Well i've been headlong into Fallout 4 on PS4 for several days now. Maybe some SPOILERS in this post!
I'm currently a Lvl 25. Started the game on the default difficulty( It was far too easy) so i jumped up to the survivor difficulty before i even got out of the vault. So after reaching Lvl 5 and getting murdered by by Super Mutants and radscorpions already, i decided to go with the Very hard difficulty and it has been just about perfect IMO in terms of a real challenge without throwing my controller across the room in frustration. For seasoned gamers i would recommend either HARD or VERY HARD difficulty.
I played the shit out of FO 3 and New Vegas, two play through's on both games. Here are some of my thoughts on what i like and maybe what's missing with FO 4
What i like:
-The addition of gameplay that involves building & managing settlements(towns). It's basically a Sim game within a game. It directly affects the game and story too. That stuff is pretty cool.
-The weapon & armor mods are cool, also the introduction of some new & creative weapons. I've managed to get my hands on a weapon called the Broadsider. It shoots cannonballs, Lol. The higher level of difficulty you choose, you will find more legendary weapons.
-There are some added challenges to the every day environments.
-I like that if you have been a true hoarder in the past(like me) that everything you find has it's usefulness in this Fallout world. An example being...if you pick up a camera in the wasteland you are getting gears, springs and crystals. If you grab a simple coffee cup you're getting ceramic. When you pick up a plunger you're getting wood and rubber. You can sell this junk as always, but each "junk" item contains materials that can be used to build things in your settlement or be used in crafting armor and/or weapon mods.
-For the most part this is Fallout. They didn't F it up. Vast, open world with hundreds of interesting locations, characters, wildlife, quests. Go at your own pace. They stuck to the core of what made the other games special.
-The SPECIAL perk system is improved and much clearer to use and blend.
-The gunplay and combat is improved without making it Call of Duty.
-They've added some things to the companions that tend to give it a more immersive feel to the game. They have opinions, feelings etc. Your actions, skills or lack thereof in game will effect how they view your character. They can still fuck things up in combat but there is a perk that makes them less likely to do so.
-Far less buggy.
Things i miss:
-Weapons, armor and clothing. They do not disintegrate with use, nor do they have a specific "condition." Thus, there's no need to "combine" and "repair" using like items.
-General karma system. It seems to be pretty much gone. That is the main reason i played thru the other Fallout's multiple times. The good guy, the neutral guy and the scourge of humanity. That was fun stuff.
-The one on one conversations have been altered visually and your character speaks. It's not a big deal but i think i like the old school Gordon Freeman first person silent treatment and just choosing your dialogue via text. That's just me.
-The map...it seems smaller to me. Granted i haven't explored the entire thing, and reports online have suggested it's the same or larger than previous FO maps. Idk.
Anyway, those are my thoughts about halfway thru this thing. I highly recommend it to FO fans and of course anyone who was into Skyrim, Elder Scrolls etc...
