Good thing game journalism was never a real thing.

Spot on.

Don’t forget unique sounds in some cases, like the Mysterious Magnum and That Gun. Man I loved That Gun.

I agree with you here in most respects, but I’d like to note that Bethesda pretty much stole the faction-based endgame of Fallout: New Vegas for their Fallout 4. Just as the Courier has to choose between the Legion, the Republic, independent New Vegas, and House to resolve the Second Battle of Hoover Dam, the Sole…

in fairness, even wandering around was fun in NV because every place had some kind of in-universe reason for being there, even if the loot isn't exciting (but I don't play for the boring loot anyway and I'm not sure anyone did before 4)

So much this. It KILLS me that Bethesda barely worked into Fallout 4 some (if any) of the obvious improvements Obsidian made in New Vegas. The companion wheel, for instance, is so much better than the system in Fallout 3, 4, and even Skyrim. It’s one thing for Bethesda to not incorporate things that modders add over…

Yes exactly. And the way having a high SPECIAL or skill stat gave you unique dialog choices and actions.

This is my biggest thing. I loved the RP element that brought to the table. I always felt like my decisions actually held impact beyond the amount of damage I could put forward.

I’m not saying they didn’t make their own improvements. I just wish they’d combined theirs with the ones from New Vegas.

This is just speculation on my part, but I almost feel like Bethesda seems to be acting a bit... indignant about what are generally considered improvements for New Vegas vs. Fallout 3. Sort of like when someone gets a harsh criticism on their work... like if you get a singer in a chorus who gets yelled at for being…

For some of us Fallout is synonymous with a rich RPG. Bethesda can make a great shooter (remember their Terminator games?) but their teams have shown time and time again that they aren’t capable of writing a complex role playing game.

Obsidian is so much better at writing than Bethesda. I’m still working my way through Pillars of Eternity and I love it.

I find myself wishing that Bethesda had at least learned some lessons from New Vegas very often while playing Fallout 4. The melee and unarmed combat in particular feels like a real step backward from the improvements NV made. New Vegas also did a much better job of weaving the different factions together into a story…