store owners. There are plenty of combinations and options that work together in harmony.

Bethesda has always been fantastic at creating immersive worlds, and with Fallout 4, it's no different. As soon as the player leaves the vault for the very first time, it's completely down to them to discover hundreds of unique locations throughout post-nuclear war Boston. Eventually, they will stumble across everything from cities built inside stadiums, to super mutant fortresses, and anyone from the area will discover plenty of recognisable landmarks (although, a tad damaged because of the bombs…).

There are literally hundreds of side-quests of varying difficulty to be completed. It is well worth talking to every single NPC, as a lot of them have some form of activity to get involved with to receive that sweet, sweet experience (and loot!). Plus, some of the conversations are absolutely hilarious. If that isn't enough, some of them will even tag along for various adventures in the wasteland, such as Dogmeat.

A really interesting new addition to Fallout 4 is the ability to create settlements in specific areas of the world. This mode basically turns the game into a basic version of The Sims and it's easy to sink dozens of hours into this alone. Once a settlement has been found, shelters, guard towers and turrets can be built, houses can be decorated, and water and power can be generated for the settlers. This can all be done by hoarding junk and breaking it down for specific resources, such as wood, steel, glue and rubber (which are only a few examples).

While scouring the wasteland for resources, a massive range of weapons and armour will be stumbled across. Feel like kicking down the front door and blowing people apart with a heavily modified shotgun? Sure! How about sneaking through an enemy compound, silently beating foes to death with a baseball bat? No problem! It's completely the player's choice!

There were many concerns with how the visuals of Fallout 4 looked before launch, but in motion, it's great, featuring its own charm that helps create an immersive world. Occasional performance hiccups occur from time to time, though, such as frame drops and even a few hard crashes.