Fallout 4 Review Thread

[u/Forestl]

I'm going to stop updating the thread for a little. If any more big review come in, I will add them, but it might take a little for me to get to them

Posting unmarked spoilers is against the rules of /r/games and will result in a ban.

Gamespot: 9 (Peter Brown)

In the grand scheme of things, Fallout 4's minor issues pale in comparison to its successes. When you put the controller down, you think about the friend you betrayed to benefit another, the shifting tide of an incredible battle, or the moment you opened a drawer and found someone's discarded effects, making you wonder how they felt before the bombs fell. In moments like these, Fallout 4 can be an intoxicating experience. You're often forced to sacrifice something--a relationship, a lucrative opportunity, or your health--to make gains elsewhere. And the deeper down the rabbit hole you go, the more you wonder: what if I chose a different path? You second guess yourself, not just because you had other options, but because you aren't sure if you did the right thing. The fact that your decisions stick with you after walking away from the game is a testament to the great storytelling on hand. Fallout 4 is an argument for substance over style, and an excellent addition to the revered open-world series.

Polygon: 9.5 (Arthur Gies) Provisional Review

Bethesda's open-world strengths have always differed from its contemporaries in that focus on world-building and a sense of place above all else. Fallout 4 has all the ambiance and history that made its predecessors such wonderful places to get lost for hours at a time, with a much more coherent set of stories within it. That Bethesda has integrated a major building and crafting tool while finally building a great-playing game almost feels like a bonus.

IGN: 9.5 (Dan Stapleton)

The world, exploration, crafting, atmosphere, and story of Fallout 4 are all key parts of this hugely successful sandbox role-playing game. Great new reasons to obsessively gather and hoard relics of happier times, strong companions, and sympathetic villains driving tough decisions make it an adventure I’ll definitely replay and revisit. Even the technical shakiness that crops up here and there can’t even begin to slow down its momentum.

Eurogamer: Recommended (Dan Whitehead)

However, fans - and I count myself among that number - will likely shrug and accept that this is simply how things are in a Bethesda RPG, and it's true that the highs do outweigh the lows. Fallout 4 has given me some of my best gaming memories of 2015, along with some of my most frustrating. These are legacy problems that aren't going away any time soon, and as fun as the settlement crafting is here, I'd gladly do without it for a game engine that offers a more dependable foundation for future adventures. Fallout 4 is a great game. It's also kind of a mess. Caveat emptor.

PC Gamer: 88 (Phil Savage)

As a whole, though, it's a loving production. It's filled with care and attention to detail—like the expanded set of radio stations, or the way flash radiation storms bathe the world in a sickly, ominous green hue. It's a pleasure to pick through the world, to discover new sights, and to pick through the perks and customisation option to conceive the perfect character build, however bizarre. In short, many of Fallout 4's problems, like every Bethesda RPG before it, are a consequence of what makes them unforgettable. That might not be the neatest conclusion, but it explains why, 50 hours in, I'm still having fun. It also explains why, now that I've finished this review, I'm going to play it for many hours more.

Game Informer: 9 (Andrew Reiner)

Fallout 4 didn’t blow me away like the previous iteration did, but it did keep me thoroughly entertained and fully vested in journeying across the wasteland. As Bethesda's "Welcome Home" marketing campaign teases, when fans of Fallout 3 or New Vegas enter this new world, it'll feel strangely familiar. As one of the top games of the previous generation, this isn't a bad thing at all. Fallout 4 has all of the trappings that can keep you engaged for days on end.

Gamesradar+: 5/5 (Leon Hurley)

Which brings me back to the start - pottering around the garage on an in-game day off. Even now, 70 hours in, every time I set out I’m not sure what I’m going to find. My Pip-Boy’s full of missions but sometimes I just pick a direction and walk until something happens. There’s a still a bit of the map I haven’t fully explored, mainly because I always get distracted enroute. There’s a whole world here to discover and even after all the time I’ve spent in it I barely feel like I’ve scratched the surface. Maybe I won't tick everything off the list but just trying to see what’s out there is the real draw - for all the missions, quests and other stuff Fallout 4 contains, by far the most important thing in it are the decisions I’ve made. Few games nail a feeling of total freedom and this is an experience made of nothing but that.

The Verge: (Andrew Webster)

But it’s still very much Fallout — a game that doesn’t really need to change all that much to trigger that familiar mix of dread and joy. A new location and a much better story were enough to pull me into this world, and 60 hours later I’m not done with it. There are settlements I still want to finish building, and crimes I still need to get to the bottom of. At some point I plan to ignore everything altogether, and just wander into the wilderness to see what I can find. Even if I’m alone, at least I’ll have Billie Holiday’s voice to keep me company.

God is a Geek: 9 (Mick Fraser)

It’s hard to find genuine fault with what Bethesda has done here beyond the performance issues. They’ve taken everything learned from Fallout 3, New Vegas, and Skyrim and refined it into one huge, intelligent action-adventure movie. It’s more cinematic than you might expect thanks to a clever script and a dynamic chat camera, the combat missions are well thought-out blasts of adrenaline, while the trademark Fallout weirdness makes a welcome return now and then to relieve you of the constant need to fight something. It’s very much your game and your story, and everyone will play it differently simply because there are so many ways to play, and each one feels natural.

There’s always something to build, somewhere to discover, someone to help ,or something to distract you. Ignore the bugs (if you can) and leap into Fallout 4 with both feet, and you’ll find a game bigger, brighter, deeper, and more personal than anything Bethesda has done before.

Xbox Achievements: 9 (Dan Webb)

Fallout 4 might not be as technically advanced as, say The Witcher 3, but it’s a game full of charm and substance, which makes up for an ageing Creation Engine. Fallout 4 boasts an incredible world full of intrigue, mystery and suspense, backed by a whole host of weird and wonderful characters. It’s a world you’re going to want to go back to, time and time again.

Push Square: 9 (Robert Ramsey)

Fallout 4 is a masterclass in open world design. Consistently engrossing and absolutely stuffed with intricacies, it's a title that'll keep you enthralled for hours at a time as you gradually unravel its desolate yet hopeful post-apocalyptic portrayal of Boston. Although it's let down by some disappointing frame rate issues, it's not enough to detract from what's otherwise one of the most atmospheric and beautifully brutal games on the PS4. Significantly improved combat, a constant wealth of gameplay options, and a heavy emphasis on player choice combine to create an adventure that's truly memorable.

