PC World mentions Fallout4 as game of the year even though they think it's a bad game

[Spacemunkey]

I don't know how this game is fun let alone addictive, I installed over 10 mods for it and I can't pick the game back up. I mean it's SOOO boring that even the mods I was using didn't give me some sort of urge to play it again. I've been playing older and way better games worth my time since then so it doesn't matter.

I actually had fun and found it addictive. In the beginning. While the whole thing was shiny and new and all that jazz. I mean, I thought we were on to something here... The first thing that hit me (aside from the whole dialogue/voiced shit, obviously) was when I couldn't talk Kellogg down. Then I thought "Wait... You mean my only option is to kill this guy?". Then I found a nailboard that somehow froze people. The I started noticing how much of the game's content was really only radiant shit (which I refused to believe at first, in a comedic manner).

Finally, I was just thinking, let's finish this thing and at least see all the choices and endings. And boy was I disappointed... All that work for a "Yay, you finished it! Keep playing if you want, nothing's really changed".

EDIT: Not to mention ressurecting-raiders-turned-legendary-bullet-sponges

I thought the voice acting was great and hating the game just because the main character has a voice actor is pretty dumb since the chosen one talks in Fallout 2 except you don't hear his voice. Voice acting is the least of all problems this game has they actually got the voice acting right. The problem is they made Fallout 4 into a generic boring game where none of your choices matter in the end and the game gets old really fast. It's the same crap where people hate the game just because it's not ismoteric. The game sucks because it's a piece of shit not because of a graphical change or camera view.

The voiced protagonist was a big problem for me. I have played a lot of ARPG's with voiced characters that were very enjoyable(Deus Ex,Mass Effect, Witcher, etc) What separates those games from FO4 is a well written protagonist, one that you end up caring about. So while I find the voice acting in and of itself not a bad thing the dialogue coming out of the mouth of that va is cringe worthy, and speaking as someone who modded it out, it's far better without it.

 

[Irwin John Finster]

I don't know how this game is fun let alone addictive, I installed over 10 mods for it and I can't pick the game back up. I mean it's SOOO boring that even the mods I was using didn't give me some sort of urge to play it again. I've been playing older and way better games worth my time since then so it doesn't matter.

I actually had fun and found it addictive. In the beginning. While the whole thing was shiny and new and all that jazz. I mean, I thought we were on to something here... The first thing that hit me (aside from the whole dialogue/voiced shit, obviously) was when I couldn't talk Kellogg down. Then I thought "Wait... You mean my only option is to kill this guy?". Then I found a nailboard that somehow froze people. The I started noticing how much of the game's content was really only radiant shit (which I refused to believe at first, in a comedic manner).

Finally, I was just thinking, let's finish this thing and at least see all the choices and endings. And boy was I disappointed... All that work for a "Yay, you finished it! Keep playing if you want, nothing's really changed".

EDIT: Not to mention ressurecting-raiders-turned-legendary-bullet-sponges

I thought the voice acting was great and hating the game just because the main character has a voice actor is pretty dumb since the chosen one talks in Fallout 2 except you don't hear his voice. Voice acting is the least of all problems this game has they actually got the voice acting right. The problem is they made Fallout 4 into a generic boring game where none of your choices matter in the end and the game gets old really fast. It's the same crap where people hate the game just because it's not ismoteric. The game sucks because it's a piece of shit not because of a graphical change or camera view.

The voiced protagonist was a big problem for me. I have played a lot of ARPG's with voiced characters that were very enjoyable(Deus Ex,Mass Effect, Witcher, etc) What separates those games from FO4 is a well written protagonist, one that you end up caring about. So while I find the voice acting in and of itself not a bad thing the dialogue coming out of the mouth of that va is cringe worthy, and speaking as someone who modded it out, it's far better without it.

Exactly. I dropped F4 for Mass Effect and I can't even go back now. The protagonist in F4 has the worst lines and acting I've ever seen. It is a HUGE problem if you force a voice acted protagonist on the player and then that voice acting is AWFUL. This isn't a movie, I'm stuck with that terrible voice acting for 100 or more hours if I stick with the game, which I dropped for better writing and dialogue in Mass Effect and Witcher.

 

[Spacemunkey]

Me too I started Deus Ex HR revolution again, funny how a dialogue wheel can be done right in a game that's what like 3 years old.

 

[Ilosar]

I don't know how this game is fun let alone addictive, I installed over 10 mods for it and I can't pick the game back up. I mean it's SOOO boring that even the mods I was using didn't give me some sort of urge to play it again. I've been playing older and way better games worth my time since then so it doesn't matter.

