It’s been six years since fans of the Fallout series have gotten their fix for one of the most addictive open world games ever made.

On November 10, 2015 Bethesda finally made fans happy with the release of Fallout 4, exceeding sales expectations with more than 12 million copies sold. It outsold Call of Duty: Black Ops 3, making it the biggest gaming launch of 2015. With a massive 111,000 hours of potential gameplay, Fallout 4 keeps the player immersed in the vibrant wasteland without overwhelming them.

By early 2016 the hours of gameplay will continue to grow with the addition of downloadable content. But Bethesda won’t stop there, they will also continue making the game better by adding needed patches and bug fixes.

Overview: The Fallout series is set in an alternate timeline where the Cold War never ended and nuclear fusion was developed on a massive scale. “Nearly limitless” energy led the world to the creation of domestic robots, portable computers, laser weaponry, and even power armor.

Although the energy did a lot of good, the world eventually went into turmoil due to the overconsumption of all major resources. In the year, 2066 China invaded the United States and the use of power armor became a necessity. This war eventually led to the dropping of atomic bombs by China in 2077.

In the Northeast, Massachusetts, where the story is set, a few fortunate citizens gained access into the protective vault 111. Vaults were supposedly to ensure humanity’s survival, but secretly they were all experiments. Using cryogenic tubes, the vaults put their inhabitants to sleep. Eventually, in the year 2287 you manage to escape back into the war torn commonwealth. There you see the true destruction of the bombs.

Gameplay: Unlike any other Fallout, Fallout 4 delivers a more vibrant, interactive and almost endless wasteland. The once gloomy and almost green wasteland is now more realistic and full of promise.

With the needed color Fallout 4 is now introducing the creation of settlements. Players are now able to create thriving settlements from junk and debris found around the area. Not only can that junk be used to create settlements it can also be used to upgrade armor and weapons. Although many new changes have been made to the gameplay, the very iconic enemies and equipment such as Deathclaws, and even the Pip-boy are still featured in the game.

With each decision you make, your character levels up and with each level comes an experience point you can spend in the “SPECIAL menu.” The attributes allow you to upgrade character skills you will need while traveling the wasteland.

Graphics: Although Fallout 4 is a new gen game it still looks like something that was released on the PS2. As Forbes magazine writer Jason Evangelho says “every texture in the game seems to be coated in Vaseline and missing a few layers of detail.” With this in mind Evangelho realizes that the Fallout franchise is more than just graphics. I agree with Evangelho’s description of Fallout being like “digital comfort food.”

“We want that warm embrace of familiarity. We want an experience that diverges from time to time, but always reconnects to that well traveled road we love,” he wrote. Gamers know that Fallout 4 is more than just graphics, it’s about gameplay and because the graphics don’t take away from the gameplay we can still enjoy the game that Bethesda has created.

Verdict: The highly anticipated Fallout 4 has exceeded many expectations and has definitely lived up to its hype. Although the graphics are lacking, the storyline and countless hours of gameplay have kept players wanting more.

Even though Fallout 4 isn’t as advanced as Call of Duty or Halo, Bethesda somehow keeps their players happy. With future updates, and additional content, Fallout 4 will be a favorite until the next Fallout in the series.