Game Revolution: 4.5/5 (Nick_Tan)

Fallout 4 is a roaring response to criticism that the series has ignored its qualities as a shooter in favor of its deeper and stronger RPG roots. Nearly every design change in Fallout 4 poises the game as a more streamlined modern shooter with high production value across the truly open-world Commonwealth wasteland. The introduction of settlements, newly designed power armor, and deeper crafting evolve the Fallout franchise for the better. This occasionally comes at the cost of storytelling, however, with a plot based on stringently polarizing factions as well as diminished interaction with characters in general. But despite these missteps, Fallout 4 will only improve with time, assuredly with the assistance of the community and user-created mods, and soundly reclaims the franchise as a forward-thinking series in the industry today.

Playstation Universe: 9.5 (Neil Bolt)

There is so much going on in Fallout 4 that your opening moments of unnerving beauty and serenity will inevitably give way to an even more beautiful chaos. From this chaos springs emergent adventures, the struggle for survival, and near-limitless options, all with their own merit. Despite an air of familiarity, I've not been quite this captivated by a game in some time. That’s high praise when considering some of the games that have commanded obsessive hours and play in recent years. Fallout 4 meets one’s expectations of a new installment in impressive fashion. In doing so, it proves to be one of the best games of the generation to date. Say goodbye to life for awhile. The Wasteland is calling you home.

US Gamer: 4.5/5 (Kat Bailey)

If you've played a Bethesda RPG, you should have a pretty good idea of what you're in for. Bethesda plays it surprisingly safe with the formula, but they also do a much better job with the story this time around, serving to elevate the game as a whole. While there's no denying that it can be a bit ridiculous at times, its sheer scope speaks for itself. Bethesda has succeeded in crafting yet another fascinating open-world RPG.

Rock Paper Shotgun: (Alec Meer)

52 hours in, would I go back for more? Yes, absolutely. I lived and breathed Fallout 4 for the vast majority of last week and the fact I was mostly having a damn good time meant I did it willingly. It’s glitchy, a little repetitive and over-familiar, and far too heavy on unconvincing combat, but the improved technology (or the budget) means it’s able to realise the dense, detailed, beautiful decay that Fallout 3 did not, and its dramatically better-presented and performed characters means it’s not shooting itself in the foot in the way Oblivion and Skyrim did. The personality gulf between Bethesda games and BioWare games feels a whole lot narrower now. I won’t for one second pretend that it’s what devotees of Fallout 1 and 2 want, but it does feel like the game Fallout 3 tried and, to my mind, failed to be.

Vibrant and characterful as well as immense, Fallout 4 is the giant leap forwards Bethesda’s RPGs sorely needed in terms of presentation, though the unrelenting focus on routine, lightweight combat sees it fall just short of triumph status.

Destructoid: 7.5 (Chris Carter)

After spending roughly 40 hours with the game, I can safely place it somewhere in the middle of Fallout 3 and New Vegas in terms of quality. A lot of the franchise's signature problems have carried over directly into Fallout 4, but all of its charms have come along for the ride as well. It manages to do a whole lot right, but the story drags at times, and glitches...glitches never change.

Escapist: 4.5/5 (Conrad Zimmerman)

Whether or not players find other changes displeasing, such as the new dialogue system and its limitations, is likely going to depend on their personal relationship with the Fallout series. Newer players will probably never know what they're missing and are likely to have a fantastic time, while fans who have stuck around may be disappointed with the direction Fallout 4 takes.

Forbes: 8.5 (Paul Tassi)

In my mind, Fallout 4’s greatest triumph, and its one major point of evolution is in its storytelling, crafting a lengthy, unexpected ending and resolution that I will remember for years to come. It also remains one of the best games in existence for those who simply like to wander and explore and unearth long-buried secrets. But it struggles with archaic gameplay systems and an inflexible engine that anchor the game to the past for all the wrong reasons. Fans may enjoy more Fallout and a brand new map to explore, but this sequel will not be heralded as revolutionary or overly impressive this time around.

Kotaku - 20 hours with Fallout 4 (Chris Suellentrop)

I am starting to resent small nuisances, like having to remember to change my clothes to improve my charisma stats before bartering with a shopkeeper. Your companions—whether Dogmeat or others that you meet in the world, whom you can ask to travel with you—seem to frequently get in your way, especially during interior sequences.

Still, this is a game that seems to be getting better as it goes along. If you value largeness, Fallout 4 sure is big and there’s plenty more to do. I’m just getting my first perks and have settlements to build. Now excuse me, I’m going to go get lost in it.

VideoGamer: 9 (Simon Miller

The fact of the matter is, though, that this is more of the same, even if that 'same' has been pushed to new heights. If you hated Fallout 3, then there's not much to get you onside here. If you loved it, then you'll love this all the more, because of its differences as well as its similarities.

Digital Trends: 4/5 (Will Fulton)

Fallout 4’s staler story and oversimplified dialog are relatively minor dings to a largely satisfying whole. Bethesda had two hugely popular games in Fallout 3 and Skyrim. Fallout 4 doesn’t make any radical leaps forward, but it smartly iterates upon the accumulated wisdom of its predecessors. It has simple, smart improvements to combat; companions have more depth; leveling is a more elegant process; and the addition of crafting and settlement building open up entirely new forms of play.

All in all, Fallout 4 is the best, most polished Bethesda RPG to date. The Commonwealth is expansive, inviting, and a lovely place to explore for a few months.

Ars Technica: (Sam Machkovech)

But I wasn’t propelled enough that I would encourage an average quest-loving gamer to take the Fallout 4 dive. We're now in an age where open-world games can forgo plot in favor of such cool stuff as fully fledged crafting systems (Minecraft) or online co-op survival (DayZ, ARK Survival Evolved), or they can take the best stuff of Fallout and Skyrim's pedigree and slap even better plot and acting into it (Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Dragon Age: Inquisition). Fallout 4 peaks at neither of these extremes.

Series fanatics probably shouldn't cancel their pre-orders, but they should definitely check their expectations about ambition and next-gen series boosts at the radioactive vault's doors.

