The day that some gamers thought would never come is here. Fallout 4, the sequel to one of the most beloved games of all time, was released today. So much time has passed and the team at Bethesda Studios has beefed up, gaining new experience from their other projects and utilizing new technology not available back in 2008. Given the power of the modern PC and new generation of consoles, the combination of Bethesda’s growth and technology’s expansion will potentially culminate in one of the greatest games of all time. Keep reading to find out what factors are going to lead to this game’s dominance this holiday season and why you cannot miss out on this landmark title. 

Pedigree

Barring two IHRA racing games in the mid-2000’s, Bethesda Game Studios have been the Fallout and Elder Scrolls factory for 13 years. They are responsible for nearly two dozen core games and expansion packs in that time, all listed at the top of many Game of the Year lists when they came out. Their love for RPGs became apparent with Morrowind—the third game in the Elder Scrolls series—that was released for the original XBOX way back in 2002. It was the first console version of their style of game and proved exactly what was possible, given a ton of time and money. They have yet to make a bad game and all signs point to Fallout 4 continuing that stalwart legacy. 

Mods

If you haven’t seen the sheer insanity that is Skyrim on the PC, just check out this video. Dragons have been turned into everything from Thomas the Tank Engine to Macho Man Randy Savage, all for the low, low price of free. But not everything is a giant mess, as plenty of ambitious developers took it upon themselves to fix broken aspects of the game, improving everything from graphics to inventory management, and even created huge gameplay additions that act as legitimate supplemental content. The modding experience has become synonymous with both Fallout 3 and Skyrim, so Fallout 4 will surely benefit from a generation of skilled modders hungry for a new playground.

Voice Acting

For the first time in a Fallout game, your main character will be able to speak his or her mind. It’s not so important who is providing the voices (although actors Courtenay Taylor and Brian T. Delaney are quite skilled), but that their speech will add a much-needed layer of realism and immersion into an already amazing game. Over 111,000 lines of dialogue were recorded for Fallout 4—more than both their last two games combined. With nearly all the companions being voiced and the addition of enemies, DJ’s, and, of course, Ron Pearlmans (ok, there will probably only be one Ron), you can see where all of this going to lead: way better storytelling and much more personality.

Crafting

One of the most exciting additions to the Fallout universe is the ability to do something with the endless supply of junk in the apocalyptic wasteland. Gone are the days of loading your inventory full of useless empty cans, boots, and various rubbish, and in their place is a new crafting system that turns those items into valuable resources. Armor, weapons and supplies will be able to be crafted using the new system, allowing for thousands of variations. Take these out into the battlefield and use various scrap to improve or repair them, or head back to your homestead, as a few choice locations will actually be craftable as well. Taking a cue from the Skyrim expansion entitled Hearthfire, players can build, modify and completely control various shanty towns, fortifying their defenses and running power to the devices that need it the most.

VATS

The Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System is back and better than ever. For those that love taking a more strategic approach, VATS has proven itself as one of the most reliable and enjoyable methods of combat in eons. Slowing down the action and giving players a chance to focus their offense on specific body parts, VATS spits out fun percentages for success and lets the player crunch the numbers to choose where they want to spew their ammo. This makes some of the more frustrating combat elements and overwhelming forces much more manageable, but only if you spend your S.P.E.C.I.A.L. points in the Perception category. Keep this in mind while building your character and don’t get caught with your VATS down! 

Next-Gen

The little things. The little things are the exact type of notion that makes a game truly special. Games like Grand Theft Auto and The Witcher 3 have proven that if you put the same amount of love and care into a rock and blade of grass as you do main characters and quest structures, you can build worlds that come to life. Fallout 4 is going to continue that tradition with, as Game Director Todd Howard says, Dynamic Details. The ability to explore a huge swath of expanse without needing to see a loading screen, or see a fully detailed habitat that balances both lighting and sound in a way that games couldn’t before, these will make the difference. This game will be a showcase for years to come, just as its predecessors were. 

id Tech

Even diehard fans of Fallout will tell you how rough the shooting felt. It was obviously something the team worked on, but not something they excelled at. But that should change, as Bethesda acquired id Software, a company that built the first and best first person shooters in Wolfenstein, Quake, and of course, Doom. This gave the Fallout team a whole set of tools to use that they never had before, and a suite of developers and engineers that brought their talent to ensuring that the gunplay would be both modern and a valid alternative to those that want a challenge by not using VATS. 

Fallout 3

It’s insane to think that it’s been seven years since Fallout 3 was released, but that landmark title is far from forgotten. While the first two games were isometric strategy games built for the PC, Fallout 3 was a giant risk but used the groundwork laid by the Elder Scrolls series to create an unmistakably classic experience. It transported a generation to a 1950’s-inspired wasteland; taught gamers how valuable and scarce resources can truly be and created a sandbox that is still being explored to this day. Fallout 4 looks to be bigger and better in every way, but if it wasn’t for Fallout 3’s success, November 10, 2015 would be just another day.