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People may rail against microtransactions in full-priced titles, but there's a far more insidious practice that's infiltrated the world of video games. It's a practice that has gone unopposed for far too long, and it's time for someone – specifically, me – to stand up and say.. 'No more!' I'm referring to the 'feature' – originally restricted to role-playing games – whereby gamers are told just how long they've spent playing a particular gamer. I certainly didn't need to be informed that I'd frittered away two days, nineteen hours and fifty minutes playing Fallout 4 any more than I needed to know that, according to statistics, I'd spend three months of my life in traffic. Though I am considering dashboard-mounting my PS4, just so I'll have something to do when I encounter that particular traffic jam from hell.
In case you haven't guessed, I'm a big Fallout fan, ever since I picked up the first couple of games for the princely sum of one pound at a local tat emporium. I pre-ordered Fallout 4 on the strength of the name alone, and, having played the game, it's not a decision I regret. I went into Fallout 4 knowing what to expect and the game does little to change the series' successful formula. Fallout 4 is a first person shoot-em-up with RPG elements where you try to survive and ultimately prevail in a world that has been devastated by nuclear war. Not unlike the previous two games in fact, although the first thing that struck me upon loading up the game was how colourful the game was compared to its two precedessors. Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas both had a very washed out look that I found appealing, although I was able to get used to the slightly brighter colours.
One of Fallout 4's more significant changes, which occurs right at the beginning of the game, is the way that it casts you as a fairly clearly defined - and fully voiced - individual. In Fallout 4, you're either a former soldier or his wife, whose son ends up being kidnapped during the game's opening section. Granted, either could have been a former CIA operative or deranged serial-killer on the side, but it makes it a little harder to place yourself into their roles when their characters are relatively clearly defined, compared to earlier games. I also found myself strangely unmotivated by the kidnapping of Shaun, their son, perhaps because I had relatively little interaction with him within the game.
Your quest to rescue Shaun will take you across a devastated wasteland- the ruins of Boston - and into conflict with a wide range of enemies, some human, some not. That's not to say Fallout 4's entire roster is out to kill you – there are plenty of friendly/neutral characters and settlements – but this is a game where you will have to get your hands dirty. The game's skill system does let you fashion a sneaky or silver-tongued character but ultimately, neither persuasion nor stealth will let you entirely bypass punch-ups or firefights. Fallout 4's combat system has been tweaked so that it's now easier to engage in real-time combat without being at a disadvantage if you don't use the game's V.A.T.S slo-mo mechanic. That said, I ended up using V.A.T.S. more often than not, mainly because I found blasting an opponent's head off their shoulders to be disturbingly satisfying.
Like its predecessors, Fallout 4 is a very open game, meaning you don't have to follow the main quest line and can explore the landscape at your will or undertaking other quests. This in turn leads to a significant amount of what has been termed 'ludonarrative dissonance' where your character is supposedly distraught about the loss of their child and yet, under your control, they've spent the last two weeks poking around ruined buildings with no real sense of urgency. Fallout 4 also features a base-building mechanic which many players have really run with, although I didn't personally find it that involving, serving merely as another diversion from your main quest. Shaun who?
It's true that the game has received a few less-than-stellar reviews, perhaps because it doesn't quite measure up to previous games in the series. I certainly found the main storyline less compelling than Fallout 3's storyline. I still enjoyed Fallout 4 enough to plough a ridiculous amount of time into it, though my joy came from exploring and completing the game's side quests, which I found far more interesting than ShaunQuest (TM). Though I could have done without some of the faction filler quests, having been sent to the same location to kill a group of raiders – twice.
While it may not be perfect Fallout 4 is still an enjoyable game, though I still rank Fallout: New Vegas as the greatest Fallout game so far. If you're a fan of the series then I'd definitely recommend you pick it up, assuming you've not already bought it along with the ludicrously expensive replica Pip-Boy. If you're not, then I'd recommend waiting for the game to come down a little in price, or even wait for the inevitable Game of the Year edition, complete with DLC. Fallout 4 is good – I'll certainly be playing it through one more time - but not the post-apocalyptic smash you might have been hoping for.