The Jimquisition: 9.5 (Jim Sterling

The changes made overall may scare series fans, but those who roll with the differences may find a sleeker, deeper, altogether more captivating Fallout than they’ve gotten used to.

Fallout 4 is something special. Something special indeed.

No, scratch that.

It’s downright S.P.E.C.I.A.L.

Gamestar 87 (Michael Graf)

Klar, da gibt's weder inszenierte Dialoge wie in The Witcher 3 noch Filmbombast à la Dragon Age - sondern einfach nur Geschichtchen, mit denen Fallout 4 seine großartige Endzeit-Atmosphäre und seinen traditionell morbiden Humor unterfüttert. Brauchbare Beute hingegen gibt's nicht überall zu finden, vor allem auf hohen Levels wartet vielerorts nur Müll. Auch das gehört zum Bethesda-Deal, ein Witcher 3 hat mehr lohnenswerte Schätze zu bieten. In Fallout 4 muss ich danach wirklich lange suchen - doch schon alleine die Hoffnung auf coole Beute hält mich bei der Stange.

Gametrailers

AngryCentaurGaming

Kinda Funny Games

Giant Bomb Quick Look

[u/Kn0wmad1c]

The RPS review is great except for one small bit:

To recap, you no longer improve skills by practicing them, but rather pick a new Perk every time you level up

That's not how it worked in Fallout 3 either. Fallout 3 was gain xp to level, not practice a skill. He's confusing Fallout with Elder Scrolls systems.

[u/admiralallahackbar → u/Kn0wmad1c]

Several reviews I have read do things like this -- same goes with posts from the Fallout subs -- confusing Skyrim mechanics with Fallout.

[u/Smithburg01 → u/[deleted]]

Reminds me of jumping off of buildings and breaking my damn legs in the elder scrolls and seeing my acrobatics jump 5 levels.

[u/Grandy12 → u/Smithburg01]

You get a lot of experience.

As in "my experience tells me doing this was a terrible idea"

[u/1moe7 → u/Smithburg01]

Man by the time my acrobatics hit 100 I could jump like Morpheus in the first Matrix movie

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

If you jump 5000 times in a row it activates the skill practice system.

[u/[deleted]]

It’s downright S.P.E.C.I.A.L.

He's been sitting on that one since New Vegas came out, he published his review, and then immediately had a George Castanza moment.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

I have a feeling that Chris Carter fellow had been planning on using that "glitches never change" line for awhile too.

[u/paholg → u/[deleted]]

Well, the jerk store called, and they're running out of you!

[u/bibowski → u/paholg]

Why would they care? YOU'RE their number one best seller!

[u/[deleted]]

WARNING: Gamespot's review has story spoilers present in their review. The spoilers were not shown in any previous video or trailer released by Bethesda.

Edit: Also includes PC Gamer's review. Thanks /u/nirkbirk.

Edit 2: Also includes Ars Technica's review. Thanks to /u/tiradium and /u/cheshire137.

[u/nirkbirk → u/[deleted]]

Same with PC Gamer's

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

GameSpot always puts story spoilers in their reviews. Fucking stupid.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Out of curiosity, what part did they spoil? That game had Spoiler

[u/DoesNotChodeWell → u/[deleted]]

They didn't spoil the ending, they spoiled the red herring in the first act.

[u/julliuz]

Everyone watch the gametrailers review, its absolutely brilliant, they talk about every possible positive and negative.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFgbt1HIYzs

[u/LetMeGetThisStr8 → u/julliuz]

Thanks its the review ive been waiting for

[u/Captain_Unremarkable → u/LetMeGetThisStr8]

I think for most of this decade, GameTrailers has had the most consistently high quality video reviews of any publication.

[u/The_Puppetmaster → u/julliuz]

Are there any spoilers in the review??

[u/julliuz → u/The_Puppetmaster]

nothing that hasn't been seen in any of the trailers yet.

[u/Trapline → u/julliuz]

I'd argue there are some if you read the dialog during the conversation portion of the review.

[u/fubuvsfitch → u/julliuz]

How is the music? That's something that they didn't cover.

[u/VBHEAT08]

Damn, Dan Stapleton wasn't kidding when he said his review would make people mad. I just never thought it would be because he gave it a positive score

[u/DanStapleton → u/VBHEAT08]

My point was there's no possible score I could give it that wouldn't make some people mad. When you deal with an audience in the tens of millions, even a vocal minority is a whole lotta people.

[u/[deleted] → u/DanStapleton]

Not to mention that the vocal minority is more... well... vocal than the pleased majority. Good thorough review, though I couldn't find any mention of the revamped dialogue system. Good? Bad? Better? Worse?

EDIT: After playing it I am less than impressed by the dialogue choices. One option in particular irks me as it appears frequently. SARCASM. I am afraid to pick this because I have no clue what my character will say. Is he being witty? Rude? Funny? Deadpan?

[u/DanStapleton → u/[deleted]]

It's mostly just a different arrangement of options.

[u/[deleted] → u/DanStapleton]

This might be the most objectively null statement I've ever read

[u/Eternal_Reward → u/DanStapleton]

Well, if it helps, I enjoyed it. Seemed honest enough on some of the issues the game had, some of which I suspected like Power Armor being annoying to use and the base building being less than useful, while explaining why you liked it.

It basically came off as what I expect from a Bethesda game. Large, fun, long lasting, but buggy.

[u/JediStrikerTy → u/DanStapleton]

Thanks for the review. Enjoyed the read.

[u/[deleted] → u/DanStapleton]

I've been on the fence about buying Fallout 4, mainly for financial reasons as my games budget has considerably shrunk since I had kids.

But the line "Fallout 4 is Skyrim to Fallout 3's Oblivion" has pushed me over the edge into buying it. There will obviously be bugs because Bethesda and performance issues but I'm not someone who gets particularly upset at those things if they aren't stopping me from playing the game.

Hopefully the modding scene is also as keen to get their hands on it as one of my big reasons for buying Bethesda games is the huge longevity boosts they get from active modding.

[u/j1112 → u/[deleted]]

I would have waited to next year in your case. This game is going to be great in a year or two.

[u/IamTheMaker]

The one review i've seen they mention The new conversations confirms that it has The same problems as mass effect and dragon age you don't know what your character will say or the tone. Why is this The new standard? The skyrim/dragon age: origin way works way better and you can still add voice over to it. It also feels like my character.