I actually had fun and found it addictive. In the beginning. While the whole thing was shiny and new and all that jazz. I mean, I thought we were on to something here... The first thing that hit me (aside from the whole dialogue/voiced shit, obviously) was when I couldn't talk Kellogg down. Then I thought "Wait... You mean my only option is to kill this guy?". Then I found a nailboard that somehow froze people. The I started noticing how much of the game's content was really only radiant shit (which I refused to believe at first, in a comedic manner).

Finally, I was just thinking, let's finish this thing and at least see all the choices and endings. And boy was I disappointed... All that work for a "Yay, you finished it! Keep playing if you want, nothing's really changed".

EDIT: Not to mention ressurecting-raiders-turned-legendary-bullet-sponges

I thought the voice acting was great and hating the game just because the main character has a voice actor is pretty dumb since the chosen one talks in Fallout 2 except you don't hear his voice. Voice acting is the least of all problems this game has they actually got the voice acting right. The problem is they made Fallout 4 into a generic boring game where none of your choices matter in the end and the game gets old really fast. It's the same crap where people hate the game just because it's not ismoteric. The game sucks because it's a piece of shit not because of a graphical change or camera view.

Nah, the male voice actor sucked and not everybody wants to sound like a generic white dude.

He really isn't very good. I ditched my male character and started a second female. Courtenay Taylor does such a better job.

I'm not sure about him sounding like a white dude. IIRC the VA is a black or hispanic guy.

 

[Irwin John Finster]

I don't know how this game is fun let alone addictive, I installed over 10 mods for it and I can't pick the game back up. I mean it's SOOO boring that even the mods I was using didn't give me some sort of urge to play it again. I've been playing older and way better games worth my time since then so it doesn't matter.

I actually had fun and found it addictive. In the beginning. While the whole thing was shiny and new and all that jazz. I mean, I thought we were on to something here... The first thing that hit me (aside from the whole dialogue/voiced shit, obviously) was when I couldn't talk Kellogg down. Then I thought "Wait... You mean my only option is to kill this guy?". Then I found a nailboard that somehow froze people. The I started noticing how much of the game's content was really only radiant shit (which I refused to believe at first, in a comedic manner).

Finally, I was just thinking, let's finish this thing and at least see all the choices and endings. And boy was I disappointed... All that work for a "Yay, you finished it! Keep playing if you want, nothing's really changed".

EDIT: Not to mention ressurecting-raiders-turned-legendary-bullet-sponges

I thought the voice acting was great and hating the game just because the main character has a voice actor is pretty dumb since the chosen one talks in Fallout 2 except you don't hear his voice. Voice acting is the least of all problems this game has they actually got the voice acting right. The problem is they made Fallout 4 into a generic boring game where none of your choices matter in the end and the game gets old really fast. It's the same crap where people hate the game just because it's not ismoteric. The game sucks because it's a piece of shit not because of a graphical change or camera view.

Nah, the male voice actor sucked and not everybody wants to sound like a generic white dude.

He really isn't very good. I ditched my male character and started a second female. Courtenay Taylor does such a better job.

I'm not sure about him sounding like a white dude. IIRC the VA is a black or hispanic guy.

I really believe the male protagonist voice actor was just given a script that only contained his lines and not the other characters lines, so he had no idea of the context of what he was saying. Because that is how his dialogue sounds.

It's awful and it was a major part in ruining the game.

Fallout 4 has really brought out the best in Bethesda in the sense that they have become incredibly good at being mediocre at all things and this game demonstrates that with the voice acting in particular.

 

[Hassknecht]

I really believe the male protagonist voice actor was just given a script that only contained his lines and not the other characters lines, so he had no idea of the context of what he was saying. Because that is how his dialogue sounds.

It's awful and it was a major part in ruining the game.

I think that's what happened in the german version of New Vegas. They just flat out forgot to tell the voice actors about the whole Caesar-pronounciation for some characters, and when they suddenly realised that they fucked up, they just cut the line explaining it.

 

[Tom Bishop]

Poor direction can reduce even the best of actors to giving awful performances, as the Star Wars prequels proved in spades. That being said, though, the male lead is genuinely just a very bad actor. Everyone else in the game does a much, much better job than him.

What they should have done (if they were set on having a voiced protagonist) is hired someone slightly more high-profile with a cool, distinctive voice for their lead. Imagine if someone like Michael Ironside, Steve Blum, or Keith David had voiced the protagonist. Suddenly, the game is twice as awesome!

 

[Walpknut]

The male VA totally ruins the fun of the Silver Shroud quest. I can make a better "Old Timey pulp" voice than this guy, he just affects a pretty terrible raspy voice and that's it. It's not just his performance but the fact that you are just tied down to whatever direction the line was going just detracts so much from defining anything about your character.

 

[Irwin John Finster]

I can't wait for Elder Scrolls VI just to see how awful the voice actor is. Because you just KNOW they are going to force you to play as ONE race that has the same crappy voice acting.

