On Tuesday, November 10th, Bethesda Softworks released its newest installment for their widely acclaimed dystopian video game series with Fallout 4. Fans of the series have been waiting for 5 years since the previous release of Fallout: New Vegas. The game has received glowing reviews from sites such as IGN and Gamespot.

For those unfamiliar, the premise of the Fallout series revolves around post-apocalyptic America. It takes place in the end result of nuclear fallout from the war between the United States and China; the world is in ruins and humanity is struggling to survive. The characters who are played come from sheltered vaults meant to protect small societies from the radiation. Upon leaving the vaults, they are greeted by an unforgiving world and must do whatever it takes to survive.

Unlike lots of RPGs, especially those that are linear and contain the player with a set goal and geographical boundaries, Fallout 4 is completely open world. Players can explore wherever they can manage to find and do whatever they are capable of. They are granted total control. The game even allows players to design their own characters, which can have different genders, skin tones and facial features, something few other games allow.

Fallout 4 also manages to outshine all of its predecessors in looks and feel. Being the first in the series to be designed for next generation consoles such as the Xbox One and PS4, Fallout 4’s graphics are astounding and a huge leap forward for the series. While not everything in the game, and the characters particularly, is a marvel to look at,  the scenery is the most appealing of the series. Gone are the grim browns and luminescent greens of Fallout 3. This new installation shows off more vibrant colors, making the nuclear wasteland of the game beautiful to look at. With the new generation of system to play on, the characters are easier to control than ever. Movements flow wonderfully and feel natural.

Bethesda has also made small changes to the game play. No longer does the VAT system freeze time, eliminating the temporary invincibility players experienced from the previous titles in the series. This increases tension in players and adds an extra element to game play, encouraging quick responses in combative situations.

Even though Fallout 4 is a fantastic game, it is not without issues. The console versions of the game freezes up on occasion and dialogue does not always match up with the movements of the characters’ mouths. However, this cannot slow down the game’s momentum and does not hinder the experience.

Even after 12 hours of playing Fallout 4, I am still discovering new areas, side missions and am nowhere close to finishing the main story. I haven’t even come close to scratching the surface. Fallout 4 is an enticing game that is well worth the $60 dollar asking price. If any gamers are looking for an exhilarating and entertaining new game to play on their console or PC, Fallout 4 is it.