Fallout 4 is a 2015 action role-playing game created by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. It is the fourth main game in the Fallout series and was released worldwide on November 10, 2015, for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One. Later, versions for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S were released on April 25, 2024. The game’s open world is set in a post-apocalyptic environment that includes the real-life American city of Boston and nearby areas of Massachusetts, which is called "the Commonwealth" in the game.

The main story takes place in the year 2287, 10 years after the events of Fallout 3 and 210 years after a nuclear war known as the "Great War." Players control a character called the "Sole Survivor," who wakes up after a long sleep in Vault 111, an underground shelter designed to protect people from nuclear fallout. After witnessing the murder of their spouse and the kidnapping of their child, Shaun, the Sole Survivor leaves Vault 111 to search for their missing son in the Commonwealth.

Players explore the game’s run-down world, complete quests, help different groups, and earn experience points to improve their character’s skills. New features in the game include the ability to build and manage settlements and a detailed crafting system that lets players use materials found in the environment to make explosives, upgrade weapons and armor, and build, furnish, and improve settlements. This is the first Fallout game to have a fully voiced main character.

Fallout 4 received praise from critics for its deep world, freedom for players, large amount of content, crafting system, story, characters, and music. Some criticism focused on simpler role-playing elements compared to earlier games and technical problems. The game sold 12 million copies to stores, earning US $750 million in its first 24 hours. It won many awards, including Game of the Year and Best Game at the D.I.C.E. Awards and British Academy Games Awards. Bethesda released six downloadable content add-ons, including the expansions Far Harbor and Nuka-World. A special version called the Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition, which includes the base game, all downloadable content, and previously released Creation Club content, was released on November 10, 2025, for all platforms. A version for Nintendo Switch 2 was released on February 24, 2026.

Gameplay

Fallout 4 is an action role-playing game set in a large, open game world. The gameplay is similar to Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas, which are earlier versions of the game. However, the gunplay in Fallout 4 was created by id Software, unlike the previous games. Players can switch between first-person and third-person views using a camera feature. New features in Fallout 4 include a layered armor system, base-building, a dialogue system with 111,000 lines of conversation, and a crafting system that allows players to use any object they find in the game. Enemies like Mole Rats, Raiders, Rad Roaches, Super Mutants, Deathclaws, and Feral Ghouls return, as does the companion Dogmeat.

Players can move freely around the game world and leave conversations at any time. If a location has been discovered, players can fast travel there unless they are playing on "Survival Difficulty," which disables fast travel. Weapons can be customized, with over 50 guns available. These guns can be modified using parts like receivers, barrel types, and laser focuses, with over 700 modifications possible. Power Armor, such as the T45, was redesigned to function more like a vehicle. It requires battery-like "fusion cores" to operate efficiently. Players can modify Power Armor by adding items like jet packs or different armor plating for each part of the suit.

A new feature in the series is the ability to build and deconstruct settlements and buildings. Players can break down in-game objects and structures to collect raw materials for building their own structures. Towns can be powered using a system of power lines. Merchants and non-player characters (NPCs) can live in player-built settlements, requiring the player to grow food and build water pumps to provide sustenance. Players can defend their settlements with turrets, traps, and bombs. Settlements also have a happiness meter that can be improved by meeting requirements like food, water, beds, defense, and power. Settlers can use items like a "Barber Chair" and a "Trading Stand" for additional options.

The Pip-Boy, a personal computing device worn on the player's wrist, allows access to a menu showing statistics, maps, data, and collected items. Players can find game cartridges called Holotapes, which can be played on the Pip-Boy or a terminal. A new feature is a downloadable app for iOS, Android, and Windows devices, allowing players to view the Pip-Boy interface and play Holotapes on a separate screen.