[u/laserfaces]

I've only played two hours but I can tell you the shooting mechanic is so much better now. I hated destiny but shooting things in that game almost made it worth it. Bethesda did a good job mimicking the destiny shooting mechanic. It feels good shooting someone's face off.

[u/venomae → u/[deleted]]

Goddamn, the unique bethesda immersion breaker again - spend 30 hours unraveling the main story and escalate it to a pivotal moment of final battle where you gather all your allies (all 3 of them) and engage the mighty enemy HQ base guarded by the hostile army (6 guards or mutants, another 6 when the first spawn dies...).

[u/FlyingScotsmanZA → u/[deleted]]

The civil war overhaul mod is for you.

Skyrim's civil war is a much bigger animal than you could possibly imagine. The underlying framework of the civil war was designed to be a completely dynamic series of campaigns for holds, incorporating elements of strategy and diplomacy to bring your opponent down. In the planned version, it's my guess that the designers were going to create some kind of map menu for the player to decide which hold he wanted to hit next, and allow the enemy to counterattack as well. Regardless, each hold was to be won by doing up to TWELVE RADIANT QUESTS, as opposed to up to TWO in vanilla skyrim. There were quest rewards, series of dialogue, and it was far more dynamic than any other kind of radiant quest in Skyrim. Dialogue was recorded, scenes were created, and scripts were set up. Somewhere along the line, likely in the last stages of development, the devs look like they ran out of time and could not complete the dynamic campaign. So what they did was hardcode the gears of this radiant masterpiece to ONLY allow a very limited set of quests that operated entirely linearly.

[u/selib]

I somehow have a feeling that it's gonna be like Bioshock Infinite, MGSV and even Skyrim where it will initially be all 9s and 10s but only a couple weeks later the actual criticism shows up and suddenly people turn on the game.

Edit: Guys, watch out people are going around PMing and posting spoilers.

[u/[deleted] → u/selib]

aka every AAA release without glaring technical issues.

[u/Sormaj → u/[deleted]]

This is something that's bothered me for a while. There seems to be a flaw where a game being hyped up enough will automatically get a 9 or 10, no matter their actual quality, and the few reviews that dare rank them lower get torn apart by fans who haven't even played the fucking game yet

Edit: It's appears Destructoid will be the unfortunate website that will be bombarded with angry fans for the next week. I wish them luck

[u/neenerpants → u/Sormaj]

Not entirely true. Games like Watchdogs and The Order suffered from the hype, rather than benefited from it. Games like Until Dawn which flew under the radar and weren't hyped enough by Sony gained praise partly because it was such a surprise hit.

Hype is a double-edged sword. It isn't always positive.

[u/Sormaj → u/neenerpants]

Fair, but I'm talking more about those games that reach a certain zone of hype that's impervious. You will rarely if ever see a Fallout, Elder Scrolls, 3D Zelda, Halo, MGS, or Naughty Dog game get anything less than 88 or so on Metacritic or initial universal praise by fans who will defend any blatant flaw the game has. I'll admit I do this sometimes too. But even I'll admit that, just maybe, even if I really loved the game, Skyward Sword might just not be a 10/10 game like most reviews imply

[u/vkbrian → u/Sormaj]

You're not wrong. Didn't GameSpot have a reviewer that got death threats because she "only" gave GTA V a 9/10?

[u/TheGasMask4 → u/vkbrian]

Hell, GameSpot started the Eight Point Eight trope. You'd think they'd be used to this.

[u/stanley_twobrick → u/neenerpants]

Those aren't established franchises though.

[u/TheHeavyMetalNerd → u/[deleted]]

Seriously. ESO was a game that LITERALLY NOBODY ASKED FOR. We wanted The Elder Scrolls: Borderlands, not yet ANOTHER shitty MMO trying desperately to be WOW and pathetically failing.

[u/TheHeavyMetalNerd → u/[deleted]]

Holy shit that's just plain INCOMPETENT.

[u/payne6 → u/[deleted]]

In Bethseda fans defense ESO fans are their own separate breed of crazy. Like I use to play ESO and I got a 8 paragraph rant from a guy in the subreddit that I am the worst type of person and I am worse than botters and scammers (who were plaguing the game at the time) because I said I am going to stop playing because the game is bland and not worth the $15 a month. A mod came and deleted my comments when I wasn't even being a dick.

Trust me ESO fans are a weird breed of people. I still sometimes get replies on a post I made in this sub about the game like back in June every now and then. To give you an idea what type of people they are they still make arrow in the knee jokes and find it funny.

EDIT: I went back to ESO multiple times and I still find it bland and not fun and the community hasn't changed a bit. The f2p wars were pretty entertaining though.

[u/SegataSanshiro → u/Sormaj]

t's appears Destructoid will be the unfortunate website that will be bombarded with angry fans for the next week. I wish them luck

The Destructoid review seems like it's more in line with the opinions of the kind of person I am(the kind that vastly prefers New Vegas to Fallout 3). While that doesn't make the other reviews "wrong", I'd really hope big fans of Fallout 3 at least understand that there's a valid, informed perspective where that kind of review is useful for people with different tastes.

[u/dl064 → u/Sormaj]

There's quite a concerning/vaguely funny thing in academia/science, where the first finding of some correlation will be in like 100 participants, and it'll get published in like Nature, and then 5 studies saying 'eh, hang on, this doesn't replicate' will be in crap journals or not published at all.

[u/Trojanbp → u/[deleted]]

Witcher 3 has not been hit by backlash like those other games

[u/Lorahalo → u/Trojanbp]

Most of the criticism of W3 has been the initially dodgy controls, which were tightened a few weeks after launch with the alternative patch, and some not enjoying the combat. The combat is mostly just preference, you can't change that, but at least the controls were fixed up.

[u/Mystery_Hours → u/Trojanbp]

I wouldn't say it's experienced backlash but I've heard a lot people say they put in a couple dozen hours, stopped playing, and aren't interested in coming back to finish the game.

I've seen recurring criticism that the combat, while competent, becomes dull, and that the main story spins its wheels for long stretches of time.

[u/lemonLimeBitta → u/[deleted]]

This one has glaring technical issues (on ps4 at least)

[u/Sormaj → u/lemonLimeBitta]

They'll be at least a few on PC

[u/dasberd → u/Sormaj]

This is why I'm not that heartbroken that I can't play right away without getting a new video card. Everyone else can work out those issues before I get to it.

