If you asked any high school student what game they were most excited for last October, the answer would have overwhelmingly been Fallout 4. Set in the post apocalyptic wasteland of Boston, the continuation of the blockbuster Fallout series was hotly anticipated. On the day of release, many called in sick and fabricated notes from their parents to explore the wasteland, and were disappointed. However, the game, as much as many want to love it, is deeply flawed.

The appeal of the Fallout series for many has been the ability to completely create your own character. Beyond the simple, albeit effective, character creator that allows you to change your character’s appearance and stats, the ability to craft a unique personality through equally unique dialogue options. The dialogue options in previous Fallout games has been tied to the Intelligence stat, which allowed for entertaining playthroughs as either a wasteland genius or a mentally handicapped wanderer. In Fallout 4, this option is next to gone. In a situation where you are asked to perform a task, which happens an exceeding amount in the game, the dialogue options are invariably reduced to four options — positive yes, hesitant yes, sarcastic yes, and more information to determine that you are going to say yes. The ability to play an apathetic wanderer who does not care for others is gone. Essentially, Bethesda has removed the ability to make your own character.

Regarding features that are absent in Fallout 4 compared to Fallout 3, the sheer lack of unique options for most things is very apparent. In all previous Fallout games, there were certain weapons in the game that were completely unique, meaning that they were a weapon that only appears once and has no other weapon that looks like it. In Fallout 4, there are no unique weapons. All special weapons are simply standard weapons with a different name, some special property, maybe a different skin on top of the model, and are called “legendary”. The Legendary weapon system makes for a bland scavenging experience.

Overall, the charm and replayability of previous Fallout games doesn’t seem to be present in Fallout 4. A lack of unique weapons and dialogue choices makes for a gaming experience that I would put at a 7/10, as it is still a sprawling game that functions well.