A returning feature is the Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System (V.A.T.S.). During V.A.T.S., real-time combat slows down, and actions are shown from different camera angles in a computer graphics style. Using V.A.T.S. uses Action Points (AP), which limit what players can do in a short time. Players can target specific body parts, such as the head, legs, or weapons, to cause specific injuries. Unlike earlier games, critical hits are now performed manually through V.A.T.S. Using V.A.T.S. requires enough AP, and the amount of AP used depends on the weapon and its modifications.

At the start of the game, players earn points to assign to a character progression system called S.P.E.C.I.A.L. This system represents seven statistics: strength, perception, endurance, charisma, intelligence, agility, and luck. When players gain enough experience points to level up, they unlock new abilities. Allocating more points to a statistic allows players to unlock more abilities. These perks can be upgraded to improve the player's performance and unlock additional abilities. There are about 275 perks available. The game has a soft level cap of 65,535, meaning players can reach this level but the game does not end after completing the main story.

Players can travel with one companion at a time, though other characters join during specific quests. Companions can perform tasks like hacking terminals or picking locks if the player lacks the necessary skills. Companions react to player actions in four ways: love, like, dislike, or hate, which affects their "affinity" level. Raising a companion's affinity to 1,000 points causes them to "idolize" the player and grant a specific perk. At higher affinities, partnerships with companions are possible. If a companion's affinity drops too low, they will leave permanently or become hostile.

Plot

Fallout 4 is set in the year 2287, 10 years after the events of Fallout 3 and 210 years after the Sino-American War, a conflict between the United States and China over natural resources. This war ended with a nuclear holocaust called the Great War. The game takes place in a post-apocalyptic world known as "the Commonwealth," which includes Boston and other parts of New England. Unlike earlier games, Fallout 4 begins on October 23, 2077, the day the bombs were dropped.

The game’s world is an alternate version of history that mixes 1940s and 1950s American styles, such as diners and drive-in theaters, with advanced technology imagined during that era. This creates a "retro-futuristic" setting, where society has developed laser weapons, genetic manipulation, and nearly-autonomous artificial intelligence, all within the limits of 1950s technology like atomic power and vacuum tubes. Architecture, advertisements, and daily life remain similar to the 1950s, but futuristic items like robotic rocking horses and high-tech fallout shelters called "Vaults" are present. After the war, people use bottle caps as currency.

Four main groups influence the story: the Institute, a secretive society that creates artificial humans called "synths"; the Brotherhood of Steel, a group that controls advanced technology; the Minutemen, a militia that protects settlements; and the Railroad, an underground group that rescues synths.

The player begins in Vault 111, a shelter that freezes its occupants for 210 years. When the player wakes up in 2287, they are called the "Sole Survivor." There are 13 possible companions, including Dogmeat, a loyal German Shepherd, and others like Codsworth, a robotic butler, and Preston Garvey, a Minutemen leader.

The game’s story begins in 2077, when a nuclear war starts between the United States and China. A family, including the player’s spouse (Nate or Nora) and their child Shaun, enters Vault 111 before the bombs drop. They are frozen in cryogenic pods. After 150 years, the spouse dies, and Shaun is taken by an unknown group. The player later wakes up, finding everyone else in the vault dead, and escapes into the Commonwealth.

The player reunites with Codsworth, who explains 210 years have passed. They travel to Concord, meet Dogmeat, and join the Minutemen with Preston Garvey. In Diamond City, the player learns the Institute kidnaps humans and replaces them with synths. After rescuing Nick Valentine, a synth detective, the player discovers Shaun is held by the Institute. The Brotherhood of Steel arrives in the Commonwealth on a modified airship led by Elder Arthur Maxson.

Using a device from a mercenary named Conrad Kellogg, the player learns the Institute can only be entered through teleportation. With help from the Railroad and a scientist named Brian Virgil, the player builds a teleportation device and enters the Institute.

Inside, the player meets an older Shaun, who reveals he was taken 60 years earlier for a synth experiment due to his uncorrupted DNA. The player then chooses which group to support in a war between the Institute, Railroad, Minutemen, and Brotherhood of Steel.