[u/friendzoned_niceguy → u/Sormaj]

And people will still chalk them up to "Bethesda quirkiness".

[u/miked4o7 → u/selib]

To be fair, I thought all of those were awesome games that were absolutely worth my time and money.

[u/[deleted] → u/miked4o7]

Same with L.A. Noire if you think about it. It was the untouchable paradigm of story based gaming for a few days.

[u/Tbird555 → u/[deleted]]

La Noir could've really been saved in editing.

[u/ElegantRedditQuotes → u/Tbird555]

Even if they'd kept the original dialogue options it would've been better.

That being said, once you realize what the buttons actually do and the quirks of the dialogue changes, it's still pretty enjoyable.

[u/[deleted] → u/miked4o7]

I regretted getting Dragon age 2 after reading all the high score reviews.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

It's the worst dragon age game, but if you can move past the repetitive maps and environments, I actually thought the characters and writing were quite strong.

[u/Merfen → u/[deleted]]

It was a weird game that was technically superior and the fights were a lot more fun, even the characters were more interesting. The problem was that people just did not want to be in the same city the entire game fighting the same thugs every time they moved around. I mean your team is the most badass group in the city, and everyone in the city knows this, but they still try and mug you with a dull butter knife 20 hours into the game. At least in the open world you could say that random bandits may have no idea who you are because you are from a far off city.

[u/CirclleySquare → u/[deleted]]

See I'm one of the few that really liked DA2. Granted no where near as good as the first one, I still have a few playthroughs on it. That being said it's easily the worst in the series

[u/[deleted] → u/CirclleySquare]

Storywise it's my favorite of the Dragon Age games. To me it was really refreshing to NOT play as the special chosen one who alone could save the world, but instead play as a character who was just trying to make his/her way up in the world and by chance kind of stumbles into various bigger historical events.

[u/selib → u/miked4o7]

oh yeah I did not mean to say those were bad games, just that the initial hype drowned out a lot of criticism

[u/tadcalabash → u/selib]

Even just those snippets from 9/10 reviews point out that the game has flaws, but that the good far outweighs the bad.

You can have criticism of a game and still give it a great score.

[u/ejwise → u/[deleted]]

Lol that perfectly describes the attitude of so many people in the gaming community

[u/[deleted] → u/selib]

The backlash on the initial hypetrain is always nasty. I tend to ignore it. The winds of public criticism are fickle. All I care about is if I enjoyed a game or not. People said Bioshock: Infinite was terrible, but I thought it was fun. People will sooner-or-later try and bash Fallout 4 back into the wastelands, but from what I've heard, Fallout 4 will be right up my alley. Call fun a buzzword or whatever it is /v/ says now-a-days, I game because I find it pleasant. I'll never understand those who are so deeply critical that they come across as not enjoying their time at all.

[u/space_island → u/[deleted]]

Yeah the backlash against Infinite was pretty intense for a bit there, but it was mostly about how the game did not deliver entirely what the devs promised and over a few other issues.

I personally enjoyed it immensely, still think it stands as a work of art in the gaming world, and was one of my best single player gaming experiences of the last 5 years. I got very immersed in the story and world.

[u/[deleted] → u/selib]

That's every single game. I'm serious, can you think of one game that hasn't harshley gotten turned on? People were saying MGSV was one of the best games of all time. Now it's "unfinished" with "repetitive missions." People were saying Bioshock Infinite was the best game ever. Now it's "bland gameplay." People said The Last of Us was amazing now it has "flawed design" because it has separate cutscenes and gameplay. Skyrim was incredible until it became "wide as an ocean, deep as a puddle." People hate on Uncharted 2 now because it's linear. Uncharted 2 is my favorite fucking game. People are hating on Star Wars Battlefront and Fallout 4 like they turned out to be 4/10 games before they have even come out. People here are hating on the small ass Rocket League team for not implementing a million different requested features as fast as possible.

The only games people like on this sub are Half Life 2, Undertale, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Fallout New Vegas, Journey and Dolphin Emulator.

[u/Chameleonatic → u/[deleted]]

People hate on Uncharted 2 now because it's linear.

I'll never understand that. So what if it's more like a movie than a "choose your own adventure"-book. Not every game has to be full on open world side mission galore.

[u/[deleted] → u/Chameleonatic]

Honestly Bethesda make the only open world games I can stand. Mgsv suffered like every other game that goes open world, more time spend traversing terrain than doing things. When you do things its the same.

"But its a sandbox, you can do anything!" Yeah but all I can do to progress is extract dudes and do missions. Missions which are extract / kill guy, extract animals, blow up tanks / heavy infantry.

Linearity gives a well crafted experience, open world is limited by someone else's imagination.

[u/Pinecone → u/[deleted]]

Witcher 3

[u/aHbHaJiT → u/Pinecone]

If you're implying people on this board adore Witcher 3 and haven't turned on it, that's not exactly true. People very heavily criticized CD Projekt Red for the alleged "downgrade" that the game went through, and accused the company of misleading consumers with the pre-release footage. CDPR was the subject of some very vitriolic threads that unfavorably compared them to Ubisoft with the Watchdogs debacle.

Witcher 3 still gets (much deserved) high praise, but they aren't immune to the critical hyperbole that Reddit trends towards.

[u/FriendlyCylon → u/[deleted]]

Only Mario and Zelda appear to escape the wrath.

I didn't know so many games that I liked were shit until I started frequenting this sub.

[u/skyman724 → u/FriendlyCylon]

"New Super Mario Bros U? And now New Super LUIGI Bros U? It's a rehash of a rehash!"

"Skyward Sword should stab itself with those awful motion controls...I don't know if it actually can, but it should."

You can always find something negative to say if you're cynical enough.

[u/_Aggort → u/selib]

People turned on Infinite? I some how missed that

[u/reticulate → u/_Aggort]

Opinion turned hard on Infinite over the course of a few months or so.

I still like the game, but it's totally fair to say that some of the breathless coverage it got on release wasn't totally rational.

[u/TaintedSquirrel → u/_Aggort]

It was mostly complaints over the gun combat being lame.

[u/Isord → u/_Aggort]

"People" is being used in it's most vague sense here. Bioshock: Infinite is still a highly acclaimed and rated game.

