Fallout 4 review – spectacular, messy and familiar

Bethesda has a reputation for two things: stunningly realised worlds and frustrating technical issues. In both cases, the latest Fallout does not disappoint

"War," intones your character solemnly. "War never changes." Fallout 4 begins with the go-to line of the series, before repeating it at the monologue's close. There is a point when tradition can turn into clichi(C) or, even worse, into parody. Fallout 4 is one of the biggest releases of the year but it is an unusually musty game, a new experience that feels over-familiar. Perhaps the line's true after all.

The opening briefly suggests a more unusual spin. After being introduced to the excellent character creation tool, where I sculpted a post-apocalyptic hero named Corbyn, you're guided through some tinned conversation with your husband or wife in the sunny suburbia of Boston, 2077. The vibe of these games has always been 1950s futurism and period Americana (here with the added flair of a British-accented butlerbot called Codsworth), but explored many decades or centuries after the bombs have fallen. So a pre-war scene showing nuclear armageddon through ordinary eyes, and evacuation to the 'Vault,' is definitely new.