• If the player supports the Minutemen, they become General, defeat the Institute, and destroy its reactor, killing Shaun.
• If the player joins the Institute, Shaun dies of cancer and asks the player to take his place. The player destroys the Brotherhood of Steel’s airship and the Railroad’s headquarters.
• If the player sides with the Brotherhood of Steel, they destroy the Railroad and use a robot named Liberty Prime to destroy the Institute’s reactor, killing Shaun.
• If the player supports the Railroad, they secretly help synths rebel. They destroy the Brotherhood of Steel’s airship and attack the Institute, freeing the synths and killing Shaun.

Development

The original plans for Fallout 4 were made in 2009 when director Todd Howard wanted to explore the Fallout world before the bombs fell. A team started making the game that year, including Istvan Pely, the lead artist from Fallout 3, after completing that game’s downloadable content (DLC). At the same time, Bethesda focused all its effort on developing The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. After Skyrim was released in 2011, the studio continued to support it with updates and DLC until 2013. Once that work was finished, Fallout 4 entered full production from mid-2013 to mid-2015.

Unlike Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas, which used the Gamebryo engine, Fallout 4 uses the Creation Engine, which was also used for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The Creation Engine was modified for Fallout 4 to include an improved character editor system that lets players create faces freely without using sliders. Instead, players can click and drag each facial feature to customize their character, which can be a man or a woman, as in previous Fallout games. Bethesda announced the game would run at 1080p resolution and 30 frames per second on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Mobile devices would also be used as a second screen, acting as a secondary display for the Pip-Boy.

For the first time in the Fallout series, the player’s character, the Sole Survivor, has full voice acting, including all decision-based dialogue options. Brian T. Delaney and Courtenay Taylor are the voice actors for the player’s character.

Todd Howard said that mods for the PC version of the game would work on the Xbox One version and that the team hoped to make them available for the PlayStation 4 eventually. When asked about the failed attempt to add a paid mod system to Skyrim, Howard said there were no plans for a similar system in Fallout 4. Mods created by PC players using The Creation Kit, which includes the official modding tools, were released for Xbox One and PlayStation 4 in May 2016 and November 2016, respectively.

Fallout 4 uses Bethesda’s Creation Engine, which was developed for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Dynamic lighting allows shadows to be created by any structure or item in the game world. Howard said at the E3 2015 Press Conference that the updated Creation Engine supports advanced lighting effects, such as next-generation god rays and volumetric lighting. The engine includes visual effects not seen in previous Bethesda games, like motion blur, temporal anti-aliasing, height fog, dynamic dismemberment, screen space reflections, filmic tone mapping, and an updated material system for wet textures. The engine also allows the team to add more dynamic lighting to scenes and "paint surfaces with realistic materials." Bethesda gave an example: "When a rain storm rolls in, our new material system allows the surfaces of the world to get wet, and a new cloth simulation system makes cloth, hair, and vegetation blow in the wind."

The updated Creation Engine includes a more advanced character creation system that uses sculpting instead of sliders. The new system allows players to create faces freely using a dynamic, real-time modeling interface.

Regarding fluid animations, the updated engine also allows for a more flexible approach to conversations with NPCs. Players can choose between a first-person view or a cinematic third-person view, unlike the rigid system in Fallout 3. The protagonist has dynamic dialogue that is context-sensitive and lets players back out of conversations. Howard said, "You are free to walk away anytime if you want, or you can even shoot him in the face."

Marketing and release

On June 2, 2015, Bethesda started a countdown timer that would end on June 3, 2015, at 14:00 UTC. The game's website became active a little before the scheduled time, showing the game, its box art, and the platforms it would be available on. The site was later removed but returned at the scheduled time. The trailer was released when the countdown timer ended, and the game was confirmed to take place in Boston and the surrounding areas of Massachusetts, as earlier rumors suggested. More details were shared during Bethesda's E3 2015 press conference on June 14, 2015.