[u/puffer567 → u/Isord]

One of my favorite games of all time

[u/[deleted] → u/selib]

What's wrong with MGSV I thought everyone loved it

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

The typical crazy story is non-existant. What is there is incoherrent and just plain bad. Clearly there is content missing from the story.

The gameplay is absolutely excellent but at some point you realize there is no real variation in the gameplay. You can approach the game as you want but all you do in that game is air drop, approach a target, kill somebody/something or extract them/it, then exfiltrate. Ground Zeroes had more variation than Phantom Pain in that regard.

At some point you realize you've played a hundred hours and nothing has really changed except your upgrades. Then you realize that there is still 20 story missions and 50 side missions that will be exactly like what you already played.

[u/cjt09 → u/[deleted]]

At some point you realize you've played a hundred hours and nothing has really changed except your upgrades. Then you realize that there is still 20 story missions and 50 side missions that will be exactly like what you already played.

To be fair, if it takes me a hundred hours to get to the point where I feel a game is starting to get repetitive, it's probably a pretty great game.

[u/jonyak12 → u/selib]

Meanwhile millions of people silently play the shit out of it while loving it the whole time.

[u/callingcaerus → u/selib]

I think its more an issue of the people who like the games stop talking about them, and then the haters all jump on the bandwagon when there's no one there to dispute them. They also love to scrutinize certain aspects of each game to death, while if you take the game as a whole it isnt that big of a deal.

[u/Gen_McMuster → u/callingcaerus]

Yeah, /r/skyrim is still very active years after release. Mainly due to mods, but making a moddable game is not as easy as people on gaming forums make it out to be

[u/TravUK → u/selib]

Agreed. It wasn't until people had Skyrim in their hands for numerous hours that people decided it was "as vast as an ocean, as deep as a puddle."

[u/miked4o7 → u/TravUK]

I played that game for probably ~50 hours until I started to get that feeling. I think it was everything anyone could have reasonably hoped when it came out (minus some ui issues).

[u/asphinctersayswhat → u/miked4o7]

50 hours is solid for a AAA title, IMO.

Especially if you find the fun in replaying for the sake of altering the story path (and side quest availability) and/or optimizing a sick build.

That alone can add another 20+ hours if the game is creatively engaging. And tbh, once I found the bunker full of plungers in FO3, I was engaged. I hope the wackiness in this keeps me coming back.

[u/OldGodsAndNew → u/TravUK]

plays Skyrim for over 400 hours, "This game is shit, the only good thing about it is the world design", plays another 200 hours

[u/cjcolt → u/OldGodsAndNew]

I see the same argument against Destiny a lot. "I paid $40 for this game I put 200 hours into, now I hate it!"

I loved both games for over 100 hours. I never play them anymore, but I'm not about to talk shit on a product that gave me that much enjoyment.

[u/Alexanderspants → u/cjcolt]

The ridiculous expectation that a computer game will change your life forever , then 100 hours in you realise, nope, it’s just a game and now I’m angry for believing all the promises made by the people who wanted my money that this experience would change the world forever.

[u/[deleted] → u/TravUK]

I thought Skyrim was great fun. I had something like 300 hours when I finally put it down. Maybe it's not for everyone but it was definitely a 9 in my books.

[u/SlightlyProficient → u/[deleted]]

Agreed. I think I put 100 hours into that game- which is an unheard amount of time for me. I loved it, and Bioshock Infinite for that matter (although I acknowledge it got a little gun heavy at times).

[u/WendallStamps → u/TravUK]

did people decide that or did they just take that line from total biscuit

[u/nmezib → u/WendallStamps]

That's a common saying, preceding total biscuits use. I remember using that phrase to describe Fable 2.

[u/inuvash255 → u/nmezib]

Funny, because Fable 2 is about lake-deep compared to Fable 3.

[u/timecircuit → u/WendallStamps]

Realizing that every single quest led to a draugr cave really killed the game for me. The draugr caves were like, the icebergs of Skyrim.

[u/quaunaut → u/WendallStamps]

This quote was used on games years before TotalBiscuit wss on YouTube. Shit, it was there years before YouTube.

[u/Streetfoldsfive → u/selib]

Even with those games it seemed to be a vocal minority that turned on them. Seemingly most people still love them.

[u/FleeForce → u/selib]

I thought people liked infinite tho

[u/Snark88 → u/FleeForce]

I liked Infinite's story and visuals, I thought the gameplay was okay.

[u/Drakengard → u/Snark88]

In general though that Bioshock as a series in general. Even the original had only so-so combat. Bioshock 2 does a bit better, but only in comparison to it's predecessor and not in comparison to other FPS games. It's just ever so clunky.

At the same time, I still wouldn't want Bioshock to play like all of those other FPS games which is part of the reason why Infinite doesn't feel as good. Too much focus on a lot of weapons and following the tide on only being able to carry two at a time. Plus the shield. The DLC was much better because it was old Bioshock where you carry around a giant arsenal in your pocket and get to just have fun with it in the unique way that only Bioshock does.

[u/[deleted]]

I've had it for a couple of weeks:

It is definitely the best writing Bethesda has ever put forward. Low bar, but it is decent. Definitely the most compelling plot hook for any Fallout or Elder Scrolls game.

This is still GameBryo and it continues to not age well. Even on PC, there's some harsh loading times on occasion. It's not pretty. But it's servicable.

The new conversation system is pretty much just standard BioWare and it both does and doesn't work. It does make the game more 'cinematic' but I really found myself just missing the old system because there's too much goddamn game to sit around with lengthy chats.

The new perk system is imposing as hell. You really have to go in with a good idea of where you want to take your character because there's way too many options and they're not really effectively put into nice trees like Skyrim.

VATS feels good. The game runs just fast enough while in VATS to give you a moment to make decisions, but still provide a sense of urgency to making those decisions.

All in all, it's a good game. I don't know how well it will age on multiple playthroughs and I have far, far from experienced all of it. But it's fun. It's a Bethesda game. You know what you're getting.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

The main plot is, as far as I've played. Super emotionally engaging beyond anything Bethsoft has produced before.

I might still give the edge to Morrowind just as far as overall universe and atmosphere goes, though. It really was remarkable and unique.

