Review: Fallout 4

“Fallout 4” is the latest entry in the beloved franchise, available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. Developed by Bethesda—the studio behind Skyrim—it sticks to the series’ classic formula while adding more “polish” to expand the sense of freedom in the Wasteland. Read on for my full review and find out if it’s worth buying!

Right from the start, Fallout 4 reminds you that “War never changes.” This new chapter feels instantly familiar to Bethesda fans, plunging you into a story that reflects humanity’s own catastrophic mistakes across hours of exploration in nearly deserted landscapes.

The game opens in pre‑apocalypse Boston—a retro‑futuristic blend of 1950s charm and cutting‑edge tech—where a peaceful family gathering is abruptly shattered by nuclear devastation. You play as the sole survivor of Vault 111, emerging years later to a radiation‑scarred world teeming with mutants and the best and worst of humanity. From that moment on, you’re free to carve your own path through the Commonwealth.

One of Fallout 4’s biggest highlights is its sprawling open world. Outside Vault 111 you can explore freely, with minimal restrictions and countless side activities beyond the main quest—adding a welcome spontaneity to the experience.

The story unfolds in fragments and, true to form, much of it is what you make of it as you discover new locations and meet survivors. However, the dialogue wheel—meant to drive the narrative—can feel limited, offering only a handful of generic responses. Still, the natural flow of events often makes up for this, letting you clearly see the impact of your choices.

Combat in Fallout 4 feels even more refined, with excellent additions—most notably, full customization of both your gear and Power Armor. Everything is crafted from scrap and materials you scavenge across the map, so even the smallest trinket may prove useful rather than just cluttering your inventory.

The character‑creation tool offers unprecedented flexibility, reminiscent of The Sims, letting you tweak every facial feature, add scars, blemishes, and more. Unfortunately, while faces received a major facelift, the body models still exhibit some of Bethesda’s trademarkly odd proportions.

Visually, Fallout 4 impresses with a living, breathing world whose environments evolve over time. Yet despite these detailed landscapes, character and NPC textures haven’t advanced much since Fallout 3. Overall it’s a beautiful game, but you can’t help wishing for a bit more polish given today’s hardware.

A major win is full Portuguese localization—menus, subtitles and interface—which makes navigating crafting systems and dialogue much smoother for non‑English speakers. The soundtrack deserves special mention too, with classic 1950s and 1960s tunes (Bob Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, etc.) heard on in‑game radio stations.

Alas, Bethesda’s infamous bugs remain—ranging from hilarious physics gaffes to frustrating crashes, especially if you rely on auto‑save. While most will be fixed in future patches, waiting for that update can test your patience more than the radioactive wastes themselves.