For the past few days I have been wandering around the wastelands of Boston, scavenging materials to bolster my meager dwelling, and to help my group of survivors live and thrive. There's also the annoying case of my kidnapped infant, but that pales in comparison to building my perfect post-apocalyptic mansion (it's only two stories right now), getting the journalist to fall in love with me.
I'm talking about Fallout 4, for those of you completely confused by my contrived conveyance. Fallout 4 is the latest game in the long-running Fallout franchise, and has seen a much better reception than New Vegas ever did.
As with all Fallout games, in 4 you play as a survivor in the Wasteland, this time in the Boston area. In a unique twist, your character is actually from a time before the atomic war ruined the world, and is alive still from the cryogenic freezing that Vault 111 employed. While thawing out, you see your spouse murdered and your infant son taken by a group of raiders.
You escape the Vault, intent on finding your son, only to find that over 200 years have passed the world is now completely different. You wander down to your old home, only to find it completely abandoned, except for your old robotic butler, who doesn't want to believe that your spouse has been murdered. He fills you in on what's been happening and tells you to go to a nearby settlement for help. It is here where the adventure really begins.
You soon meet your first companion, the series staple Dogmeat (who was very noticeably absent from New Vegas), and all thoughts of finding your son are gone because doggie.
That being said, this is really just my first impressions. I'm not that far into the game, I'm only level 12. I enjoyed the previous Fallout games, but it always took me forever to actually make progress in them. With Fallout 4, I am constantly wanting to jump back into the game. I care about the character I have created (in the truly robust character creator), I care about the companions I have met, and I want to see how ridiculously cute Dogmeat looks in all the different eyewear that I can find! Spoiler: he looks so cute in everything, but honestly, he's been wearing welding goggles the entire game because squee!
Those are my basic thoughts on the game. I'll give an update once I'm further into it, but right now I am enjoying the ride.