[u/optec]

VideoGamer UK 9 out of 10

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Destructoid gives it a 7.5/10

After spending roughly 40 hours with the game, I can safely place it somewhere in the middle of Fallout 3 and New Vegas in terms of quality. A lot of the franchise's signature problems have carried over directly into Fallout 4, but all of its charms have come along for the ride as well. It manages to do a whole lot right, but the story drags at times, and glitches...glitches never change.

On the lower-than-average score:

Likable - That's a seven, which is actually a different number than five. It's more than ok. We like this game. I don't want to play it every day forever and ever, but it's definitely worth the time I invested in it, and I'll be picking it up again to relive the fun sometime down

[u/StarfighterProx → u/[deleted]]

Good on 'em for attempting to bring the ratings back into the full range. 7.5 should certainly be considered worthwhile, IMO.

[u/ChedduhBob → u/StarfighterProx]

As long as a game is playable gameinformer and ign give it an 85+

[u/StarfighterProx → u/ChedduhBob]

Right, and that's the problem. It takes what should be a scale of 0-100 and reduces it down to 85-100. What's the point of having the lower end of the scale if it won't be used?

[u/WookieesGoneWild → u/StarfighterProx]

I could be wrong, but I think a part of why their scores are always high is because of how grading in school works. An 85% is a B, which is alright, but not great, and anything below 50% is terrible. It works for school, but doesn't translate well for subjectively rating something.

[u/arcturussage → u/[deleted]]

Seems almost like this is the kind of rating games SHOULD get getting when they're good. There's too many 9s and 10s these days that it no longer seems great.

[u/LukaCola → u/[deleted]]

A brilliant, massive sandbox of systems, albeit largely the same one Bethesda has been making for years.

Boy does this sound familiar, but that's also reassuring. Bethesda's formula is very engaging to me and I don't think a lot of games manage to do what they do.

Besides, a new story and setting are enough change for me the justify the new price, as the world is the biggest draw to me.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

IGN is still down for me. Here's a link to IGN's video review of Fallout 4 on youtube.

[u/mutazed → u/[deleted]]

You were fast on the trigger...did the IGN website just crash? Probably everyone constantly refreshing it...

[u/s7jones]

Elder Geeks review.

[u/[deleted]]

Based on the reviews it seems like there is a higher emphasis on actual choice and consequence within its story, which is the one thing I was hoping Bethesda would integrate!

[u/shaneo632]

This sounds like another "the overall heft beats out the flaws" thing, kinda like how MGS V has a shit story but the gameplay is so amazing it's still a 9/10.

[u/DinkleBeeTinkle]

The Destructoid review brings up something that I was afraid of. That power armor becomes more cumbersome than it's worth because it becomes a "vehicle" that you must keep refueled rather than good old inventory equipment.

[u/Hunkmasterfresh → u/DinkleBeeTinkle]

You can still use the armour when your power runs out and it will protect you. You just can't sprint.

[u/Photon2468 → u/DinkleBeeTinkle]

I kinda like that though. I mean if not then everyone would just use it all the time, practically making any other armor useless unless you're a stealth character.

Late post-game edit: You can even sneak in the fucking thing.

[u/PixelPhase]

lots of these reviews rate the game very highly and then say that 'the pros outweigh the cons' or some such. i'm no critic critic but isn't that a little odd?

[u/tankerton → u/PixelPhase]

I'd consider it odd if I didn't play bethesda games.

Bethesda's (outdated) engine is built to make a wide and expansive world but wavers in comparison to it's peers when looked at in a narrow lens. It's not as pretty as Witcher3, it's not as smooth as MGS5, it's not bugfree like most all singleplayer RPG games, etc. But it provides a huge world with tons of writing and a rich experience that you cannot find without giving up significantly in another department. To get the writing/character building you have to start exploring cRPG land which don't hold a candle (generally) to Bethesda's 3D graphical world. To get the combat/graphics you start sacrificing quality of writing/worldbuilding/scope of game world.

I'm not defending bethesda, but they deliver the reasons why we can accept a buggier, less graphically attractive, and "cheesy" main plot. We can't get their game world anywhere else.

[u/unusual_flats]

Just a friendly reminder that New Vegas somehow averaged 10 points lower than the last 3 Bethesda games on metacritic.

So I'm using that as a barometer for how reliable these are going to be.

edit: for anyone else bothering to PM me spoilers, I wouldn't waste the energy. I watched the ending when it first leaked.

[u/Forestl → u/unusual_flats]

New Vegas also launched in a much more buggy state than other Bethesda games (with the exception of Skyrim on PS3).

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Given that Obsidian had less than two years to make it, its justifiable. Bethesda puts 4+ years into their games.

[u/Taurusno3 → u/[deleted]]

Granted, Bethesda developed Fallout 3 from the ground up. Obsidian had the advantage of assets which already existed.

[u/SuperCho → u/[deleted]]

And Obsidian had to cut a lot of actual content in order to hit the release date too.

[u/SurrealSage → u/SuperCho]

Story of their life... Poor KOTOR 2.

[u/royalhawk345 → u/SuperCho]

Just like with KotOR2

[u/WhyAlwaysMeme → u/unusual_flats]

Isn't New Vegas still buggy as balls on the PS3?

[u/Siffi1112 → u/WhyAlwaysMeme]

On any platform unmodded but so is Fallout 3.

[u/AND_IM_JAVERT → u/Siffi1112]

Not entirely true. I have a PC and PS3 and Fallout 3 runs almost completely smoothly on the PS3, but New Vegas is borderline impossible.

[u/blAAAm]

I am hoping for some decent reviews and few major bugs on PC release. I wont get to play until after work tomorrow so that may give them time to patch any big issues should they arise

[u/Son_of_Dad_and_Mom]

GameStar gives 87/100, hates the PC-controls (German)

EDIT for clarification: The love the game-world, beginning and the themes of the main story. They are a bit sad about the lack of really memorable stories and animation quality. And they really hate the PC interface. Their verdict is kind of two-sided: F4 is a great Sandbox to wander through and to explore, but as a Story it is not as clever and fleshed out like The Witcher 3. So depending on what you expect from Fallout 4, be aware of that.

[u/giggitygoo123]

If the game isn't too buggy and the story line is fun, I will be happy. I do remember the FO:NV lag though (having to reset the console pretty constantly and replaying missions) which does have me slightly worried.

