Fallout 4 is a post-apocalyptic role-playing game, set several decades after a nuclear war changed the planet as we know it for good. Having hidden in a fallout shelter for decades after the bombs dropped, you emerge into a nuclear wasteland, and set out on a quest to find your son.
Open ended and expansive, Fallout 4 is a huge game, with hundreds of quests and side-quests for you to complete. Played from either a third or first person perspective, it's a game of combat, quests and levelling, as you defeat enemies and complete quests to earn XP, which in turn lets you level up, unlocking skill points that you can spend making your character stronger. Of course, there's much more to Fallout beyond this, too, as the game provides a huge, breathing world for you to explore and influence. At several points in the game, the decisions you make will actually have a huge effect on how the game plays out, changing the story - and how certain people see you - for good.
Unfortunately, Fallout 4 also isn't the easiest of games to pick up and play - in fact, despite being such a huge, multifaceted game, there's almost nothing in the way of tutorials here, which new players may find unforgiving. While those who've played other Fallout games (particularly Fallout 3 and New Vegas) will have few issues here, for everyone else, Fallout 4 may initially be confusing and awkward, as the game simply chooses to not tell you about many of the gameplay systems you'll later come to rely on - such as the V.A.T.S targeting system. The V.A.T.S. system essentially slows down/stops time, and lets you focus your fire on a specific body part of an enemy, letting you disable a huge foe in just a few well placed shots. Unfortunately, the game simply chooses not to tell you about this - so it's well worth reading up as much as you can about the game before you start playing, to get off on the right foot.
in terms of mature content, Fallout 4 is about as violent as they come. The game's combat features strong and bloody violence from the off, with limbs being torn off, heads exploding, and blood, guts and flesh flying everywhere - sometimes in slow motion for added effect. Bad language is similarly coarse, with f**k and s**t regularly featuring in the game's dialogue, while players also have access to several (fictional) recreational drugs during their time with the game.
Age Ratings
Format Reviewed: Xbox One
