"War never changes" runs the tagline for Fallout 4 , and though that's a dour descriptor for this sometimes bleakly hilarious game, it's also sort of true that the Fallout series hasn't really changed. However, that's because of another important saying: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

As the sole survivor of Vault 111, you enter a world destroyed by nuclear war. Every second is a fight for survival, and every choice is yours. Only you can rebuild and determine the fate of the Wasteland. Welcome home.

Going back to the very start of Fallout 4 , Bethesda's follow-up to Fallout 3 and New Vegas took on a different aspect of surviving a nuclear holocaust, one that was more focused on an internal journey than just keeping ghouls and super mutants at bay.

A rich story with layered player choice; better than the main game; Themes that tackle contemporary issues are what great sci-fi should be; Memorable new characters; Adds shading to Fallout's best companion; Nick Valentine; Lots of side missions; even one that can be done once you leave Far Harbor

Lots of side missions; even one that can be done once you leave Far Harbor

Bought for my 21 year old son and he loves it. He doesn't play many video games now that he is older but this was a hit with him. He is hard to buy for so this was the perfect choice

A vast and frequently brilliant return to Bethesda's atomic sandbox, but constant technical issues are a frustration.

The bombs have dropped and Fallout 4 is climbing out of the rubble, explore a devastated Boston landscape in the year 2287 over two centuries after the world was taken to the edge by nuclear war.

New settlement building and item crafting – Massively improved gunplay

Dumb down of role playing – Less quests than previous titles

It's fair to say Fallout 4's DLC up until now has been a little on the lean side, and pretty disappointing to boot. Automatron brought a new storyline, companions and enemies, but lacked much in the way of impact on the game world.

"There's no way Bethesda is announcing Fallout 4 for this year. Every time they announce a new game we see it behind closed doors, and then they release it the next holiday season," I remarked to my team at E3 2015, citing experience culled from over a decade of working with the Maryland-based...

Crafting / Modding / Building engine is amazing; Enemies are dangerous and slightly smarter; Goodbye desaturated greens and browns; Solid voice work

NPCs remain two-dimensional and dull; Side quests quality varies wildly; Some bugs and audio repetition/glitching; Two hard lockups on XB1; zero on PC

But who gives a crap about ‘beautiful’ when the game beneath the facade is so damned good? Fallout 4 sets its sights high and brings home the bacon. It’s not just the sheer scale and quality that makes this a must-have RPG. The complex systems Bethesda has created all overlap in a mesmerising fashion, creating an experience that is both huge and beautifully tailored at the same time. The lessons the company has learned from two decades of game making are all brought to bear in a tour de force of role playing wonder. You’d have to have an irradiated brain to not make this your Christmas pick. There’s never been a better time to pop on your Pip-boy and go out in search of adventure.

A world so large it makes RL look small; RPG and FPS gameplay happily married; Questing of the highest quality;

Not the prettiest game you’ll encounter this Christmas; Radroaches aren’t the only bugs to worry about;

A world so large it makes RL look small; RPG and FPS gameplay happily married; Questing of the highest quality;

Not the prettiest game you’ll encounter this Christmas; Radroaches aren’t the only bugs to worry about;