Immersive & improved // Recommended for absolutely everyone

*This review is based on a purely vanilla playthrough

LockeProposal's Big Day Out

+ Much improved visuals & lighting; still not the cream of the crop in any visual category, compared to many of its peers, but a marked improvement for the series, nonetheless+ Gunplay is massively improved compared to predecessors; feels more fluid & dynamic, with the finesse of a modern FPS title+ Massive new perks system; encourages meticulous specialization, & pleasantly surprises the player with a lack of level cap+ Gorgeous, painstakingly detailed environments+ Absolutely ridiculous, refreshing levels of customization for armor & weaponry (ranged & melee); due to the customization & components system in place, ALL loot is vital for crafting at some point, thus further encouraging looting & hoarding of materials+ Large, varied cast of potential companions; companion management is as easy as ever, & your friends are blessedly useful in & out of combat (they will help you carry your loot!)+ Much improved system of looting which no longer stops the game & brings up its own screen; amount of loot in the world is staggering+ Absolutely enormous map that is richly populated with interesting & rewarding locations to explore+ Myriad factions to join, & a series of missions that will absolutely force the player to choose sides at some point; game is rife with crippling moral dilemmas that make one's choices feel as though they have real impact+ Vast number of engaging side-quests+ Legendary enemies are interspersed with regular mobs, which will drop legendary weapons; quality & quantity are determined by difficulty settings, rewarding the bold+ Power armor is now integral; features early acquisition, refined gameplay when using it, & extreme customizability+ User-friendly & creative base-building; can set up mutliple bases, establish supply lines, assign settlers to scavange or defend, etc.+ Excellent story that will likely keep the player invested from start to finish; of course, completing the story immediately sets one free to continue playing the rest of the game with complete freedom!+ Massively customizable with a flourishing & innovative modding community- Limited resolution options- Companions are better in behavior than most games on the market, but they still walk in front of you when you're trying to loot something (not bad enough to ruin the experience, but it can be a bit jarring when it happens)- Several hit detection & textural glitches; most of these will inevitably be patched out in the future, however- Base-building mechanics are largely a pleasure, but it can often be frustrating to judge how a structure is going to line up on a plot; only 'connecting pieces' will auto-correct for this, unfortunately