Jez Cordon (Windows Central) has reviewed Fallout 4:

Review: Fallout 4, post-hype post-apocalypse

To preface, it's worth mentioning that Fallout 3 is probably my favourite game on the Xbox 360. I knew that the mere mention of Fallout at Bethesda's E3 presentation would steal the show, and like millions of other gamers, I spent the last few months beside myself with anticipation for Fallout 4.

Set in a post-apocalyptic Boston wasteland, Fallout 4 is an FPS/RPG hybrid with a ridiculous amount of customization, gameplay options, quests and open-world scale. 2015 has been an incredible year for blockbuster titles, from Battlefront to The Witcher 3 and Halo 5 - Fallout 4 seemed poised to overshadow them all, but does it deserve to?

As a huge fan of Fallout, and Bethesda's particular brand of open-world RPG, I find myself with mixed feelings about Fallout 4.

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Conclusion

Fallout 4 is already a runaway success story, shipping millions of copies. Despite my disappointments with the capacity for roleplaying, I adore Fallout 4 and eagerly anticipate the DLC, season pass in hand.

Fallout 4 represents incredible value for money, granting the player tons of things to do across potentially hundreds of hours of play. The shooting mechanics have become refined, taking a place among this generation's FPS-first heavy hitters. The crafting systems are laudable, and the base building system is utterly addictive.

Pros:

• Vastly improved combat mechanics
• Well over a hundred hours of gameplay
• Settlement construction is a welcome addition

Cons:

• Shallow dialogue choices
• Engine quirks from Skyrim and Fallout 3 haven't been addressed
• This game will take over your life

Fallout 4 is a story of trade-offs. Bethesda trade cutting-edge visuals for interactive density, they trade roleplaying freedom for a story that's a little more focussed and cinematic, and they ditch some of the franchise's intricacies to broaden its appeal. Fallout 4 is an incredible open-world shooter, but I'm concerned that the series is beginning to stray from its roleplaying roots.

With that in mind, I'm off to start my third character.