Photo Courtesy of Tribune News Service – Fallout 4.

‘Fallout 4’ — from Bethesda Softworks

Xbox One, Playstation 4, PC

9.5 out of 10

By Jack McAuslan ‘16
THE ROUNDUP

Many years ago, four to be precise, I discovered the world of “Fallout” when I wanted to continue playing games made by Bethesda.  

I began with “Fallout 3.”  

The difference in atmosphere and difficulty between “Fallout 3” and “Skyrim” was huge and after just a few hours I stopped playing out of sheer frustration.  

After a week without Xbox, I was lost, and I needed to play something.  

“Call of Duty” was stale and none of my friends were playing anything else, so I gave “Fallout 3” another chance.

Somehow, this time when I played, I got more into it than I have any other game in the past.

I loved “Fallout 3” more than any game I had ever played, the atmosphere of a post-nuclear Washington, D.C. and everything that came with it made me as much a “Fallout” fan as anyone who had played the series since the first game launched.

Soon I discovered “Fallout: New Vegas,” and I loved that game equally but for different reasons.

After I had seemingly discovered everything in both games, I awaited patiently for the next installment of my favorite game series, and there seemed to be no hope after a phony website that appeared to be made by Bethesda for “Fallout 4” was debunked by Bethesda themselves.

Months went by, and there was no news.

Soon, though, a mysterious page on Bethesda’s official website appeared, and it seemed to foreshadow the coming of “Fallout 4.”

When the first trailer for “Fallout 4” came out just days later, I may have shed a single tear.

Now that “Fallout 4” is finally upon us, I can happily report that it one of the best games I have ever played, only being rivaled by “Fallout 3” and “New Vegas.”

The gameplay of “Fallout 4” is a massive improvement over the previous games with small additions such as the ability to sprint and, now, no weapons or armor (besides power armor) needing repairing.

And that’s another thing, power armor.

In “Fallout 3” and “New Vegas” it was the same as any other set of armor.  It didn’t feel any different because it was able to be equipped straight from your inventory and worn like normal clothes.

Now, however, power armor is completely different.

Your character enters power armor as if it were an Iron Man like suit, and it allows you to fall from any height without taking damage and walk on the floor of lakes and rivers.

It also gives you incredible radiation and damage resistance.

The graphics of “4” are an unbelievable improvement over “3” and “New Vegas,” and this makes the game feel all the more realistic, even when you are battling a 10- foot long scorpion with a laser rifle.

With over 100 hours in the game, it is easily one of the top games on Xbox One, Playstation 4, and PC right now for open-world game fans.

I have experienced one huge glitch in the game, however, which does not allow me to continue the main quest line.  

As a result, I do not know how it ends.

Some of my friends have said, however, that there is a huge decision to make in the end and it is not a disappointing story.

“Fallout 4” is one of the best games of the year and it is undoubtedly one of the best games I have ever played, and I am eagerly awaiting the downloadable content coming in the future.