In case you haven't guessed, I'm a big Fallout fan, ever since I picked up the first couple of games for the princely sum of one pound at a local tat emporium. I pre-ordered Fallout 4 on the strength of the name alone, and, having played the game, it's not a decision I regret. I went into Fallout 4 knowing what to expect and the game does little to change the series' successful formula. Fallout 4 is a first person shoot-em-up with RPG elements where you try to survive and ultimately prevail in a world that has been devastated by nuclear war. Not unlike the previous two games in fact, although the first thing that struck me upon loading up the game was how colourful the game was compared to its two precedessors. Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas both had a very washed out look that I found appealing, although I was able to get used to the slightly brighter colours.
One of Fallout 4's more significant changes, which occurs right at the beginning of the game, is the way that it casts you as a fairly clearly defined - and fully voiced - individual. In Fallout 4, you're either a former soldier or his wife, whose son ends up being kidnapped during the game's opening section. Granted, either could have been a former CIA operative or deranged serial-killer on the side, but it makes it a little harder to place yourself into their roles when their characters are relatively clearly defined, compared to earlier games. I also found myself strangely unmotivated by the kidnapping of Shaun, their son, perhaps because I had relatively little interaction with him within the game.
Your quest to rescue Shaun will take you across a devastated wasteland- the ruins of Boston - and into conflict with a wide range of enemies, some human, some not. That's not to say Fallout 4's entire roster is out to kill you – there are plenty of friendly/neutral characters and settlements – but this is a game where you will have to get your hands dirty. The game's skill system does let you fashion a sneaky or silver-tongued character but ultimately, neither persuasion nor stealth will let you entirely bypass punch-ups or firefights. Fallout 4's combat system has been tweaked so that it's now easier to engage in real-time combat without being at a disadvantage if you don't use the game's V.A.T.S slo-mo mechanic. That said, I ended up using V.A.T.S. more often than not, mainly because I found blasting an opponent's head off their shoulders to be disturbingly satisfying.
Like its predecessors, Fallout 4 is a very open game, meaning you don't have to follow the main quest line and can explore the landscape at your will or undertaking other quests. This in turn leads to a significant amount of what has been termed 'ludonarrative dissonance' where your character is supposedly distraught about the loss of their child and yet, under your control, they've spent the last two weeks poking around ruined buildings with no real sense of urgency. Fallout 4 also features a base-building mechanic which many players have really run with, although I didn't personally find it that involving, serving merely as another diversion from your main quest. Shaun who?
It's true that the game has received a few less-than-stellar reviews, perhaps because it doesn't quite measure up to previous games in the series. I certainly found the main storyline less compelling than Fallout 3's storyline. I still enjoyed Fallout 4 enough to plough a ridiculous amount of time into it, though my joy came from exploring and completing the game's side quests, which I found far more interesting than ShaunQuest (TM). Though I could have done without some of the faction filler quests, having been sent to the same location to kill a group of raiders – twice.
While it may not be perfect Fallout 4 is still an enjoyable game, though I still rank Fallout: New Vegas as the greatest Fallout game so far. If you're a fan of the series then I'd definitely recommend you pick it up, assuming you've not already bought it along with the ludicrously expensive replica Pip-Boy. If you're not, then I'd recommend waiting for the game to come down a little in price, or even wait for the inevitable Game of the Year edition, complete with DLC. Fallout 4 is good – I'll certainly be playing it through one more time - but not the post-apocalyptic smash you might have been hoping for.
chasfh wrote:
pb wrote:
[i]chasfh wrote:
[i]pb wrote:
[i]Steam has also been doing this for years, it's quite scary sometimes. I did like how Raptor used to track everything but it doesn't do that any more.
Raptr still tracks everything if you switch all the features on.
I still get an email once a week with how long I've spent gaming, what games I've played, comparisons to the average and how many points I've earnt.
I can also check on Raptr's interface how long I've spent in a game and, well, pretty much all the stats that show in Steam.[/i]
I meant for consoles rather than just PC. PCs seem to be able to cope with stat stuff a whole lot better. Not really surprising, being computers.[/i]
Hasn't console support for Raptr been pretty much discontinued since around March/ April time? Surprised you still get anything to be honest, as I was under the impression it was now a PC only app...[/i]
Plus, while the data may be, on the surface, provided as a user service, in fact it's potentially quite marketable, giving the company behind it plenty of saleable data.
pb wrote:
[i]chasfh wrote:
[i]pb wrote:
[i]Steam has also been doing this for years, it's quite scary sometimes. I did like how Raptor used to track everything but it doesn't do that any more.
