If there are any games I love to take with me portably, it's Bethesda RPGs. They suck you in, so any time you're trying to pass on a trip vanishes during your time spent in those worlds. Skyrim recently made an appearance on the Nintendo Switch 2, but the bigger surprise was Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition coming behind it. With the release in full swing, is this version powered up? Or is it radioactive?
Depending on who you are, you may or may not like Fallout 4. This story of a father (or mother) searching for his son after seeing him kidnapped in the midst of cryo-sleep is a good one, but the controversy surrounding the game is more than the deep lore behind it. Many hate the settlement building, some dislike the dumbing down of dialogue options. One thing we can all agree on is we're tired of Preston Garvey telling us another settlement needs our help (and I'll leave a fun video below on that matter). No matter which thing frustrates you, Fallout 4 is still a stellar title with exploration and world-building that doesn't exist in many games outside its construction, and you'll put in a hundred plus hours without realizing it. You can read our – albeit dated – 90/100 review for the game in a bookmark below.
Ron Burke
As soon as you boot into the main menu, there's a distinct feeling of quality surrounding it. I'm not sure that I can quantify it, but it's akin to how I felt booting into recent ports for the Switch 2 like Star Wars Outlaws and Cyberpunk 2077. Intention was used in bringing this game to a new platform, not a search for the next cash grab.
I say that because of the fidelity versus performance options available in the settings. While you may not be able to go crazy in shifting your shadow or puddle settings, the choice between 30FPS, 40FPS, or 60FPS makes a huge difference in this port. Each carries with it either cleaner visuals or better performance, and it shows instantly.
I took these in different graphical modes. Can you guess as to which one?
Textures are a bit muddy in the 60FPS mode, but the downgrade is understandable and worth the rise in frame rate. If you don't care about smoother performance, the 30FPS option cleans up the image quality. 40FPS is a good middle ground as well, feeling a tad more crisp while not giving up as much visually. I'm extremely happy with the design decisions in Fallout 4 for the Switch 2; they work and they're useful. My only qualm is that you have to switch between the graphics modes at the main menu, forcing you to save and quit in order to change it.
What might be even more impressive than the performance and fidelity is the loading times. Pulling out my stopwatch app, I clocked a couple of situations to see how Fallout 4 handled them, and it did so with aplomb. Cold booting from the Switch 2 into the Fallout 4 menu only took fifteen seconds. Hitting the continue button to start a save took twenty-five seconds, certainly a good deal longer, but nothing too bad (or as bad as other Bethesda games). Where the loading times were at their best, strangely, involved locations. Entering a building took only ten seconds, with exiting back into the open-world only taking eight. You won't be wasting valuable battery life on loading screens while playing Fallout 4, and that's fantastic.
Playing on the Nintendo Switch 2 is largely a good time, even though the aiming still succumbs to the Switch's usual Joy-Con woes. Fallout 4's pacing is on the slower side, so similar to Cyberpunk, you don't feel the touchy nature of the right thumbstick on the Joy-Con nearly as much. It's not like the game has great aiming built in, though, so it can be annoying at times. One thing that helps here is the VATS system, which keeps you from needing as much precision. Beyond this, every other button or trigger is accurate and responsive. I also wouldn't have minded to see Bethesda implement the mouse functionality of the Switch 2; this could have been a unique feature for this version of Fallout 4.
To my surprise, Fallout 4's file size isn't terrible, clocking in at 60.8GB. For the amount of video game you're getting, it's well worth the space. This includes all of the DLC, alongside the Anniversary Edition content. I do wish the devs would have an option for uninstalling some of that content in order to conserve a gig or two, especially as there's an add-on menu that seems wasted here. There is an obvious lack of mod support as well, which is disappointing, but at least the Creation Club stuff comes with this version.
Fallout 4 is a stupendous game, and being able to take it with you via an optimized version is amazing. Roaming the wasteland in one of three graphical modes creates the best Fallout experience for the player possible, especially on the go. Your biggest issue will be either looking for a plug when you run out of battery, or missing the passage of time all together with how engrossing it is. This is a purchase you don't have to even think through; just drop your bottle caps on the counter.
