An extremely addictive game but could have been so much more.
It does have a story direction but it is tiny compared to the huge amount of side missions. They give you the opportunity to truly explore the enormous land around you and appreciate the detail that has gone into developing the game. After a while though you do start to realise that eacg new place seems to be quite similar to the last. There is one place that is full of lush greenery and trees and that part feels so refreshing after staring at the same wasteland, ruined buildings and cramped corridors.
There is the option to pick up almost every possible item but it feels like a pointless feature since the majority of them are worthless and do nothing. Collecting valuable items becomes pointless too as after 40 or so hours you find yourself chock full of ammo and health items that it seems pointless selling them and the fact that you cannot exceed level 20 means that completing tasks becomes pointless too.
The amount of dialogue also becomes tedious after a while and you find that people keep repeating themselves when asked different questions and you find yourself skipping just to get to the point. Plus you keep hearing the same voice actors constantly which distracts from the realism.
Combat is exciting and I very much enjoy the VATS system. It gives the combat a hollywood movie feel with every shot. The music is also nice and atmospheric. Could have done with a few more tracks though. Great variety of weapons, armour and collectables.
There is so much to do in this game that you really have to play it to appreciate it. Just don't expect that feeling to last after you hit the level 20 cap and there is nothing new to buy with all that money.