How do I know this? Because it's exactly what EA did with Dragon Age II from Dragon Age Origins. In Origins they took the time to develop entire questlines for the beginning of the game that were completely different depending on the race you chose. In other words, you actually spent the beginning of the game doing a unique series of quests and storylines that were completely different depending on your starting race. You also did not have a voiced-protagonist and instead read the dialogue from a list. DA II said F*** all that and introduced a generic human male protagonist with a generic voice actor and generic dialogue wheel (the wheel was still better than whatever you want to call F4's attempt). They also felt the combat wasn't action-y enough and made characters do quadruple backflips while firing fireballs between their legs like some kind of arcade game knockoff of Dragon Age Origins, which had real, visceral, realistic strategic combat.

So enjoy Elder Scrolls VI I'm sure your generic human Imperial character voice acted by the same dude in F4 will be very interesting!

 

[Crni Vuk]

How is it with Dragon 3? Don't they allow you to chose your race again?

Still, I don't get this fetish with voiced protagonists and RPGs. I mean it makes sense in Mass Effect and the Witcher, because the characters there, are for the most part, defined.

But a game like Fallout? Or Dragon Age? Not so much. A voiced protagonist also means that you will have much less dialog and you have no way to actually role play or even allow it.

 

[Irwin John Finster]

How is it with Dragon 3? Don't they allow you to chose your race again?

Still, I don't get this fetish with voiced protagonists and RPGs. I mean it makes sense in Mass Effect and the Witcher, because the characters there, are for the most part, defined.

But a game like Fallout? Or Dragon Age? Not so much. A voiced protagonist also means that you will have much less dialog and you have no way to actually role play or even allow it.

Inon Zur, who wrote the music for Dragon Age 2, went on record as saying that DA 2 was rushed by EA because they wanted to capitalize on the success of DA Origins. I'm mentioning this to help you understand that DA 2 was so unbelievably insulting and awful to everyone who played the first game that many of us, myself included, never bothered to play Dragon Age 3 (Inquisition). So I would not know how DA 3 is. Supposedly it's "better" than 2 but that is like saying Fallout New Vegas is better than Fallout Brotherhood of Steel.

The "fetish" with voiced protagonists and RPGs you refer to seems to be due to big publishers wanting to "expand their audience" which is *streamlined* talk for "make the game stupid and simple as possible." What we get is an interactive movie.

Mass Effect and Witcher did everything well in this area thankfully, while F4 went out of its way to do everything wrong - as if they were actively trying to sabotage the game.

Mass Effect has a HUGE backstory - it is essentially written as a novel if you include the Codex and all the non-game material. Likewise, Witcher 3 is based on books. I think this is a huge reason for their success as RPGs and stories - they have strong writing and a huge canon to draw from.

 

[Dr Fallout]

How is it with Dragon 3? Don't they allow you to chose your race again?

Still, I don't get this fetish with voiced protagonists and RPGs. I mean it makes sense in Mass Effect and the Witcher, because the characters there, are for the most part, defined.

But a game like Fallout? Or Dragon Age? Not so much. A voiced protagonist also means that you will have much less dialog and you have no way to actually role play or even allow it.

Inon Zur, who wrote the music for Dragon Age 2, went on record as saying that DA 2 was rushed by EA because they wanted to capitalize on the success of DA Origins. I'm mentioning this to help you understand that DA 2 was so unbelievably insulting and awful to everyone who played the first game that many of us, myself included, never bothered to play Dragon Age 3 (Inquisition). So I would not know how DA 3 is. Supposedly it's "better" than 2 but that is like saying Fallout New Vegas is better than Fallout Brotherhood of Steel.

The "fetish" with voiced protagonists and RPGs you refer to seems to be due to big publishers wanting to "expand their audience" which is *streamlined* talk for "make the game stupid and simple as possible." What we get is an interactive movie.

Mass Effect and Witcher did everything well in this area thankfully, while F4 went out of its way to do everything wrong - as if they were actively trying to sabotage the game.

Mass Effect has a HUGE backstory - it is essentially written as a novel if you include the Codex and all the non-game material. Likewise, Witcher 3 is based on books. I think this is a huge reason for their success as RPGs and stories - they have strong writing and a huge canon to draw from.

Also it's easier to make the dialogue of one main character who has a slightly changing personality and world view. It allows for great writing and a lot of choices. While you won't roleplay your character at least it has decent writing. Now Fallout four...

 

[Spacemunkey]

How is it with Dragon 3? Don't they allow you to chose your race again?

Still, I don't get this fetish with voiced protagonists and RPGs. I mean it makes sense in Mass Effect and the Witcher, because the characters there, are for the most part, defined.

