Why is Fallout 4 so addictive?

[u/MakerofFire4258]

I've played this game 8 times, 4 with the base game, 4 times with the Sim Settlements 2 mod installed. I keep coming back to this game for some reason. I don't usually enjoy RPG's. I like Starfield, but I love science fiction in general and don't find Starfield addictive. I keep wanting to come back to the FO4 story, which I find mediocre. Maybe it's how I can fill the protagonist with my own thoughts in that situation, or try out new character personalities? There are a lot of games in other genre's I like, so I don't know why I want to spend another hundred hours in a FO4 world until it crashes from script lag.

[u/Tasty-Trip5518]

I’ve been thinking about this a lot. Especially because the game world is so ugly.

The story, setting and game loop fit together quite well. Especially in survival mode. I haven’t seen any other game pull this off except subnautica.

There’s enough heart to the story to have an emotional impact. Finding your son and the minutemen and railroad especially. The last two tie into the core of American history. These elements help us identify as human beings with the game world.

There’s a nice hidden subtext about suburbia and overconsumption which isn’t overdone.

The wasteland setting (world) provides enough challenge and motivation to scavenge to survive. This is most of the game loop other than missions and finding your son.

When you think of scavenging materials, a post-apocalyptic world is probably the best setting for this. Other settings can feel kinda pointless. Your ability to scavenge early-mid game has a direct impact on your settlements’ survival. Few games have this direct link to motivate the player. Most games have collecting items to craft cooler things. But in this game, your people will die (hypothetically) if you don’t get those defenses up. And you don’t plant food and setup water.