This article first appeared in PC Gamer magazine issue 389 in October 2023, as part of our Reinstall series. Every month we load up a beloved classic—and find out whether it holds up to our modern gaming sensibilities.
A staggering eight years ago, Fallout 4 was released. Its developer, Bethesda, made the swap back to the rusty post-apocalypse after having launched what would become one of the most influential open-world RPGs of all time, Skyrim, just three years before. In many ways, Fallout 4 is a sequel to both Skyrim and Fallout 3. It refines the expansive structure of the fantasy setting by rooting it in the familiar, real-world locations of the ruined American setting. And it begins before the bombs are dropped, in an intro sequence that whiffs an attempt to ground your character in its fascinating world.