Raptr still tracks everything if you switch all the features on.
I still get an email once a week with how long I've spent gaming, what games I've played, comparisons to the average and how many points I've earnt.
I can also check on Raptr's interface how long I've spent in a game and, well, pretty much all the stats that show in Steam.[/i]
I meant for consoles rather than just PC. PCs seem to be able to cope with stat stuff a whole lot better. Not really surprising, being computers.[/i]
Hasn't console support for Raptr been pretty much discontinued since around March/ April time? Surprised you still get anything to be honest, as I was under the impression it was now a PC only app...[/i]
Plus, while the data may be, on the surface, provided as a user service, in fact it's potentially quite marketable, giving the company behind it plenty of saleable data.
pb wrote:
chasfh wrote:
[i]pb wrote:
[i]Steam has also been doing this for years, it's quite scary sometimes. I did like how Raptor used to track everything but it doesn't do that any more.
Raptr still tracks everything if you switch all the features on.
I still get an email once a week with how long I've spent gaming, what games I've played, comparisons to the average and how many points I've earnt.
I can also check on Raptr's interface how long I've spent in a game and, well, pretty much all the stats that show in Steam.[/i]
I meant for consoles rather than just PC. PCs seem to be able to cope with stat stuff a whole lot better. Not really surprising, being computers.[/i]
Hasn't console support for Raptr been pretty much discontinued since around March/ April time? Surprised you still get anything to be honest, as I was under the impression it was now a PC only app...
chasfh wrote:
[i]pb wrote:
[i]Steam has also been doing this for years, it's quite scary sometimes. I did like how Raptor used to track everything but it doesn't do that any more.
Raptr still tracks everything if you switch all the features on.
I still get an email once a week with how long I've spent gaming, what games I've played, comparisons to the average and how many points I've earnt.
I can also check on Raptr's interface how long I've spent in a game and, well, pretty much all the stats that show in Steam.[/i]
I meant for consoles rather than just PC. PCs seem to be able to cope with stat stuff a whole lot better. Not really surprising, being computers.[/i]
Hasn't console support for Raptr been pretty much discontinued since around March/ April time? Surprised you still get anything to be honest, as I was under the impression it was now a PC only app...
chasfh wrote:
pb wrote:
[i]Steam has also been doing this for years, it's quite scary sometimes. I did like how Raptor used to track everything but it doesn't do that any more.
Raptr still tracks everything if you switch all the features on.
I still get an email once a week with how long I've spent gaming, what games I've played, comparisons to the average and how many points I've earnt.
I can also check on Raptr's interface how long I've spent in a game and, well, pretty much all the stats that show in Steam.[/i]
I meant for consoles rather than just PC. PCs seem to be able to cope with stat stuff a whole lot better. Not really surprising, being computers.
pb wrote:
[i]Steam has also been doing this for years, it's quite scary sometimes. I did like how Raptor used to track everything but it doesn't do that any more.
Raptr still tracks everything if you switch all the features on.
I still get an email once a week with how long I've spent gaming, what games I've played, comparisons to the average and how many points I've earnt.
I can also check on Raptr's interface how long I've spent in a game and, well, pretty much all the stats that show in Steam.[/i]
I meant for consoles rather than just PC. PCs seem to be able to cope with stat stuff a whole lot better. Not really surprising, being computers.
pb wrote:
Steam has also been doing this for years, it's quite scary sometimes. I did like how Raptor used to track everything but it doesn't do that any more.
Raptr still tracks everything if you switch all the features on.
I still get an email once a week with how long I've spent gaming, what games I've played, comparisons to the average and how many points I've earnt.
I can also check on Raptr's interface how long I've spent in a game and, well, pretty much all the stats that show in Steam.
Steam has also been doing this for years, it's quite scary sometimes. I did like how Raptor used to track everything but it doesn't do that any more.
Raptr still tracks everything if you switch all the features on.
I still get an email once a week with how long I've spent gaming, what games I've played, comparisons to the average and how many points I've earnt.
