So, “Fallout 4” has been out for a couple of months now. As someone who has been playing all of the “Fallout” games all of my life, I had very high hopes for this game when it was announced back in June 2nd, 2015. It’s been a while now, so the question everyone is asking is simple; did it live up to the hype and the legacy of previous Fallout games?

To be honest, there really isn’t a short answer to that question. If you had asked me when I had first started playing the game, I probably would of given you something along the lines of, “Fallout 4 is the best game to ever exist in any reality known to any species! Fallout 4 is better than any invention that has ever been brought into existence! Anyone who does worship the individual lines of code that it has shall be struck down by my fiery blade!” Or something along those lines.

Of course there are good things to cover first. The customization of the weapons in “Fallout 4” is very in-depth and expansive. This gives the “junk” items in “Fallout” actual use. You can take a toy car and some glue and make an impromptu scope for a rifle. This allows for a feeling of control over the weapons and items you use.

In general, customization is pushed to an almost insane degree in Fallout 4. Take for example just how detailed the character customization is at the beginning of the game. It really does give you a fantastic first impression of the game.

Another little thing that I like about this new installment is the upgrade to the VATS system. Instead of actually stopping time and allowing you to do things at your leisure, it instead slows down time, forcing you to make and preform decisions quickly. Overall, “Fallout 4” has one if not the best combat systems in Bethesda history. But, combat isn’t everything as you’ll soon find out.

But, the initial excitement and heavenly feeling of finally getting to play another “Fallout” game has worn off a bit. And after looking through the game, there are definitely some issues with it. Let’s go through them shall we?

There are things that shouldn’t even be a problem in Fallout 4 that have somehow turned into problems. First of all, the dialogue system. In previous Fallout games, you were given a wide variety of things to say, all depending on your stats and motives. These choices were completely typed out, giving your silent character personality and depth. In “Fallout 4”, Bethesda takes the Mass Effect approach, giving you two to four summarized sections, and by summarized I mean the options, “Yes, No, Sarcastic, Maybe”. But since you don’t actually see what is being said, the sarcastic option could mean something else entirely. If I had to choose between having no voice actor and being able to see what I can say, and Fallout 4’s atrocity of a dialogue system, i’d pick the first one any day.

But even that isn’t the worst thing that “Fallout 4” has done.  In “Fallout 3”, there was a quest where you stumble upon a group of ghouls who want to fly into space with rocket ships. The amount of things you could do were seemingly endless. You can kill them right then and there, release some Mirelurks so they get killed, betray or change the events at multiple points in the quest; and you can even get to the very end where they are in the rocket ships, and if you have a high enough science stat, you can adjust the course so the rocket ships go crashing straight into the ground. Previous Fallout games gave you what made Fallout games great.

Choice.

It is something that “Fallout 4” lacks on it’s core level. From the get go there is a man that you stumble upon named Preston Garvey. What’s important is that he is holed up in a building full of raiders that you just cleared out for him. Afterwards he basically begs you to make a settlement for his people and become their leader. Regardless of what you say, you are forced to do this. Even if you say no, raiders appear outside the building, forcing you to help him! The horrible dialogue system doesn’t even make a difference. You can NOT be evil in Fallout 4. So, throughout the entire game, yes means yes, no means yes, sarcastic means yes, and maybe means yes but not right now. It is by far one of the worst decisions that Bethesda has ever made.

Alright, now that I’ve calmed down, it’s time for my verdict. Has Fallout 4 lived up to the hype of previous games? No. Unfortunately, it’s both searing and painful to say “no.” And this article isn’t a “Fallout 4” dialogue option. “No” actually means “no.” It’s definitely another game in the “Fallout” franchise, but for the majority of players like me who have played all of the games, it doesn’t come close to living up to the legacy of “Fallout: New Vegas” and “Fallout 3.”