Fallout 4 became available for pre-order after the product announcement. In addition to the standard game version, a collector's edition was offered, which included a wearable model of the Pip-Boy. This model could fit inside a smartphone device, allowing it to run the game's second-screen features. As a pre-order bonus for the Windows version, an announcer pack featuring the voice of Mister Handy was released for the multiplayer game Dota 2, developed by Valve Corporation. Bethesda announced that Fallout 4 had gone gold on October 23, 2015. The game was released for Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on November 10, 2015.

After Fallout 4's release, Bethesda released several patches to fix issues from the game's launch and added features to improve gameplay. The first patch, called 1.2, improved the game's frame rate. Patch 1.2 fixed some bugs but caused problems with unofficial mod support. Patch 1.3 improved the game's graphics on all platforms and added new features, such as a status menu for settlers in settlements. For the PC version, this patch introduced a new weapon debris effect and an ambient occlusion setting. It also fixed several bugs and glitches.

Patch 1.4 prepared the game for the upcoming Creation Kit and downloadable content. This patch added new settlement-building options, including symbols for content created by the modding community and new items like Raider and Super Mutant decorations. It also improved the game's stability. Patch 1.5 introduced a revised survival mode and added support for downloadable content, along with bug fixes. Like previous Bethesda games, Fallout 4's fan community created unofficial patches to address issues not fixed by official updates.

At E3 2016, a virtual reality mode for the game was announced, with a planned release in 2017. Fallout 4 VR was released as a standalone game on December 4, 2017, for PC on the HTC Vive platform.

A performance update for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions was announced in December 2022, allowing higher frame rates and 4K resolution support on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. The update was planned for 2023 but was delayed. Bethesda later announced the update would be reworked into native versions for these platforms. The update was released on April 25, 2024, along with stability improvements, fixes for existing platforms, ultrawide support for PC, and additional free Creation Club content. However, it also caused problems, such as broken mod support and user interface issues in ultrawide mode on PC. Quality mode on Xbox stopped working, and settings on Steam Deck were reset. Players using PlayStation Plus Extra initially could not update their game versions.

On February 16, 2016, Bethesda announced details, prices, and release dates for the first three add-ons for Fallout 4. The first add-on, Automatron, allows players to build a custom robot companion using robot parts and adds new quests. It was released in Europe and North America on March 22, 2016. The second add-on, Wasteland Workshop, introduced new settlement-building options and the ability to cage captured creatures or humans, along with new decorations like neon lights. It was released on April 12, 2016. The third add-on, Far Harbor, is a story expansion set in the post-war city of Far Harbor, Maine, and was released on May 19, 2016.

At E3 2016, Bethesda revealed three new add-on packages. The first two, Contraptions Workshop (released June 21, 2016) and Vault-Tec Workshop (released July 26, 2016), offered more building options and decorations, with Vault-Tec Workshop also adding a short story. The third add-on, Nuka-World, was released on August 30, 2016, and added an amusement park area where players could choose to side with or defeat raider groups. Three raider factions were introduced: the Operators, who focus on wealth and economic goals; the Disciples, who use violent methods and close combat; and the Pack, who have a primal, zoo-inspired appearance and control their territory. Players who align with the raiders can expand their influence beyond Nuka-World and take over settlements in the Commonwealth.

At E3 2017, Bethesda announced that Fallout 4 would support Creation Club, a system for purchasing and downloading custom content. Creation Club became available in August 2017.

Reception

Fallout 4 received "generally favorable" reviews on all three platforms, according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.

GameSpot’s Peter Brown gave the game a score of 9 out of 10, stating that Fallout 4 is an example of substance over style and a strong addition to the open-world series. He praised the game’s interesting story, easy-to-use creation tools, large amount of content, combat system, and the freedom players have in the game. Game Informer’s Andrew Reiner also scored the game 9 out of 10, saying that Bethesda created a game players can spend a lot of time playing. He highlighted improved combat, a more detailed world, and a great soundtrack, but noted some mixed opinions about the visuals.

