Bethesda Softworks
Fallout 4

Cross and delight... cross or delight? As I see it, the ratio is more or less 25-75, quite satisfactory, then. But not entirely. Let's say right away that I have never tried the celebrated Fallout 3, my first contact with Bethesda's post-atomic America (which, together with the rival Bioware, has plunged me back into the video game tunnel in recent years, damn them... hahaha) was the subsequent New Vegas. Played only once, having seen all the endings, I didn't feel like starting it over, yet I liked it a lot. Fascinating settings, a soundtrack packed with tasty 50s-60s swing standards, an engaging story, excellently characterized characters, one in particular that almost seems based on some traits of my personality. This is to say that New Vegas is a pretty demanding benchmark for me; there was a lot of great stuff there, and there is here too, with some room for improvement, however.

I started Fallout 4 by setting the difficulty level to "easy," changed it to "very easy" after less than an hour of gameplay, and it was still anything but a walk in the park, especially in the early stages of the game. I'm interested in the story and exploration; I have little desire to struggle with combat, and from this perspective, I can be fully satisfied, here there are definitely fewer disgusting and deadly beasts that pop out when you least expect it. Goodbye and (hopefully) never see you again to the hateful Cazadores, in particular. Weapons and equipment are not subject to wear, so that's one less hassle compared to its predecessor. The protagonist speaks, and this is excellent, just as it is excellent that the various human cases... oops, I meant the various recruitable companions can no longer die in combat, which makes them much more strategically useful and allows for much more detailed development. It is also commendable that the protagonist no longer has the good/bad characterization depending on the player's choices, I revel in the "gray"; finally, the plot and characters fully meet expectations; plot twists, difficult decisions, context, atmosphere, all perfect as far as I'm concerned.

And now we come to the painful notes: the Mojave Desert was definitely more fascinating than Boston (what remains of it) and the surroundings, but this is purely an aesthetic issue; much more importantly, the ending is terrible. But seriously terrible, a lazy and botched little thing at the levels of Mass Effect 3 before they patched it, something I earnestly hope happens here too, perhaps with a future DLC. All the details, the consequences of decisions made, the side missions, the fate of various companions, all dismissed with a couple of standard 2-minute scenes? Oh no, I can't let this slide.

Companions and characters in general: a lot of human variety (and robots, radioactive zombies, and other post-nuclear abominations) and many amusing moments, which doesn't hurt but; by gradually gaining a companion's approval, specific dialogues are unlocked, almost all of high saccharine content, whether this is a good thing or not is not for me to say, it goes a bit by taste. MacCready and Paladin Danse are the best and most useful in combat, in my opinion, not bad either Nick Valentine, Hancock, Cait, Codsworth, and Curie; I find all the others completely dispensable, but that's okay.

Various and sundry: power armor? No, thank you! The power armor would be a kind of exoskeleton that guarantees greater resistance to damage and radiation, but unfortunately, unlike all the other equipment, it is subject to damage. So to repair it, resources are wasted, and on top of that, aesthetically, I don't like it, so I have no use for it except going in and out continuously to increase affinity with Danse. The system of upgrading and developing the character is okay and allows for ample customization possibilities; I must say I was a bit disappointed by the lack of the "confirmed bachelor" perk from Fallout New Vegas, but I won't make a drama out of it.

Would I recommend Fallout 4 to you reader-gamers? Absolutely yes, it's a good American RPG with a customizable protagonist, for shrewd people who want "something more" from a video game. There are flaws, as I have already said, but the experience is overall positive. Unlike New Vegas, I might replay this one, later, thanks in large part to streamlined gameplay in the right spots. Now let's see where they go with the DLCs, NW had a couple that were definitely fun, who knows about this one. It will be the DLCs that determine my final judgment, a pleasant "filler" in the wait for Mass Effect: Andromeda or something more? We'll see, we'll see.