I played Fallout 3 to the end. I also regularly commit to stupid acts that I later realize were unnecessary, typically because I'm not aware of some obvious relevant information that would better inform my decision-making process. These are facts from my life. Here are some other facts about me:

1. I played Fallout 2 until I found the power armor and the challenge dissipated. I own Fallout and Fallout Tactics. I have not played them.
2. I played Fallout: New Vegas for 2-3 weeks that I can remember, and stopped for some unremarkable reason.

With every new game I play, there is a process of familiarization. Some games don't pass this stage for me, such as Assassin's Creed, where the process of familiarization wasn't worth the promise of experience, and others do. Fallout 2 and 3 passed, as has Fallout 4.

My initial response to Fallout 4 can be summed up as "underwhelmed trepidation".

tl;dr me not feeling it and me worried not change!!

The introductory sequence is bland, vague, and, appreciably, over quickly. The introduction left me with one serious question: what is the feasibility of cryogenically preserving a medically unprepared infant?

SECTION I - CHARACTER BUILDING



An SJW white-apologist uses Fallout 4's character builder.

Introducing my character, Tyryl:



PART 2 - VIDEO GAMERING

PART 2 - VIDEO GAMERING SECTION I - GAMEPLAY MECHANICS

Herein lies a description of the gameplay mechanics for Fallout 4.

I just realized that I don't care about this anymore.

I like Fallout 4. Here is a picture of a two-headed cow on a roof:


Oh, Bethesda. ;)

I killed 10 super mutants from .25 miles away using a scoped rifle that I've refined with leftover bits of toasters and desk fans. With the difficulty at the maximum setting, enemy grenades are launched with nearly perfect accuracy and kill me in one hit. Each fight becomes a risk assessment with a cost-benefit analysis, unless surprised. Unplanned fights can result in one-hit deaths, but can oten be avoided with careful movement, scouting, and a bit of luck.

With the radio off and the music level set to 0, the world begins to come alive. Conversations in towns become more audible, and are amusing for their melodramatic delivery and contents (I entered a tavern and witnessed a 5 minute long exchange between three characters, each with distinct personalities, it was appreciably hilariously absurd). Trees and brush slightly sway as the wind gently whispers through the wasteland. Super mutants argue the finer points of egotism versus egalitarianism, with veiled promises of future civil strife.

Many in-game actions have consequences in unexpected places. I killed a raider in a cave, and found notes about her sister having been kidnapped. 20 hours later, I killed another raider in another area, and found notes about having captured the previous raider's sister, and at the bottom of the list a note about the raider I killed being killed by me. To describe it this way is an injustice. This small detail brought a sense of connection and vitality within the game world, and forces me to consider the implications of my choices.

The graphics are much more consistent and pleasant than previous Fallout games, though they begin to break down at the scale of furniture and smaller details. Pull-rings and handles are dull and seemingly unaffected by lighting, and textures can become sloppily applied and somewhat distorted. Terrain mostly escapes issues with distortion, though rubble and rocks do not assume their expected forms upon closer inspection.

A lot has been done to change and add to the game, and my experience so far is that the core elements of the previous games is maintained and sometimes streamlined or improved, with new features to play with that aren't necessarily enjoyable, but thankfully also aren't necessary. Most notably is the town building 'workshop' mode, which I guess was an attempt to help sell the game to unmarried accountants and middle-level managers.

My experience so far is that the Fallout 4 world is dynamic and varied, with much less thematic repetition than the previous games. There have been many inconsequential-yet-entertaining discoveries, such as a stuffed bear wearing a yellow fedora perched atop a hot plate hidden away in a dark corner of an automobile factory, that contribute to maintaining the desire to explore the world, and with the graphics so greatly improved, exploration is much more visibly pleasant and consistent experience.

Rating: Very Fun+ out of 6

ESReality has been around longer than most Call of Duty players have been alive, but the fundamental utility of the site was progressive enough to foreshadow many modern user interfaces, and still offers a stripped down community content-oriented user experience. ESR has been a haven for competitive gaming news for many games, but over time, as more and more niche web sites became available, it was the Quake players who sort of mumbled "Eh, this is okay," and cemented themselves in place for the long-haul.

ESR users have recently been directly solicited with a few new options for community interaction, news, and editorial content geared toward fast-paced arena FPS games with the announcements of FPS Pulse and Plus Forward.

Which site do you foresee as remaining or becoming your go to source for, well, whatever it is you go the the source for?