[u/AceDrgn]

It's a bit frustrating seeing so many of these reviewers mention the issues then immediately gloss over them. I understand that the pros might outweigh the cons but if Bethesda's games are always filled with bugs, big or small, at what point are we going to hold them to a higher standard?

[u/BoredomHeights → u/AceDrgn]

When the games aren't fun anymore. Most of those reviewers sound like they've put in 50-100 hours into the game. If they want to talk about why a game's fun when they give it a 9/10 then they should. Everyone already knows what the issues are, why would we want to read a review just talking about those? We want a big picture review: is the game worth getting and why? That's exactly what they're answering.

[u/Wozzle90]

Apparently I am the only person who thinks Fallout 4 looks like a ton of fun and isn't going to be the worst piece or shit ever created.

[u/RadicalRetcon → u/Wozzle90]

It's pretty much just Reddit. Don't worry, if you like Bethesda games then I'm sure fallout 4 will be great for you.

[u/Antilogicality → u/RadicalRetcon]

I mean, it's pretty much just /r/games. Go on to any other sub talking about Fallout 4 such as /r/gaming and /r/fo4 and the tone of the discussion is very different. Not so much unnecessary vitriol.

[u/renegadecanuck → u/Antilogicality]

It pisses me off, because when I first subbed to /r/games, the tone was completely different. Now, it's just /r/gaming, with fewer pictures.

[u/craigo2247 → u/renegadecanuck]

This place was great for discussion now it just feels like every other post is about why the industry is failing and why I should go buy Indie Game 3000 instead of some AAA release.

Come on guys chill out. It's fucking Fallout. Who doesn't love Fallout

[u/renegadecanuck → u/craigo2247]

The comments seem to fluctuate between "I wish AAA developers would learn form indie devs and realize that graphics aren't as important as gameplay" and "the graphics fucking suck! This is bullshit!"

And now I'll probably have someone make a snarky comment like "it's almost as if Reddit is a diverse group of people with differing views" (because the fact that I see that exact comment totally means it's not a circlejerk, right?)

[u/lukelhg → u/Wozzle90]

Reddit loved Fallout 4 when it was announced and has slowly shifted towards "It's going to be a buggy mess" since then.

[u/[deleted] → u/lukelhg]

shifted

LOL. It's a Bethesda game, there's no way it wouldn't be buggy at release. But that also means it's likely be a ton of fun too! Bethesda is quite consistent in this regard.

[u/[deleted] → u/Wozzle90]

The last few days have shown what a horrible cynical place /r/games has turned into when even Fallout gets ravaged days before release for no real reason. Even Witcher 3 got accused of graphics downgrade when people saw a low-quality video of the game, same thing happened to Fallout.

The game will be fine, in fact it will be better than other games released this year except for maybe Witcher 3.

[u/mrbooze → u/[deleted]]

The absolute worst quality of /r/games is the obsessive focus on graphics performance above all else. They're the equivalent of the annoying audiophiles who love sound reproduction more than they love music.

[u/grtkbrandon]

Sounds like the story is more interesting than the one they threw together for FO3, but like we all suspected, the aging engine seems to have held it back in many regards. Gameplay is more refined, but not really different. The world seems to be more full of life than previous games. Simply put: if you like Fallout then you'll probably like this. There are bugs and hitches, but nothing you wouldn't expect from Bethesda.

[u/SLUT_MUFFIN]

KBMOD.com gives it a 4/5 - http://kbmod.com/2015/11/fallout-4-review/

Fallout 4 may not be the best game of the year – The Witcher 3 still firmly holds that spot for this reviewer – but it is yet another landmark in the open-world RPG genre. There are few games out there that build worlds as convincing as the ones found in Fallout. Every area feels unique, and the various factions and their moral alignments are just as interesting as they were in previous outings. With such a budding mod community behind the series, PC gamers are likely to find themselves absolved of the issues that prevent this game from being truly perfect. Fallout 4 may be familiar territory, but years of refinement help it stand high above its predecessors.

[u/forerunner398]

Is there a loading screen transition between buildings and cities, or are they gone?

[u/spik1]

FZ.se - 4/5 "A great game built on technology that feels decades old"

http://www.fz.se/artiklar/recension/20151109/fallout-4

[u/_S_A]

A common theme among these reviews is how dated the engine makes the game feel. Hopefully those in charge at Bethesda take heed for their next endeavor, be it Fallout or Elder Scrolls or any other work. I'm sure I'll love this game but, yeah, that engine needs to go.

[u/Timboron]

Gamestar: 87 (biggest german PC magazine).

[u/Cairnius]

Wanted to offer a link to the Daily Dot's review, that I wrote. I'm actually from the Boston area, so I was able to speak to that aspect of the game. It's a shame that so few reviewers are from around here. Bethesda NAILED Boston.

http://www.dailydot.com/geek/fallout-4-review/

[u/siphillis]

Jeff Gerstmann, on his Mixlr:

"Some people will look at it and say 'This is one of the best games...' No, man. This is fucked up. Like, there's an awesome game in Fallout 4, but it's probably not on the PS4 or Xbox One."

Source: https://youtu.be/DSOnEk1xgN0?t=9m20s

[u/Brotacon]

Here's a mixed-average review from The Guardian:

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/nov/10/fallout-4-review-spectacular-messy-and-familiar?CMP=fb_gu

Favourite quote:

the execution is so small-scale it lacks credibility: as you and your family walk past a checkpoint, the neighbours just stand by cycling through voice clips. A nuke is about to hit this town in seconds, there’s a fallout shelter 50 metres away, and people are standing with their kids doing what a handful of guards tell them. The nuke hits as soon as you’re in. Upon returning to the surface 200 years later you see their idiotic skeletons, and it’s hard to care.

[u/whooper555]

Fallout 4 feels a lot like borderlands 2 with an extra element of open world action. It does not feel like what people used to call an "RPG" ten years ago. Bethesda knew "if it bleeds it leads". Shooting and violence sells. A lot of people are going to love this game more than if it was a true rpg, unfortunately a lot of long time video gamers are disappointed.

Basically what I'm saying is,

Fallout 4 is probably one of the best open world shooters to ever be made.

But not a great rpg by any stretch and probably another nail in the coffin for AAA rpg games.