Fallout 4

The continuation of the legendary role-playing series set in a post-apocalyptic world. The game features a completely redesigned leveling system, gameplay, and RPG elements, as well as for the first time in the series, a weapon upgrade and item crafting system. The setting of the game is Boston, Massachusetts, where we will see several moments of peaceful life before the atomic bombing begins.

Single-player shooter with RPG elements Fallout 4 was released on November 10, 2015, for PC, Xbox One, and PS4. The game takes place in the future, in a world that has survived nuclear war, with elements of 1960s retro-futurism. The main focus during development was on a large and well-developed game world, combat system, and character progression. The story and quests are given little attention, and the game suffers from an underdeveloped dialogue system.

The new Creation Engine version allowed for high-quality graphics with high-resolution textures and excellent lighting technology, including light and shadow effects. There is decent animation, but the main feature of Fallout 4 is a realistic physics model, making weapons feel more satisfying than ever.

Fallout 4's action takes place in Boston and its surroundings, called the Commonwealth — a large seamless world with no restrictions on movement. Developers incorporated many elements of Massachusetts into the game, such as the state Capitol, Banker Hill, Boston Library, the ship "Constitution," rivers crossing the city, Fenway Park baseball stadium, and others.

Despite the Commonwealth having endured two nuclear strikes that almost wiped out all life, the central Boston area survived, although many skyscrapers have already begun to collapse, some are open for exploration. Outside the metropolis, players can explore satellite towns, industrial areas, distant suburbs — mountain hills, peasant villages, fields, and forests, as well as the Glowing Sea — a large radioactive wasteland.

The game world of Fallout 4 is inhabited by 9 factions, 3 of which are hostile from the start, and 2 can become hostile during gameplay. As for wildlife, there are many in the Commonwealth, mostly dangerous mutants — Deathclaws, Yao-Gai, Behemoths, but initially, players will be bothered by smaller mutants and ghouls.

A significant part of the content is hidden from the player's view — an unassuming building can be the entrance to a multi-level secret laboratory, a Vault, or a military outpost filled with rare weapons, ammunition, and armor. The metro exists but is heavily damaged, with only certain stations accessible for exploration.

For the first time in the series, the combat system is based on shooter mechanics. The player has a vast arsenal for various playstyles — you can be a ninja or a daredevil with a hammer, a sniper, an assault soldier, a machine gunner, or combine all of these. There is a workshop that allows you to build a cozy settlement where the player not only manages the inhabitants but also creates and upgrades their weapons, ammunition, regular and power armor.

The RPG element of Fallout 4 is the S.P.E.C.I.A.L. system: 7 basic character attributes, such as strength or intelligence, rated from 1 to 10, as well as a set of 10 perks divided into 2-5 sublevels. Perks are very different — they improve speech, increase weapon damage, allow carrying extra items.

As you explore the game world, complete quests, kill enemies, upgrade equipment, and perform other actions, you earn experience points that accumulate into levels. Each level grants points that can be spent on S.P.E.C.I.A.L., and the higher the level, the better quality equipment and armor you can find, and the more dangerous enemies you will encounter.

A curse of Fallout 4 is the dialogue system, which offers 3-4 similar response options: yes, no, question, and sarcasm.

The events of Fallout 4 take place in 2287, the protagonist wakes up after cryogenic sleep and must find their family. Going to the surface, they learn that the Commonwealth is slowly dying under the pressure of super mutants, raiders, and the sinister Institute organization. The defenders of this territory, the Minutemen, are completely defeated.

The search for the family must be combined with helping ordinary Commonwealth residents, exploring the world, restoring the Minutemen organization, and strengthening its position. The storyline is linear, with no unexpected twists or replayability. If you don’t get distracted by everything else, it can be completed in 10-12 hours. Sometimes it’s better not to act head-on — it’s often more profitable to negotiate or buy the needed information.

Very soon, the player encounters synths — android robots, strong and hostile, created by the Institute. As the story develops, the Underground organization comes into play, aimed at helping synths break free from the Institute’s control, as well as the Brotherhood of Steel, which wants to restore order in the Commonwealth and incorporate it into the Capital Wasteland.

The player can join these organizations or reject them, but in the end, will inevitably face the Institute. Each faction offers its own set of quests, attractive bonuses for joining, and determines the ending the player will receive. Additionally, there will be many contacts with independent settlements.

In Fallout 4, you can meet a wide variety of companions — from synths to super mutants. Each has a unique, personal backstory, detailed with various elements, a set of personal quests and ambitions, sometimes not matching the player’s playstyle, but everyone will need to find a common language with them.