Fallout 4 Anniversary Edition Switch 2 Review

Fallout 4 Anniversary Edition Switch 2 Review
Version Reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2

When it comes to Bethesda games on the Switch 1 and 2, there’s no denying that Skyrim has been doing a bit of heavy lifting on both consoles, showing gamers an amazing open-ended world where you can be anything you want while saving it. Now, the end of the world is here in handheld form with the release of Fallout 4 Anniversary Edition on Nintendo Switch 2, bringing all DLC and a selection of Creation Club items that are sure to help pass your time in the apocalypse. What’s it like? Slap on your Pip-Boy, gather some caps, and let’s see if we can start a flame in your heart as we review Fallout 4 Anniversary Edition on Nintendo Switch 2.

Fallout 4 does an outstanding job of selling the apocalypse. It opens with pre-nuke suburban life as a new parent, fresh from your time in the Resource Wars. This is a world set in a retro 1950s-inspired timeline where technology diverted toward harnessing atomic energy, giving everything that distinct atomic-age aesthetic. You do not have to worry about the lore for long, however, as the TV interrupts your daily routine to announce that nuclear war has broken out. You run to the Vault for safety, where you are promptly frozen. One day, you awaken just in time to see someone steal your baby from your partner’s arms, who is subsequently killed in the struggle. You thaw out later in search of your son, Shaun, and perhaps a bit of old-fashioned vengeance while you are at it. While the narrative gives you something to work toward and forms the backbone of the game, much like Skyrim, once you leave that Vault, the world, or what is left of it, is your irradiated oyster. You can bring calm or chaos to the Commonwealth. You can join multiple factions, each with its own agendas and prejudices, build settlements, set up supply lines, and attempt to rebuild society, or you can simply quest to your heart’s content. There is so much to do that you can lose hours searching for junk to break down and use at your workshop.

The wasteland is a dangerous place, and thankfully, there are plenty of weapons to defend yourself with, along with your trusty Pip-Boy and the V.A.T.S. system to keep combat engaging. Fallout 4 pushes combat further into shooter territory while staying true to its RPG roots. You can upgrade and modify weapons, armour, and power armour suits. Thanks to the Creation Club items included in this edition, you can also decorate them to give them a unique appearance. Combat is satisfying and gloriously violent. Targeting specific body parts for maximum damage often results in spectacular headshots, explosions, and general mayhem that few other games deliver in quite the same way.

When you tire of fighting, you can explore the Commonwealth or lay down roots with the settlement system, which has enough depth that it could almost be its own game. Settlements allow you to build and manage designated areas, constructing almost anything you like within the build zone. While limits exist, I did not find them restrictive in practice. I spent hours transforming an abandoned fuel station into a recruitment hub and forward operating base for my other settlements. Invest perk points into Local Leader, and you can establish supply lines and even set up stores for wandering traders, creating a steady income stream. Caps are important, but you still need to balance food, water, and power to keep settlers happy and productive.

There are also three major story expansions to tackle once you reach certain points in the game: Automatron, Far Harbour, and Nuka-World. Automatron keeps you in the Commonwealth as you hunt down the Mechanist and their army of robots. Far Harbour takes you to a fog-covered island filled with new allies and enemies as you search for a missing daughter. Nuka-World lets you embrace your darker side by leading raider gangs or dismantling them from within. This is the core strength of Fallout 4. If the gameplay loop clicks with you, there are well over 100 hours of content here waiting to be explored.

The world of Fallout 4 on Nintendo Switch 2 is a surprisingly detailed one, thanks to some stellar optimisation on Bethesda’s behalf. The world is eerie and believable, with a vast, irradiated landscape to explore. From open spaces filled with dead trees and wildlife to fight off, to abandoned railways full of ghouls, to the heart of the city packed with warring factions, raiders, and intimidating super mutants, each locale feels exciting when you discover it. Far Harbour and Nuka-World also offer a completely new look and feel, which kept me engaged for the duration of my playthrough. Some textures do appear to be slightly lower resolution, making certain characters or areas look compromised when compared to other consoles, particularly Nick Valentine and synths in general. Up close, you’ll notice jagged edges on some objects and occasional pop-in when entering buildings or dense areas. Even so, I found the lighting and weather effects like the fog on Far Harbour or radiation storms in the wasteland really built the atmosphere, and overall, the game looks great in both docked and handheld play.

Fallout 4 on Switch 2 has been incredibly well optimised for the hardware, offering targeted 30, 40, and 60 fps modes. They all work relatively well, although in handheld mode, anything above 30 fps comes at the cost of resolution, often leaving the wasteland looking a little blurry. In docked mode, these higher frame-rate modes fare much better. For a full breakdown of performance, check out our detailed guide here: Fallout 4 on Switch 2 – Graphics and Performance Modes Compared

While performance is generally solid, there are some bugs in the wasteland… and I’m not just talking about radroaches. When building settlements, I noticed the resolution can drop sharply sometimes to maintain frame rates, or the game can pause for a full five seconds when opening options in the build menu. Outside of this, the framerate holds up well. I experienced only one instance of heavy stuttering that lasted a few seconds before returning to normal. I was also surprised that the Automatron DLC caused a number of issues. The game sometimes crashed to the home screen when entering or exiting the Mechanist’s lair, and the stuttering I mentioned also happened during an Automatron questline. I expected Far Harbour to be more taxing on the system, since Automatron takes place in the main game area, it seems to hit performance harder. The crashes were a little frustrating, but they didn’t dull my overall time in the wasteland.

For my Vault Dwellers looking into accessibility, there are a few options to make your time in the wasteland more comfortable. Standard features like subtitles are included, and HUD customisation allows for higher-contrast colours to improve visual clarity. Beyond that, there aren’t too many options here. As always, I recommend doing further research to make sure Fallout 4 suits your accessibility needs. At just under $90 AUD, some will argue that the price point hits harder than a bloatfly. Sure, the game is cheaper on other platforms, and the Switch 2 version doesn’t offer mouse controls or any exclusive features, so it can be a tough recommendation for those who have already visited the wasteland. I’ve personally put over 200 hours into the game on other platforms, and I’ve already clocked about 50 hours on the Switch 2, and I’m loving my second visit. Despite the price tag, there’s a lot on offer here, and it will keep you occupied for a long time.

What you get is a sprawling adventure that will occupy every spare minute of your time, whether you’re managing settlements, searching for your son, or taking down raiders. Fallout 4 Anniversary Edition on Switch 2 is an incredible game. If you haven’t experienced it before, it’s an essential addition to your Switch 2 library. If you have played before, it’s the perfect excuse to dive back into the Commonwealth again. With Fallout 4 finally on Switch 2, the end of the world has never been so fun.

So, what’s it like? Fallout 4 is like Skyrim, with guns.

In the interest of full disclosure, a review copy was provided by the publisher, but this doesn’t influence my score.

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