This is an in-depth review of Fallout 4 split into several game mechanics seperately rated and an overall game rating in the conclusion:

I don't want to sound like a broken record, so I'm going to address and rate each element sperately.

WANRING: Spoilers beyond this point!

STORY:
The storyline for Fallout 4 is above par. That being said, it simply does not compare to the other Fallout games. The mystery involved in the other Fallout games involving the Vault-Tec experiments seemed to fade quickly after the beginning of the game. The storyline degressed into a man trying to find his kidnapped child. This could have been accomplished in any other setting. The "appocolypes" became more of a background element than the main focus.
FINAL STORY RATING: 6/10

COMBAT:
The combat in this game is something to behold. I would argue that it's the only redeeming aspect of the game. The VATS was slightly buggy, but game a sense of "adrenaline rush" (slow-motion enemy movement) rather than the ability to control time like the other Fallout games (time is stopped in VATS. Ammo was more scarce on higher difficulties with improved enemy AI. Using Stimpaks was also a great experience in itself. Rather than a quick sound and you're healed like the other Fallout games, your character whips out a syringe and jabs it into his leg in the midst of combat giving a total "badass" vibe. The ability to add weapon modifications was also a great addon, but the interface could use some work. It seems quite overwhelming when you don't know exactly what you want.
FINAL COMBAT RATING: 8/10

RPG:
This aspect is where Fallout 4 took a total blunder. The RPG elements are limited to bad voice acting with no real impact on storyline or even faction. The other Fallout games were greatly successful with their ability to totally reflect the players personality; forcing moral decisions, personality traits, gambles with your words, and totally reshaping the outcome of the storyline itself. This game fell far short of those expectations that any self-respecting Fallout player handed up their money for. Dialoge options are limited to four choices at a time (sometimes less) and are usually as follows: Yes, No, Sarcastic, What?. Choosing any of the four options would do one of two things. 1) Change the dialoge of the character you spoke to to something slightly different. 2) Nothing different from normal. And as for the most important Fallout RPG mechanic, you simply can't choose good or evil. You can't choose any special faction. You simply follow the story as it was inteded and are a slave to the developers straight-as-an-arrow "movie" as I choose to call it. That being said, I have stumbled across worse RPG elements in games.
FINAL RPG RATING: 2/10

OTHER CONTENT:
I figured I'd group in all the other aspects together, as I can't say much about each one in particular. Having Dogmeat as your follower is great. Giving you a companion right of the bat, in my oppinion, makes the player feel less alone and more willing to venture out and explore. Other followers will pop up here and there that you can earn, but switching them out is a bit stressful when you don't know where Dogmeat is when you want him back. Another redeeming aspect of this game would be the "Workshop" ability; being able to totally rebuild a city to your liking and housing people to maintain the land for you. There is a lot of exploration with this conecept, however, a little more "sandbox" feel would have been great. One last mechanic to mention would be the Power Armor. It was always a great feeling in the old Fallout games when you finally got training and could finally equip that Power Armor for that last boost of stats. The reward was great for your hard efforts of assasinating a Brotherhood member and immidiately after, having another member show you how to use his dead comrades deadly suit of destruction. In Fallout 4, you are rewarded with Power Armor after less than an hour of gameplay. This version of Power Armor makes you godly; taking out Deathclaws in mere seconds without fear. Of course, you must find a way to power the suit, right? Well that's not too hard either, leaving the player with two choices; don't use the armor and play the game with a challenge or use the suit to cheat your way past that part that is a little too difficult otherwise and is now a breeze.
FINAL OTHER SCORE: 4/10

FINAL THOUGHTS:
Finally, I give my reccomendations. If you are looking for a good shooter with a decent storyline and Role Playing is not your cup of tea, I suggest this game, but not for the retail sixty dollars. Waiting for a sale might be a good idea for you. Otherwise, if you came for your long-neglected Fallout fix, spending your money here couldn't be more ill-advised. It is somply not worth the money. I have not purchaced the DLC for this game, however reading into it, there doesn't seem to be any game-changing or redeeming qualities as well as the price of the season pass being comparable to that of the game itself.

The following overall rating is not an average of the game aspects, but a rating for the game as a whole based on my experience playing the game. This is simply an oppinion and suggestion. Draw your own conclusions if you wish to purchase the game yourself.