Dan Stapleton of IGN scored the game 9.5 out of 10, writing that the game’s world, exploration, crafting, atmosphere, and story are key parts of its success. He said the game is worth replaying, even with some small technical issues. Phil Savage of PC Gamer described Fallout 4 as a carefully made game with attention to detail and praised the experience of exploring the world. He noted that some problems, like those in other Bethesda RPGs, come from what makes them memorable. Polygon gave the game a 9.5 out of 10, saying it offers great gameplay that matches its world and atmosphere. Destructoid gave the game a 7.5 out of 10, noting that some of the franchise’s usual issues remained in Fallout 4.

The Anniversary Edition of Fallout 4, released October 23, 2025, received mostly negative reviews. Critics said the new Creation Club content was unnecessary and poorly designed, as much of it was already available through player-made modifications and focused mainly on appearance. The edition also caused problems with popular mods that were no longer compatible with the game’s new menu and scripting systems.

Fallout 4 sold 1.2 million copies on Steam in its first 24 hours of release. More digital copies than physical copies were sold on day one. On launch day, the game had nearly 470,000 players online at the same time, breaking Grand Theft Auto V’s record for the most concurrent online players in a Steam game not made by Valve Corporation. Bethesda sent 12 million copies to retailers in the first 24 hours, earning $750 million.

In February 2017, Pete Hines announced that Fallout 4 sold more units than Skyrim over the same period, though no official numbers were provided.

Fallout 4 received many awards and nominations from gaming publications, including GameSpot, GamesRadar, EGM, GameRevolution, and IGN. It won the "Game of the Year" award at the 19th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards and the 12th British Academy Games Awards. It also received many nominations for top honors from The Game Awards, The Daily Telegraph, PC Gamer, and IGN.

The game was listed on multiple "best games of 2015" lists, with GameSpot ranking it sixth and GamesRadar ranking it fourth. Fallout 4 won the "Role-Playing Game of the Year" award from the Game Critics Awards and the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences.

Legal issues

Commercials for the video game Fallout 4 used the 1961 song "The Wanderer," performed by Dion DiMucci. The contract between Dion and the game's publisher stated that Dion could negotiate a fee for using the song and had the right to refuse its use if he disagreed with the advertisements' content. However, Dion filed a lawsuit, claiming that ZeniMax Media, the parent company of Bethesda Softworks, did not follow the contract terms. He demanded that the advertisements be removed and that he receive $1 million USD in damages. Court documents showed that Dion was upset about the song being used in ads that showed the game's violent scenes. He said the ads showed "repeated homicides in a dark, dystopian landscape, where violence is glorified as sport. The killings and physical violence were not to protect innocent life, but instead were repugnant and morally indefensible images designed to appeal to young consumers."

In 2019, a class-action lawsuit was filed against Bethesda Softworks and ZeniMax over its downloadable content (DLC). The lawsuit said that the Season Pass was sold as offering "all of the Fallout 4 DLC we ever do" for a single price. However, after the Creation Club was introduced in 2017, people who had purchased the Season Pass were required to buy Creation Club content separately if they wanted to use it. During the court case, ZeniMax and Microsoft announced plans for ZeniMax to be acquired by Xbox Game Studios, which was expected to complete by June 2021. The plaintiffs in the case asked the court for a preliminary injunction to block the acquisition, to prevent Microsoft from protecting ZeniMax's assets if the company was found responsible for damages. The case was expected to be decided in 2022.

Legacy

A new version of Fallout 4, called Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition, was officially announced on October 23, 2025. This version includes better graphics, improved quests and equipment, more content, and a tool for players to create and share game changes. It was released on November 10, 2025, for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Microsoft Windows. A version for Nintendo Switch 2 was released on February 24, 2026.