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RPG Codex's Fallout 4 review (spoilers)
- Thread starter Arulan
- Start date
Or maybe some have higher standards than you. I wouldn't agree with him, but I can see how someone would think so, given that often times even the most mediocre writing can garner a lot of praise (throughout all media).
Personally I would say that (the writing in) Fallout 4 is very disappointing, even by video game standards.
From their point of view though, I don't think it is so much that "this game didn't come out on PC only" or that "PC is superior mu-ha-ha" I think its that a lot of old-school RPG players who used to play on PC see it as the genre is getting diluted and more simple in order to appeal a larger, more casual console buying crowd.
UI design is getting simpler and larger, therefore more annoying to navigate because it has to work on a TV-screen that is far away and has to work on a controller. Something the reviewer stated about the Pip-boy interface.
Gameplay is getting simpler, compare Dragon Age: Origins to Dragon Age: Inquisition, one game made primarily for PC and the other now made primarily for console and the difference is like night and day.
I can honestly understand the frustrations, especially when I see game series I love like Fallout being ruined in order to appeal to a larger market of people who doesn't wanna bother with games that requires effort.
That is not to say however that I don't think hardcore titles have a place on console, I am so absolutely happy about the success of games like Dark Souls and The Witcher 3 showing that there are people yearning for that complexity even on console. You just need now these big name developers like Bioware and Bethesda to wanna try and challenge their players instead of just producing easy-to-digest "adventure slashy shooty" games.
potatohead
Member
It's not the fault of the consoles, unless being popular is to fault the consoles with.
The publishers/game developers own most of the blame... seeing as they are the ones who make the games.
Platform-blaming seems silly. Maybe it is part of the construct that leads to these design decisions...
But like most things, these developers/publishers were not forced to make the decisions they made with their games, at least IMO.
Reminds me of "generation-change blaming" by Square-Enix, which they still consistently do to this day (oh 7th gen was too hard brrrr).
The publishers/game developers own most of the blame... seeing as they are the ones who make the games.
Platform-blaming seems silly. Maybe it is part of the construct that leads to these design decisions...
But like most things, these developers/publishers were not forced to make the decisions they made with their games, at least IMO.
Reminds me of "generation-change blaming" by Square-Enix, which they still consistently do to this day (oh 7th gen was too hard brrrr).
Lister
Banned
Yep, whole heartedly agree. A complete and totla first for me and Bethesda games. After
The dissapointing way in which the scene where I meet my son was handled, I completley lost interest. I played a bit longer hoping for more moments like when the Blimps arrive, but there was nothing...
I'm still hoping somehting makes me want to go back ot that game...
Credit where credit it due, there is an area "off the map" called the Glowing Sea and it fits with exactly what you are describing. One of my favorite game environments in recent memory.
orthodoxy1095
Banned
Same here. The first 20 or so hours i was blown away by the density of the map and all the stuff to explore. But the routine of looting, becoming over encumbered and returning to offload everything, repeat, and the dismantling and crafting just got boring as paint drying to me after awhile. And this is literally what the game boiled down to at the end of the day, because the main quest and side stuff was unbelievable forgettable imo.
Although i got just over 80 hours out of it, so im not really complaining. (just had really high expectations) And it had so much more potential, but the boring gameplay got to me.
Voysa Reezun
Banned
I just want Fallout games that force me to consider what choices I make for more than a second.
I had to really think about how I progressed through New Vegas, for example, from a narrative standpoint. I was trying to keep the NCR happy while also giving myself enough time to consider whether they were the best option for New Vegas. Shambling bureaucracy that means to do good and might stabilize the region ended up seeming better than benevolent dictatorship or giving freedom to a group of people who would likely not be able to protect the Hoover Dam, but man, I really had to think about it, and the people I met and quests that I did played directly into forcing me to confront that question.
Fallout 4 is a cartoon, on the other hand. Honestly, I didn't necessarily feel great about any of the factions because they were all without any subtlety at all (and in the case of the Railroad and the Minutemen, they were idiots for not co-opting the Institute's clean water tech - WHY WAS THAT NOT AN OPTION?!).
I had to really think about how I progressed through New Vegas, for example, from a narrative standpoint. I was trying to keep the NCR happy while also giving myself enough time to consider whether they were the best option for New Vegas. Shambling bureaucracy that means to do good and might stabilize the region ended up seeming better than benevolent dictatorship or giving freedom to a group of people who would likely not be able to protect the Hoover Dam, but man, I really had to think about it, and the people I met and quests that I did played directly into forcing me to confront that question.
Fallout 4 is a cartoon, on the other hand. Honestly, I didn't necessarily feel great about any of the factions because they were all without any subtlety at all (and in the case of the Railroad and the Minutemen, they were idiots for not co-opting the Institute's clean water tech - WHY WAS THAT NOT AN OPTION?!).
I haven't finished the game yet but I have come across a point where the
Railroad insists I either pick them or the Minutemen. And I really don't understand why they can't get along or the railroad doesn't feel like it's important to get wastelanders to realize that synths can be people too rather than just writing everyone who lives there off as unreasonable. It really seems like they should ahve given me an option to get the two to work together.
I'm enjoying the game but get me started on that part and it starts me ranting. Cause as much as I like 4, that part of Fallout is ruined and that's what I like best about playing RPGs/Fallout and hell, even previous Bethesda games I've played. Being able to actually talk things through or use science or other skills to convince people. And not just fight everything out. Ugh! I totally blame the shitty dialogue system and them insisting on paying to get a voice actor for the PC.
So the budget went towards that and they didn't want to pay for branching out dialogue for the factions because that would be even more money as they'd have to pay for more lines for the NPC voice actors so easier to just give people the illusion of choice by giving lots of lines to the PC but very few for the NPCs. Every fear I had about the PC being voice acted turned out true. Except that I can at least try to ignore that it's not the voice I envision. That at least isn't as bad. Hell, even the fear of not being able to tell what my character was going to say is true. I have plenty of times picked an option and then been dismayed with what she really says. I dislike that in any game and prefer the dialogue list that shows me what I'm saying outright, but at least Witcher did a better job of portraying what you probably were saying with their options. ANd sadly I don't see them getting rid of it cause there's some stupid perception that a non voiced character actor is old fashioned and dated (Grrr to all of you who have said that).
joecanada
Member
I guess, if you think pretty much all the AAA games released in the last few years are bad, you said it not me.
I enjoy games for other things, like exploring, messing around, competition, fun, etc.... I'm certainly not looking for Pulitzer prize winning writing and I sure as hell haven't seen any yet. TLOU was one of the only games this gen that even attempted a thought provoking story this gen.... so that's one I guess.
Went to the site for the first time today (I kinda figured it was a western RPG site due to some of their top game lists I've seen posted on here)... saw an Undertale review and oh man, the comments for that... probably the most stereotypical of the Gamergate stuff is on there
And lots of hate toward weeaboos... obviously I'm gonna stay away because it's definitely not my scene.
hemtae
Member
Luckily those nerds love their data.
Pillars of Eternity was their most played RPG, their 4th most enjoyed, and their 2nd most hated game. It had a 45%/22% positive/negative split among those who played.
The Witcher 3 was their 4th most played game, their 3rd most enjoyed, and their 5th most hated game. It had a 74%/11% positive/negative split among those who played.
For comparison, Fallout 4 was their 5th most played game, their 10th most enjoyed, and their most hated game. It had a 6%/77% positive/negative split among those who played.