OVERALL RATING: 4/10
SUGGESTED RETAIL PRICE: $14.99 USD

This is an in-depth review of Fallout 4 split into several game mechanics seperately rated and an overall game rating in the conclusion: I don't want to sound like a broken record, so I'm going to address and rate each element sperately. WANRING: Spoilers beyond this point! STORY: The storyline for Fallout 4 is above par. That being said, it simply does not compare to the other Fallout games. The mystery involved in the other Fallout games involving the Vault-Tec experiments seemed to fade quickly after the beginning of the game. The storyline degressed into a man trying to find his kidnapped child. This could have been accomplished in any other setting. The "appocolypes" became more of a background element than the main focus. FINAL STORY RATING: 6/10 COMBAT: The combat in this game is something to behold. I would argue that it's the only redeeming aspect of the game. The VATS was slightly buggy, but game a sense of "adrenaline rush" (slow-motion enemy movement) rather than the ability to control time like the other Fallout games (time is stopped in VATS. Ammo was more scarce on higher difficulties with improved enemy AI. Using Stimpaks was also a great experience in itself. Rather than a quick sound and you're healed like the other Fallout games, your character whips out a syringe and jabs it into his leg in the midst of combat giving a total "badass" vibe. The ability to add weapon modifications was also a great addon, but the interface could use some work. It seems quite overwhelming when you don't know exactly what you want. FINAL COMBAT RATING: 8/10 RPG: This aspect is where Fallout 4 took a total blunder. The RPG elements are limited to bad voice acting with no real impact on storyline or even faction. The other Fallout games were greatly successful with their ability to totally reflect the players personality; forcing moral decisions, personality traits, gambles with your words, and totally reshaping the outcome of the storyline itself. This game fell far short of those expectations that any self-respecting Fallout player handed up their money for. Dialoge options are limited to four choices at a time (sometimes less) and are usually as follows: Yes, No, Sarcastic, What?. Choosing any of the four options would do one of two things. 1) Change the dialoge of the character you spoke to to something slightly different. 2) Nothing different from normal. And as for the most important Fallout RPG mechanic, you simply can't choose good or evil. You can't choose any special faction. You simply follow the story as it was inteded and are a slave to the developers straight-as-an-arrow "movie" as I choose to call it. That being said, I have stumbled across worse RPG elements in games. FINAL RPG RATING: 2/10 OTHER CONTENT: I figured I'd group in all the other aspects together, as I can't say much about each one in particular. Having Dogmeat as your follower is great. Giving you a companion right of the bat, in my oppinion, makes the player feel less alone and more willing to venture out and explore. Other followers will pop up here and there that you can earn, but switching them out is a bit stressful when you don't know where Dogmeat is when you want him back. Another redeeming aspect of this game would be the "Workshop" ability; being able to totally rebuild a city to your liking and housing people to maintain the land for you. There is a lot of exploration with this conecept, however, a little more "sandbox" feel would have been great. One last mechanic to mention would be the Power Armor. It was always a great feeling in the old Fallout games when you finally got training and could finally equip that Power Armor for that last boost of stats. The reward was great for your hard efforts of assasinating a Brotherhood member and immidiately after, having another member show you how to use his dead comrades deadly suit of destruction. In Fallout 4, you are rewarded with Power Armor after less than an hour of gameplay. This version of Power Armor makes you godly; taking out Deathclaws in mere seconds without fear. Of course, you must find a way to power the suit, right? Well that's not too hard either, leaving the player with two choices; don't use the armor and play the game with a challenge or use the suit to cheat your way past that part that is a little too difficult otherwise and is now a breeze. FINAL OTHER SCORE: 4/10 FINAL THOUGHTS: Finally, I give my reccomendations. If you are looking for a good shooter with a decent storyline and Role Playing is not your cup of tea, I suggest this game, but not for the retail sixty dollars. Waiting for a sale might be a good idea for you. Otherwise, if you came for your long-neglected Fallout fix, spending your money here couldn't be more ill-advised. It is somply not worth the money. I have not purchaced the DLC for this game, however reading into it, there doesn't seem to be any game-changing or redeeming qualities as well as the price of the season pass being comparable to that of the game itself. The following overall rating is not an average of the game aspects, but a rating for the game as a whole based on my experience playing the game. This is simply an oppinion and suggestion. Draw your own conclusions if you wish to purchase the game yourself. OVERALL RATING: 4/10 SUGGESTED RETAIL PRICE: $14.99 USD