Fallout 4 is an developed by and published by . It is the fourth main game in the and was released worldwide on November 10, 2015, for , and . The game is set within an environment that encompasses the city of and the surrounding region known as "The Commonwealth". It makes use of a number of local landmarks, including , , and near , as the bridge out of Sanctuary Hills.
The main story takes place in the year 2287, ten years after the events of and 210 years after "The Great War", which caused across the . The player assumes control of a character referred to as the "Sole Survivor", who emerges from a long-term cryogenic stasis in Vault 111, an underground nuclear . After witnessing the murder of their spouse and kidnapping of their son, the Sole Survivor ventures out into the Commonwealth to search for their missing child. The player explores the game's dilapidated world, completes various quests, helps out factions, and acquires experience points to level up and increase the abilities of their character. New features to the series include the ability to develop and manage settlements and an extensive crafting system where materials scavenged from the environment can be used to craft drugs and explosives, upgrade weapons and armor, and construct, furnish and improve settlements. Fallout 4 also marks the first game in the series to feature full voice acting for the protagonist.
Fallout 4 received positive reviews from critics, with many praising the world depth, player freedom, overall amount of content, crafting, and soundtrack, while criticism was mainly directed at the game's visuals and technical issues. The game was a commercial and critical success, generating $750 million within the first 24 hours of its launch, and received numerous accolades from various gaming publications and award events, including the respective awards for Game of the Year and Best Game at the and . Bethesda has released add-ons, including the expansions and .
