Fallout 4

Fallout 4 dropped players into post-apocalyptic Boston and its surroundings, where the player, as the sole survivor of cryonic sleep in Vault 111, sets out to find their kidnapped son across the irradiated Commonwealth. This installment leaned more heavily into action-oriented combat and base-building, with the Settlement system letting players build and upgrade their own settlements, while weapon and armor crafting, including modular power armor, gave players an unprecedented degree of control over their gear. The series' signature VATS system for pausing combat and targeting specific enemy body parts remained intact, as did the companionship of the loyal dog Dogmeat and other companions with their own personal stories.

The game kept the series' characteristic dark humor and moral ambivalence, with factions such as the Brotherhood of Steel, the Institute, and the Minutemen offering different perspectives on rebuilding civilization. Visually and technically it was a significant step up from Fallout 3, with a smoother blend of RPG-shooter mechanics and a simplified dialogue wheel with four brief response options, which drew mixed reactions from fans of earlier entries used to more detailed dialogue trees. Period music from the radio and an ambient score, typical of the whole series, rounded out the atmosphere.

Fallout 4 became commercially very successful and expanded the series' player base thanks to more accessible combat and building, though some longtime fans missed the depth of decision-making and writing from earlier entries. To this day the game is supported by an extensive modding community on PC and remains one of the most-played titles of the genre on that platform, aided by tools for creating mods directly through Steam Workshop. Expansions like Far Harbor and Nuka-World later added further large areas and quest lines, giving the game new content long after release.

Why play it: More accessible combat, settlement building, and a huge modding community on Steam Workshop make it one of the most-played titles of the genre on PC to this day, especially with expansions like Far Harbor.