Fallout 4 Review Roundup

Bethesda's latest post-apocalyptic opus, Fallout 4, promises to be the studio's most ambitious game yet. With fully voiced characters, deeper role-playing hooks, and redesigned combat, it may also be the best Fallout yet.

Reviewers have started delivering their verdicts and, as always, we've gathered up the scores and excerpts from each review and placed them in a handy list. Take a look below to get a good overview of the critical reception, offering you an idea if the final product is worthy of the hype.

For a wider view on the game's critical reception, head to GameSpot sister site Metacritic.

• Game: Fallout 4
• Developer: Bethesda Game Studios
• Platform: Xbox One, PS4, PC
• Release Date: November 10
• Price: $60/£49.99

GameSpot -- 9/10

"Fallout 4 can be an intoxicating experience. You're often forced to sacrifice something--a relationship, a lucrative opportunity, or your health--to make gains elsewhere. And the deeper down the rabbit hole you go, the more you wonder: what if I chose a different path? You second guess yourself, not just because you had other options, but because you aren't sure if you did the right thing. The fact that your decisions stick with you after walking away from the game is a testament to the great storytelling on hand. Fallout 4 is an argument for substance over style, and an excellent addition to the revered open-world series." -- Peter Brown [Full review}

Polygon -- 9.5/10

"Bethesda's open-world strengths have always differed from its contemporaries in that focus on world-building and a sense of place above all else. Fallout 4 has all the ambiance and history that made its predecessors such wonderful places to get lost for hours at a time, with a much more coherent set of stories within it. That Bethesda has integrated a major building and crafting tool while finally building a great-playing game almost feels like a bonus." -- Arthur Gies {Full review]

Game Informer -- 9/10

"Fallout 4 didn’t blow me away like the previous iteration did, but it did keep me thoroughly entertained and fully vested in journeying across the wasteland. As Bethesda's "Welcome Home" marketing campaign teases, when fans of Fallout 3 or New Vegas enter this new world, it'll feel strangely familiar. As one of the top games of the previous generation, this isn't a bad thing at all. Fallout 4 has all of the trappings that can keep you engaged for days on end." -- Andrew Reiner [Full review]

Eurogamer -- Recommended

"Fallout 4 has given me some of my best gaming memories of 2015, along with some of my most frustrating. These are legacy problems that aren't going away any time soon, and as fun as the settlement crafting is here, I'd gladly do without it for a game engine that offers a more dependable foundation for future adventures. Fallout 4 is a great game. It's also kind of a mess. Caveat emptor." -- Dan Whitehead [Full review]

VideoGamer -- 9/10

"Whether it's the moment-to-moment gameplay that you won't see coming, or the occasional spectacular set piece designed to make your jaw slack, you'll be desperate to discuss these with others (secretly hoping what you saw was for your eyes only) ... The fact of the matter is, though, that this is more of the same, even if that 'same' has been pushed to new heights. If you hated Fallout 3, then there's not much to get you onside here. If you loved it, then you'll love this all the more, because of its differences as well as its similarities." -- Simon Miller [Full review]

Destructoid -- 7.5

"After spending roughly 40 hours with the game, I can safely place it somewhere in the middle of Fallout 3 andNew Vegas in terms of quality. A lot of the franchise's signature problems have carried over directly into Fallout 4, but all of its charms have come along for the ride as well. It manages to do a whole lot right, but the story drags at times, and glitches...glitches never change." -- Chris Carter [Full review]

PC Gamer -- 88/100

"As a whole, though, it's a loving production. It's filled with care and attention to detail—like the expanded set of radio stations, or the way flash radiation storms bathe the world in a sickly, ominous green hue. It's a pleasure to pick through the world, to discover new sights, and to pick through the perks and customisation option to conceive the perfect character build, however bizarre. In short, many of Fallout 4's problems, like every Bethesda RPG before it, are a consequence of what makes them unforgettable. That might not be the neatest conclusion, but it explains why, 50 hours in, I'm still having fun. It also explains why, now that I've finished this review, I'm going to play it for many hours more." -- Phil Savage [Full review]

GamesRadar+ -- 5/5

"There’s a whole world here to discover and even after all the time I’ve spent in it I barely feel like I’ve scratched the surface. Maybe I won't tick everything off the list but just trying to see what’s out there is the real draw - for all the missions, quests and other stuff Fallout 4 contains, by far the most important thing in it are the decisions I’ve made. Few games nail a feeling of total freedom and this is an experience made of nothing but that." -- Leon Hurley [Full review]

IGN -- 9.5/10

"The world, exploration, crafting, atmosphere, and story of Fallout 4 are all key parts of this hugely successful sandbox role-playing game. Great new reasons to obsessively gather and hoard relics of happier times, strong companions, and sympathetic villains driving tough decisions make it an adventure I’ll definitely replay and revisit. Even the technical shakiness that crops up here and there can’t even begin to slow down its momentum." -- Dan Stapleton [Full review]

PCGamesN -- 8/10

"Its combat is the best Bethesda have ever produced: involving, kinetic, and exciting. The collection of weapons at your disposal are destructive and inventive, and strapping on power armour makes you feel like an absolute killing machine. Plenty of the missions are rote, but the narrative is the best Fallout has seen, and the factions you interact with seem more complex and multi-layered than ever." -- Matt Purslow [Full review]

The Jimquisition -- 9.5/10

"The changes made overall may scare series fans, but those who roll with the differences may find a sleeker, deeper, altogether more captivating Fallout than they’ve gotten used to." -- Jim Sterling, Son [Full review]

USGamer -- 4.5/5

"If you've played a Bethesda RPG, you should have a pretty good idea of what you're in for. Bethesda plays it surprisingly safe with the formula, but they also do a much better job with the story this time around, serving to elevate the game as a whole. While there's no denying that it can be a bit ridiculous at times, its sheer scope speaks for itself. Bethesda has succeeded in crafting yet another fascinating open-world RPG." -- Kat Bailey [Full review]

RPGamer -- 3/5

"Fallout 4 just feels safe, even when trying new things. The addition of a voiced main character limits the depth of choice too much to be worth the payoff. The warring factions you have to choose from force you down a path that offers no good middle ground to say "screw it, I don't want to support any of you." They all have different ideologies, but the outcome for each is just too similar. As such, the main storyline overcomplicates itself into irrelevance instead of becoming a complex web of intrigue like other games in the series have offered. If all you are looking for is more Fallout, with tons of areas to explore and lots of side quests to complete, there is plenty of that here, but be warned that they are not the same deep, entertaining quests offered by the past two games." -- Michael Cunningham [Full review]