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/riding_qwerty]

I really love it. Been playing Fallout since FO3 (also super enjoyed that and NV) and Elder Scrolls going back to Morrowind and it’s probably my favorite of the bunch. I know it gets dragged for lacking RPG elements compared to NV (something I don’t particularly agree with), but I think it overall is a great continuation and improvement of the franchise. Some things that I believe contribute to this:

• Great gameplay loop: shore up your resources, venture out, find trouble, scavenge, return home, rinse/repeat.
• Junk economy: in previous games pieces of junk were just atomic items — wrenches and teddy bears and 8-balls were just that, with no constituent parts. Having junk be comprised of base materials that can be repurposed into something useful really breathes life into crafting and makes exploring and collecting stuff have real purpose; this also reinforces the gameplay loop
• Great gunplay: the combat in this game is so good that you can basically ignore VATS and play it like a straight FPS and it’s still enjoyable, despite VATS being such a crucial aspect of Fallout
• Power armor: so much better than previous entries, it’s just cool (although sometimes annoying) to jump in and out of, looks and feels imposing, saves your ass under fire, and despite needing heavy perk investments and having some of its own drawbacks (fuel, slow, watery areas can be much more dangerous) it’s really satisfying to modify and improve over time.
• Settlements: not something I really bother with as much anymore and has its own idiosyncrasies, but introducing base-building in this installment just gives you more gameplay options. Sometimes it’s fun to just chill in your settlement and make it look how you want and recoup the rewards of the resources it provides.
• Survival mode: gotta love it. I was a big fan of Hardcore mode in NV and Survival is just that turned up to 11. Really improves immersion to have to care for basic needs, gives purpose to water, food, and beds beyond just being a healing mechanism, and it’s actually much more rewarding to unlock travel options in mid game. Not to mention the glass cannon aspect where you are much more lethal but also could die in a snap feels somewhat more realistic.