I can also check on Raptr's interface how long I've spent in a game and, well, pretty much all the stats that show in Steam.
Steam has also been doing this for years, it's quite scary sometimes. I did like how Raptor used to track everything but it doesn't do that any more.
I'm pretty sure that if I didn't, Fallout 4 would start texting/tweeting, telling me how much time I've ploughed into it. Odd side effect of the game - it's making me want to go back to Fallout New Vegas next.
An interesting reaction to the feature. Have you ever tried not looking? If you stick to the Quicksave option on Fallout 4 then you'll never get to see how long you've spent on the game.
Personally I like that feature. I like to know how long I've spent on games. I like that the Wii U records it for all games. I like that the Xbox One has all manner of stats. I don't like that I can't get this information for all games on the PS4.
Personally I like that feature. I like to know how long I've spent on games. I like that the Wii U records it for all games. I like that the Xbox One has all manner of stats. I don't like that I can't get this information for all games on the PS4.
People may rail against microtransactions in full-priced titles, but there's a far more insidious practice that's infiltrated the world of video games. It's a practice that has gone unopposed for far too long, and it's time for someone – specifically, me – to stand up and say.. 'No more!' I'm referring to the 'feature' – originally restricted to role-playing games – whereby gamers are told just how long they've spent playing a particular gamer. I certainly didn't need to be informed that I'd frittered away two days, nineteen hours and fifty minutes playing Fallout 4 any more than I needed to know that, according to statistics, I'd spend three months of my life in traffic. Though I am considering dashboard-mounting my PS4, just so I'll have something to do when I encounter that particular traffic jam from hell.
In case you haven't guessed, I'm a big Fallout fan, ever since I picked up the first couple of games for the princely sum of one pound at a local tat emporium. I pre-ordered Fallout 4 on the strength of the name alone, and, having played the game, it's not a decision I regret. I went into Fallout 4 knowing what to expect and the game does little to change the series' successful formula. Fallout 4 is a first person shoot-em-up with RPG elements where you try to survive and ultimately prevail in a world that has been devastated by nuclear war. Not unlike the previous two games in fact, although the first thing that struck me upon loading up the game was how colourful the game was compared to its two precedessors. Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas both had a very washed out look that I found appealing, although I was able to get used to the slightly brighter colours.
One of Fallout 4's more significant changes, which occurs right at the beginning of the game, is the way that it casts you as a fairly clearly defined - and fully voiced - individual. In Fallout 4, you're either a former soldier or his wife, whose son ends up being kidnapped during the game's opening section. Granted, either could have been a former CIA operative or deranged serial-killer on the side, but it makes it a little harder to place yourself into their roles when their characters are relatively clearly defined, compared to earlier games. I also found myself strangely unmotivated by the kidnapping of Shaun, their son, perhaps because I had relatively little interaction with him within the game.
Your quest to rescue Shaun will take you across a devastated wasteland- the ruins of Boston - and into conflict with a wide range of enemies, some human, some not. That's not to say Fallout 4's entire roster is out to kill you – there are plenty of friendly/neutral characters and settlements – but this is a game where you will have to get your hands dirty. The game's skill system does let you fashion a sneaky or silver-tongued character but ultimately, neither persuasion nor stealth will let you entirely bypass punch-ups or firefights. Fallout 4's combat system has been tweaked so that it's now easier to engage in real-time combat without being at a disadvantage if you don't use the game's V.A.T.S slo-mo mechanic. That said, I ended up using V.A.T.S. more often than not, mainly because I found blasting an opponent's head off their shoulders to be disturbingly satisfying.
Like its predecessors, Fallout 4 is a very open game, meaning you don't have to follow the main quest line and can explore the landscape at your will or undertaking other quests. This in turn leads to a significant amount of what has been termed 'ludonarrative dissonance' where your character is supposedly distraught about the loss of their child and yet, under your control, they've spent the last two weeks poking around ruined buildings with no real sense of urgency. Fallout 4 also features a base-building mechanic which many players have really run with, although I didn't personally find it that involving, serving merely as another diversion from your main quest. Shaun who?
