Fallout 4 review Fallout 4 is by all means an amazing game - it features a compelling narrative, an unrivalled and engrossing setting, and superb gameplay. I'd be lying if I said it was perfect, though. Despite the fact it does so much so well, there are a bunch of tiny (though not insignificant) factors that inhibit the enjoyment to be had in roaming the Commonwealth. Though not necessarily immersion-breaking by any stretch of the imagination, these few negatives do draw attention to some of the more perplexing elements of the title, or rather, the elements that whilst not bad, don't seem to make much sense. These nitpicks range from everything including character customisation and armour to elements that hinder the immersive nature of Fallout itself. As a sequel it serves the franchise well, but there are so many half-baked ideas that just don't translate well to Fallout's world, even if the intention behind them was to make something that complimented the experience rather than take away from it. At the end of the day, Fallout 4's ideas are fantastic, but often the execution isn't conducive to its intention to captivate an audience, especially when compared to its other, more well-rounded aspects. When its enjoyment depends so diligently on the ability to immerse and enthral an audience, sometimes it's the smallest things that can be the worst of all. Note: Story spoilers will follow.
10. Combat Mechanics Aren't Fleshed Out Enough
Okay, so I think we can all appreciate the level of innovation that went into Fallout 4's gunplay. Both Fallout 3 and New Vegas didn't really have shooting mechanics that could rival other post-apocalyptic shooters of a similar vein, so when 4 came out with the fluid gameplay fans had been requesting it was really neat to see, even if everything doesn't stack up that well together. Whilst the player can now aim more efficiently and dispatch targets with equal ease, movements are the same sluggish ones we've become accustomed to with the franchise's previous entries. Combine that with the fact that enemies can now move a heck of a lot more quickly - as well as there being an inability to pause time with VATS - and it creates quite the headache, especially when you're in the teething stages of the game's early levels and stumble upon a nest of Mirelurks. Like Skyrim before it, it just creates the sense that stealth is the only real way to go. Even if you fancy causing a ruckus and letting out some aggression, stealth attacks are still the easiest way to go about accomplishing any given objective, which is only detrimental to the supposed variety on offer.
WhatCulture's very own resident movie guy, Ewan has been working in the content creation biz for over 10 years now, having started as a freelance contributor to WhatCulture Gaming all the way back in 2015. After graduating with a First-Class Honours in History from Northumbria University in 2017 (where he won a prize for a totally killer dissertation on the Watergate years), Ewan took on the role of Comics Editor at WhatCulture and quickly developed WhatCulture Comics into one of the biggest superhero-focused channels on YouTube. He followed this with a brief hiatus at Screen Rant in 2021, where he worked across the Gaming and Film sections as a writer and editor, before returning to WhatCulture as a Senior Content Producer / Presenter in 2023. He started his own podcast, We Love Dad Movies, in 2022, and has contributed several written pieces to the Eisner-nominated comics website Shelfdust as well.
In his current role, Ewan incorporates his love of cinema, comic books, and history into written pieces and video essays for WhatCulture's Film & TV channel, as well as WhatCulture Gaming and WhatCulture Horror, with a particular focus on nineties-era Dad Movies, old school Westerns, and Golden Age Hollywood Noir. John Carpenter is his fave, and he thinks Batman Beyond should never have been cancelled. If that's your vibe, you'll probably like his stuff.
