by Andrew on Wed Mar 07, 2018 10:41 pm
So all these years later, I finally finished a playthrough. I guess that kind of speaks volumes considering how many times I've played through Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas, and how I finished both within weeks of getting them (as opposed to taking over two years with long breaks in between playing), but Fallout 4 did grow on me the deeper into the story I got.
This playthrough, I sided with the Brotherhood of Steel. I think the game's been out long enough to avoid using spoiler tags, but spoiler warnings all the same.
I did like the twist of Shaun being Father, revealing that the timeline wasn't what you thought it was. Hardly the most clever twist a story has ever had, but effective nevertheless. It's nice that there are a few branching paths compared to Fallout 3 - it's more like New Vegas in that regard - and it was different siding with a Brotherhood of Steel that hold their traditional attitudes and values, rather than the more heroic and clear-cut good guys of Fallout 3 (not that I thought that was a bad thing in 3, though). I did find myself regretting some of the things I had to do (and leaving saves so that I can try those other paths without starting from scratch), and second-guessing my decision to go with the BoS. I followed through and destroyed the Institute though, euthanising Shaun in the process. I liked that there were more shades of grey this time around.
I didn't mind the combat, though enemies are definitely bullet sponges compared to 3 and New Vegas. Like a lot of people, I wish there were more quests where there isn't any combat. There are parts of 3 and New Vegas where you can go a long time without even drawing your weapon, either because you're trying for a more diplomatic route, or you're in a relatively peaceful part of the game. Even if there was combat, the nature of the quests were more unique and interesting. To be fair, there are a lot of side quests I've yet to discover in 4 though, as I've mostly been following the main story through to its conclusion on this first playthrough. I thought the main quest got a little more interesting as it went and there were new places to explore and things to collect instead of just things to shoot at, but the ending of the BoS path does borrow heavily from the original ending of 3, with an even longer walk with Liberty Prime. I was mostly satisfied with how it turned out though, even enjoying the moral ambiguity, and I've warmed up to the game a little more.
On the whole, I do prefer the Perks and Skills system of 3 and New Vegas to 4. There were more meaningful decisions to make as far as your character build and upgrades at each level up, and the perks were more interesting. I also prefer New Vegas' approach to speech challenges, and the full dialogue trees of the previous games to the new conversation system. I'm used to the idea of the new approach though, and it's OK. I think it's fair to say that when it comes to that stuff, I was hoping 4 would follow more closely in the footsteps of its predecessors, but I understand Bethesda wanting to change things up. I do also miss the karma system and the continual juggling of faction reputation, though.
I had really high expectations for Fallout 4, and probably more specific expectations than I was originally willing to admit. It's definitely contributed to me not feeling the same attachment, and not touching the game a lot over the past couple of years. Having completed a playthrough however, I do like the game a little more, and expect to spend some more time with it, checking out those other paths, exploring the world, and finding those side quests. I also have the DLC to play through, and I've heard good things about them. I'm hoping the game will continue to grow on me, though for the moment, I definitely rate 3 and New Vegas higher.