It's true that the game has received a few less-than-stellar reviews, perhaps because it doesn't quite measure up to previous games in the series. I certainly found the main storyline less compelling than Fallout 3's storyline. I still enjoyed Fallout 4 enough to plough a ridiculous amount of time into it, though my joy came from exploring and completing the game's side quests, which I found far more interesting than ShaunQuest (TM). Though I could have done without some of the faction filler quests, having been sent to the same location to kill a group of raiders – twice.
While it may not be perfect Fallout 4 is still an enjoyable game, though I still rank Fallout: New Vegas as the greatest Fallout game so far. If you're a fan of the series then I'd definitely recommend you pick it up, assuming you've not already bought it along with the ludicrously expensive replica Pip-Boy. If you're not, then I'd recommend waiting for the game to come down a little in price, or even wait for the inevitable Game of the Year edition, complete with DLC. Fallout 4 is good – I'll certainly be playing it through one more time - but not the post-apocalyptic smash you might have been hoping for.
In case you haven't guessed, I'm a big Fallout fan, ever since I picked up the first couple of games for the princely sum of one pound at a local tat emporium. I pre-ordered Fallout 4 on the strength of the name alone, and, having played the game, it's not a decision I regret. I went into Fallout 4 knowing what to expect and the game does little to change the series' successful formula. Fallout 4 is a first person shoot-em-up with RPG elements where you try to survive and ultimately prevail in a world that has been devastated by nuclear war. Not unlike the previous two games in fact, although the first thing that struck me upon loading up the game was how colourful the game was compared to its two precedessors. Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas both had a very washed out look that I found appealing, although I was able to get used to the slightly brighter colours.
One of Fallout 4's more significant changes, which occurs right at the beginning of the game, is the way that it casts you as a fairly clearly defined - and fully voiced - individual. In Fallout 4, you're either a former soldier or his wife, whose son ends up being kidnapped during the game's opening section. Granted, either could have been a former CIA operative or deranged serial-killer on the side, but it makes it a little harder to place yourself into their roles when their characters are relatively clearly defined, compared to earlier games. I also found myself strangely unmotivated by the kidnapping of Shaun, their son, perhaps because I had relatively little interaction with him within the game.
Your quest to rescue Shaun will take you across a devastated wasteland- the ruins of Boston - and into conflict with a wide range of enemies, some human, some not. That's not to say Fallout 4's entire roster is out to kill you – there are plenty of friendly/neutral characters and settlements – but this is a game where you will have to get your hands dirty. The game's skill system does let you fashion a sneaky or silver-tongued character but ultimately, neither persuasion nor stealth will let you entirely bypass punch-ups or firefights. Fallout 4's combat system has been tweaked so that it's now easier to engage in real-time combat without being at a disadvantage if you don't use the game's V.A.T.S slo-mo mechanic. That said, I ended up using V.A.T.S. more often than not, mainly because I found blasting an opponent's head off their shoulders to be disturbingly satisfying.
Like its predecessors, Fallout 4 is a very open game, meaning you don't have to follow the main quest line and can explore the landscape at your will or undertaking other quests. This in turn leads to a significant amount of what has been termed 'ludonarrative dissonance' where your character is supposedly distraught about the loss of their child and yet, under your control, they've spent the last two weeks poking around ruined buildings with no real sense of urgency. Fallout 4 also features a base-building mechanic which many players have really run with, although I didn't personally find it that involving, serving merely as another diversion from your main quest. Shaun who?
It's true that the game has received a few less-than-stellar reviews, perhaps because it doesn't quite measure up to previous games in the series. I certainly found the main storyline less compelling than Fallout 3's storyline. I still enjoyed Fallout 4 enough to plough a ridiculous amount of time into it, though my joy came from exploring and completing the game's side quests, which I found far more interesting than ShaunQuest (TM). Though I could have done without some of the faction filler quests, having been sent to the same location to kill a group of raiders – twice.
While it may not be perfect Fallout 4 is still an enjoyable game, though I still rank Fallout: New Vegas as the greatest Fallout game so far. If you're a fan of the series then I'd definitely recommend you pick it up, assuming you've not already bought it along with the ludicrously expensive replica Pip-Boy. If you're not, then I'd recommend waiting for the game to come down a little in price, or even wait for the inevitable Game of the Year edition, complete with DLC. Fallout 4 is good – I'll certainly be playing it through one more time - but not the post-apocalyptic smash you might have been hoping for.