How do you review a game such as Fallout 4 in a reasonable time frame? Here at Player2 we couldn’t come up with an answer to that tricky question so we decided to do something different. For five days five different writers will be jotting down some personal experiences with Fallout 4. These aren’t reviews or recommendations but stories from their journey through the Wasteland. So grab a bottle of Nuka Cola and some crispy squirrel bits, sit back in a comfy chair and enjoy our 5 days of Fallout 4.
Five days of Fallout 4 – The Countdown to Launch
Ahh midnight launches. They are an interesting part of the hype cycle are they not? They are not something I often partake in as my desire for sleep usually outweighs my need to get my hands on the latest and greatest title. In fact I have become quite cynical over the years towards these events, convincing myself that they are a waste of time and all they do is force some poor store clerk to stay up way past their bed time. But Fallout 4 is no ordinary launch. This is a game that I have been clamouring for since I finally put Mr House down in New Vegas all those years ago. I have been hanging off every shred of information that has made its way into the public domain and soaking up every video and screenshot I could find. This was the game that convinced me to grab the car keys and head to my local EB at an ungodly hour of the evening.
Usually for midnight launches my local store isn’t involved. I live in the country town of Queanbeyan which is just over the NSW border from Canberra so most Midnight launches happen in one of the larger stores in the ACT (another reason why I don’t attend very often) but it seems Fallout 4 was a big enough to warrant my small local store opening to a mass of rabid Fallout fans late in the evening. My decision to attend was made late in the night. I had friends over for dinner and they had just left so I was deciding whether to have a nightcap and go to bed or trundle into town. The hype won me over and boy am I glad it did.
When I arrived I was greeted by a full carpark, which was a massive shock. Never before had I seen that many cars in attendance for a launch. So already surprised I walked into the centre and found myself among a mass of hungry fans clamouring for what is likely to be the biggest game of the year. The EB staff were going to an enormous effort to hype the crowd even further with multiple fallout themed party games running. There was a V.A.T.S inspired nerf gun shooting range and a Fallout 4 trivia competition, both of which were entertaining the fans and creating a celebratory atmosphere for the evening.
In fact that is probably the biggest thing that I took out of the evening. Something I had forgotten on my journey to cynical middle age. These events are actually fun. There is something to be said for hanging with a large group of like-minded passionate people, all eagerly awaiting the same thing. I found it easy to be swept up in the hype and what’s more is I actually wanted to be. When the staff informed us it was time to line up I found my place and began to count how many people were in front of me, how many lucky vault wanders there were that would have their hands on Fallout 4 before I did. I watched with jealousy as the first lucky punter strolled out of the centre with his newly purchased prize. Before I knew it, it was my turn. I made it to the counter and handed over my receipt. The staff reached over and grabbed my copy and placed it in front of me. It was like a scene from a movie and it wouldn’t have surprised me to suddenly see a halo of light shining on that Fallout themed packaging (I purchased the Bobble Head edition, what can I say? I have a soft spot for useless crap). I hastily thanked the staff, protectively cuddled my new love and began to head home.
When I reached home I promptly turned on my Xbox One, inserted the disc and began the install/update process. I then turned off my TV and wandered off to bed not even once playing the game I had just spent an hour at local game store purchasing. But do you know what? I was happy. The midnight launch I had just experience refreshed this jaded old games writer and reminded me about how exciting a new game can actually be. So with that revelation firmly implanted in my mind I drifted off to sleep, content and dreaming about my future adventures in the wasteland.
Matt Hewson