Fallout 4 has been out for a decade now, and like Skyrim, its player base remains good thanks to a robust modding community. It isn't uncommon for players to sink hundreds of hours into the game, and with gigantic mods like Fallout London out, there's always something new to do in the game even years after.
Fallout 4: All Romances, Ranked
Fallout 4 is one of those games that has a little something for everyone. And that little something includes several different romantic paths.
With the controversial Fallout 4 Anniversary upgrade out, players might be looking to jump back into the game. Although it's clear the game has aged decently and remains as entertaining as ever, it does show its age in many regards. Here are a few features that might feel a bit painful for fans returning to the game.
Crashing And Graphical Errors
Performance Mods Are Still A Must For Many Players
Anyone who has played Bethesda games will know that bugs are more often than not "features," and the same goes for Fallout 4. Years after its release, there are still plenty of issues that players on PC, in particular, might be annoyed to face as they jump back in. There are random crashes and graphical errors, which will quickly pull anyone out of their immersion.
It's unfortunate, but it explains why many recommend installing quality-of-life and performance-enhancing mods in order to have the smoothest gameplay experience. Mods like the Unofficial Patch, Buffout, and Community Patch are just a few mods that feel like a necessity.
Limited Roleplaying Options
Sarcastic Jerk Is The Best It Can Do
Freedom is a cornerstone of any open-world RPG, and Fallout 4, when compared to a lot of later RPGs or even some earlier ones like New Vegas, can feel a little safe.
Players don't really get to have a truly evil path a la Baldur's Gate 3, for instance, and save for joining up with the raiders in Nuka-World to break Preston's heart, the best the players can do is to act like a sarcastic jerk most of the time. A lot of players might yearn for some truly evil gameplay and dialogue options, but like with Starfield, Fallout 4's world remains fairly sanitized.
No Photo Mode
Console Commands Are Required For Cool Photos
A lot of RPGs that came after Fallout 4 have featured a photo mode, and while it's definitely not a must-have or even a requirement for a game to be considered good, it's starting to feel like it's a feature most big games have by default. Cyberpunk 2077 is one of the best examples of a photo mode that lets players do a lot and set up some cool scenes, and even a top-down RPG like Baldur's Gate 3 added photo mode as an option.
Fallout 4: 8 Overpowered Builds That Are A Lot Of Fun
Putting together a focused character build in Fallout 4 can generate some very overpowered results, something these builds excel at.
Right now, the best way to immortalize those epic moments of chaos in Fallout 4 is to enable console and then use console commands for free flying, which in turn makes it impossible to unlock achievements. It's inconvenient, to say the least.
Lukewarm Main Story
The Main Quest Is Still The Game's Weakest Point
It's not easy to make a truly magnificent main story for a huge open-world RPG, but in the era of bangers like Baldur's Gate 3 and Cyberpunk 2077, Fallout 4's lukewarm main questline is even more apparent. While the premise is strong, it's also incredibly limiting, making it difficult for players to justify the Sole Survivor's involvement in any side activities when their son is missing.
The ending has also had its fair share of criticism for not being flexible enough with more options, but the main issue here is what was also Skyrim's Achilles' heel: the side content is simply far superior to the main story.
Aging Graphics
Against Modern Releases, It Begins To Show Its Age
Overall, compared to earlier releases in the franchise, Fallout 4 is doing quite well. Some might point out that a game like The Witcher 3, which came out not long after it, easily beat it with superior visuals, but it would be wrong to say that Fallout 4 looks bad.
Dated? Certainly. And with every year that passes, as visually incredible games like Cyberpunk 2077 come out, it increasingly shows its age. Face animations and textures are some of the biggest giveaways of this, though modders have done a great job of solving this issue as well to keep the game alive and well.
Janky Writing
Some Players Hoped For A Silent Protagonist Instead
Since Fallout 4's release, a lot of games have pushed the limits of great writing. Red Dead Redemption 2 hit many in the feels, Cyberpunk 2077 told an incredibly tragic story, Baldur's Gate 3 was an epic tale worthy of the D&D brand with Larian's signature, brilliant writing all over it, and even indie titles like Disco Elysium managed to wow players with deep and dark themes on humanity and politics.
Bethesda Games With The Best Character Creation
Bethesda has developed and published plenty of games with in-depth character creators, though these games offer the best character creation tools.
Fallout 4, while it does have its moments in side quests and certain companion stories, suffers from a slight lack of depth with its writing. Dialogue is a tad superficial, and the Sole Survivor's emotions aren't fully felt as they take in the new world around them. There was great potential, certainly, but it feels like something was cut in the development process.
A World That Barely Reacts
The Commonwealth Changes Only Minimally Throughout The Game
Reactive game worlds, whether they are open-world or more linear, are all the rage, and it's more important than ever before for players that their actions have direct consequences on the environment. Choosing X should lead to Y, and acting or behaving in evil ways should naturally lead to some factions despising the player. The Witcher 3 and Mass Effect franchise are perfect poster children of this, with player choices severely affecting the world and the NPCs around them.
Fallout 4 does this to a degree, but resolving major plot points still doesn't change the world enough to feel meaningful. Unlocking more settlements and protecting them doesn't make the Commonwealth safer, and having a powerful character who has achieved many great things will still have raiders address them as 'rookies' in combat.
Excessive Loading Screens
High FPS On PC Means Unbearably Long Loading Times
Loading screens became a bit of a hot topic with Oblivion Remastered released earlier in 2025, and Fallout 4 suffers from a similar issue. Not only do players have to endure a loading screen almost every time they enter a building or sub-location, but the loading times are also ridiculously long.
The time is actually related to a player's FPS, and the best way to deal with it on PC is to tab out of the game and then back in. This is easily one of the greatest frustrations players will have to deal with, along with a buggy downtown Boston area. It's especially hard to stomach these loading screens when there are so many great games out there that either mask them well or have none.
Fallout 4
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 87 /100 Critics Rec: 89%
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