But a game like Fallout? Or Dragon Age? Not so much. A voiced protagonist also means that you will have much less dialog and you have no way to actually role play or even allow it.

Dragon Age Inquisition made a mistake in only giving each race 2 choices in voices, and while I felt they could work for the human or elf races, the dwarf and qunari just didn't work for me. A lot of people like DAI I just found it meh. I found that no matter how you tried to play your character the world at large still funneled you into a set role, not to mention the mmo style side quests(collect 10 ram meat) that plague the entire game.

 

[fakeangel]

DA:I only had 2 voices per gender, with some of them only have one choice.

 

[Crni Vuk]

How is it with Dragon 3? Don't they allow you to chose your race again?

Still, I don't get this fetish with voiced protagonists and RPGs. I mean it makes sense in Mass Effect and the Witcher, because the characters there, are for the most part, defined.

But a game like Fallout? Or Dragon Age? Not so much. A voiced protagonist also means that you will have much less dialog and you have no way to actually role play or even allow it.

Dragon Age Inquisition made a mistake in only giving each race 2 choices in voices, and while I felt they could work for the human or elf races, the dwarf and qunari just didn't work for me. A lot of people like DAI I just found it meh. I found that no matter how you tried to play your character the world at large still funneled you into a set role, not to mention the mmo style side quests(collect 10 ram meat) that plague the entire game.

That's the problem with voice acting, isn't it? Not enough room for role playing characters that don't fitt the ordinary vision of what a fighter or mage should be.

I mean, how do you express a character with a heavy accent? Or under the influence of narcotics? This is much easier to achieve only trough writing. You can create dialogs with nuances, where a voice actor would have 1. to be extremely talented and 2. very expensive. And this is not only true for the player, but also for many of the NPCs. There is no room for imagination anymore. Games have to be like movies and a cinematic experience, or they are not entertaining anymore. It kills the interactivity of the medium though.

 

[Khannis]

How is it with Dragon 3? Don't they allow you to chose your race again?

Still, I don't get this fetish with voiced protagonists and RPGs. I mean it makes sense in Mass Effect and the Witcher, because the characters there, are for the most part, defined.

But a game like Fallout? Or Dragon Age? Not so much. A voiced protagonist also means that you will have much less dialog and you have no way to actually role play or even allow it.

Dragon Age Inquisition made a mistake in only giving each race 2 choices in voices, and while I felt they could work for the human or elf races, the dwarf and qunari just didn't work for me. A lot of people like DAI I just found it meh. I found that no matter how you tried to play your character the world at large still funneled you into a set role, not to mention the mmo style side quests(collect 10 ram meat) that plague the entire game.

That's the problem with voice acting, isn't it? Not enough room for role playing characters that don't fitt the ordinary vision of what a fighter or mage should be.

I mean, how do you express a character with a heavy accent? Or under the influence of narcotics? This is much easier to achieve only trough writing. You can create dialogs with nuances, where a voice actor would have 1. to be extremely talented and 2. very expensive. And this is not only true for the player, but also for many of the NPCs. There is no room for imagination anymore. Games have to be like movies and a cinematic experience, or they are not entertaining anymore. It kills the interactivity of the medium though.

Exactly, it's a huge investment that often makes the game WORSE from a role-playing point of view (the thing it's supposed to be about).

 

[Irwin John Finster]

There is no room for imagination anymore. Games have to be like movies and a cinematic experience, or they are not entertaining anymore. It kills the interactivity of the medium though.

I think this is the crux of the matter. Too many big studios are churning out interactive movies and thinking they are deep RPGs or other genres. Games should not emulate movies. As Shandification of Fallout explains (I posted the link below), In Mass Effect 1 you could wander off the entire main path and have deep conversations with various NPCs to learn about the Mass Effect universe and really get immersed in the game. It was great content, but these situations would be the first things cut from a movie due to time or focus constraints. And that is why we see all these linear interactive movies imitating video games and that is why video games should not imitate movies.

 

[Khannis]

MrBTongue is God. With one D.

 

[Irwin John Finster]

Me too I started Deus Ex HR revolution again, funny how a dialogue wheel can be done right in a game that's what like 3 years old.

I honestly feel like Deus Ex HR beats F4 in every way including as an RPG and shooter.

 

[MercenarySnake]

Me too I started Deus Ex HR revolution again, funny how a dialogue wheel can be done right in a game that's what like 3 years old.

I honestly feel like Deus Ex HR beats F4 in every way including as an RPG and shooter.

I'm sure almost any game could beat Fallout 4 in terms of being an RPG but despite enjoying Human Revolution myself I wouldn't go as far as calling it an RPG. Now Deus Ex 1 on the other hand is sort of like an RPG while being a FPS.