Fallout 4: PC graphics performance benchmark review - What's the game about?

What's the game about?

Fallout 4 is an post apocalyptic role-playing game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. It is the fifth major installment in the Fallout series, and is released on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on November 10, 2015.

The Story (wiki)

On the morning of October 23rd, 2077, The Player Characters is preparing to go to a Veteran's hall. While getting ready, a Vault-Tec representative approaches the family and approves them for admittance into Vault 111. Mere moments later, a news bulletin warns of an imminent nuclear attack, forcing the family and their son, Shaun to rush to the Vault, where they're temporarily trapped outside when a nuke detonates nearby.

(spoiler alert) Suddenly, the platform below them was lowered just in time, and the family along with all of the other residents were placed in cryosleep. Over two hundred years, an unknown assailants open the players's pod. The Survivor is the only one to emerge from Vault 111. After escaping Vault 111, the player returns to Sanctuary Hills, the estate where the Sole Survivor is from. The Survior founded their former robot-butler, Codsworth, who still resides there. Despite not understand Codsworth word about being on the Vault for 200 years, The Survivor stated they "didn't go that very long". Out-lands of Boston's city limits, the player found a long lost dog, named Dogmeat, who were looking for a new owners.

Every second is a fight for survival, and every choice is yours. Only you can rebuild and determine the fate of the Wasteland. First or third person combat. Combat slow motion, using VATS (Vault Assisted Targeting system). Cinematic combat carnage. Highly advanced crafting system. Collect upgrade and build thousands of items. Build and manage entire settlements.

Prior to this, the player is shown to have lived during the pre-War era with their spouse and child. The setting is to take place in Boston, Massachusetts. Possible areas within Fenway Park include (from left to right) Swatters Custom Baseball Store, Diamond City Surplus, Power Noodles, and Chem-I-Care. Fenway Park is likely renamed Diamond City, as seen in the surplus store name, and the white diamond symbol seen on the outside of the building and on the Diamond City Surplus store. The setting will also include mountains and the out-lands of Boston's city limits.

Gameplay

The gameplay is largely similar to that of Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas, with the ability to switch from first to third person view. Additional features are a split-piece armor system, base-building, a dynamic dialogue system, in depth crafting system which implements every lootable object in the game, and much more. Enemies such as mole rats, raiders, super mutants, deathclaws, and ghouls will also return to the series.

Players will obtain a Pip-Boy which allows the player to access a menu with statistics, maps, data, and items. Players can also find game cartridges, which can be played on the Pip-Boy. Another returning gameplay feature is the Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System (V.A.T.S.), which plays an important part in combat. While using V.A.T.S., real-time combat is slowed down, and action is played out from varying camera angles in a computer graphics version of "bullet time". Various actions cost action points, limiting the actions of each combatant during a turn, and the player can target specific body areas for attacks to inflict specific injuries; head shots can be used for quick kills or blinding, legs can be targeted to slow enemies' movements, and opponents can be disarmed by shooting at their weapons.

A new feature to the series is the ability to build settlements and buildings. Players can select and scrap objects and structures for resources and building supplies, and use them to build their own structures ranging from fully-decoratable houses, towers, bars, labs, and more. The player can also construct more than one settlement across the Commonweatlh, and can send brahmin caravans in-between their towns. Towns can be powered with working electricity, using a dynamic power line system, as well as equipped water pumps and crops/gardens to keep a steady income of food and drink. Merchants and non-player characters can inhabit players' towns and help keep the settlements running as a community. Players can build various defenses around their settlements, such as turrets, guard towers, and traps, to defend the settlements, as they can be raided and attacked.

Another new feature to Fallout that was confirmed by Bethesda Studios on Twitter is that there is no level cap, allowing players to experience a little more freedom when it comes to exploring and combat. Another confirmed feature that allows even more explorational freedom is that, also confirmed by Bethesda's Twitter, is that even if the game 'ends' you may continue playing, a feature returning from Broken Steel, which allows players to experience the aftermath of their decisions. In addition, a new weapon system will allow a wide variety of customization.