Feature: Is Survival Mode the Best Way to Play Fallout 4?

Launching on PlayStation 4 earlier this month, Fallout 4's update version 1.06 finally brought real survival to the Commonwealth. The title's revamped survival mode changes how the game's played on various fundamental levels, forcing you to eat, drink, and sleep in order to live through your post-apocalyptic adventure. After spending hundreds of hours roaming the Boston wasteland, we thought we'd try our experienced hands at survival mode to see whether it really is the definitive way to enjoy Bethesda's role-playing release.

What becomes clear very quickly is that survival mode doesn't just change the game's systems - it changes how you interact with the nuclear world in very significant ways. Instead of casually trekking across the map from one quest objective marker to the next, butchering everything that dares to cross your path, survival mode demands that you spare a though for preparation. Do you have any food? Will you have to improvise and find some on your journey? Have you got enough ammo? Is there enough space in your inventory for a rare weapon that you might stumble across? Don't you think that you should get rid of that radiation poisoning before you set off? In short, Fallout 4 suddenly becomes less about player freedom and more about resource management.

You soon find that you're constantly taking risks - even if you don't realise it. What was once a simple jaunt to the nearest merchant becomes an overly cautious crawl to pawn off your hard-earned loot just so that you can buy some food and avoid starvation before heading to your next objective. Needless to say, survival mode casts a shadow of doubt over even the easiest of tasks - the Commonwealth really is a dangerous place.

The fear of screwing up is amplified by the fact that you can only save your game by finding a bed and sleeping in it. At first, it seems harsh - perhaps overly so. For the most part, Fallout 4 is reasonably well balanced in terms of enemy strength and stuff of that nature, but there's always that element of random chance - the possibility of turning a corner and ending up face to face with a legendary Super Mutant and its buddies. And if your last save was made an hour ago? Well, you probably won't be too enamoured with this new mode.

But isn't that kind of the point? Survival mode is designed so every decision that you make carries weight and potential consequences - it's meant to put a more realistic spin to Fallout 4's open world exploration. Even smaller tweaks, like the inability to see enemies on the compass, go a long way in making traversal and combat that much more tense. As a result, arriving at a safe haven like Diamond City or one of your settlements after a lengthy excursion feels fantastic. The relief of knowing that you can now save your game and stock up on necessities shouldn't be understated, especially if you've just been through Hell to get to your destination.

To describe survival mode as a new difficulty setting is missing the mark a touch, but there's no denying that it makes Fallout 4 a harder game. Even after you've wrapped your head around its workings, and you've adapted your playstyle to take things slow, cautiously rummaging through almost every nook and cranny of the Commonwealth, proceedings can still spiral into chaos far faster than you'd like.

This is partly down to the rebalancing of combat, which now sees both you and your opponents deal much more damage. On the plus side, it means foes that previously had colossal health bars now seem a lot more vulnerable, but at the same time, even the most basic Raider will be able to take chunks out of you if you're not careful. Again, this is a change that impacts how you approach each battle - you can't just rampage through tougher fights while spamming stimpaks.

In survival mode, combat has a lethal flavour to it, but the intensity is offset somewhat by the title's often shoddy artificial intelligence. You find yourself running for cover far more during gunfights, for example, because even just a few bullets can cripple your limbs and leave you struggling - but that's not the case for your foes, many of whom seem to have absolutely no fear of death. It's not a hugely negative issue, but it's still a little jarring to see Gunners and other human opponents walking straight towards you without a care in the world.

For many of you, though, survival mode won't be about the increased difficulty - it's all about the extra immersion. Bethesda's latest has always been a title that you can get lost in for hours on end, but survival mode makes you stop, think, and appreciate the game's world. It pushes you to try new things and consider your actions - you feel like you're a cog in the Commonwealth machine rather than an all-powerful main character, and that's honestly quite an achievement.

However, that's not to say survival mode is for everyone. For many, the fun of Fallout 4 comes courtesy of player freedom; the ability to go anywhere that you want and wander around on dumb misadventures. Those elements still exist in survival mode, of course, but your capabilities are limited to a point where you don't want to take unnecessary risks. Oh, and if you're not a fan of inventory management - constantly rummaging through your equipment and dropping everything but the essentials so that the weight of your goods doesn't cripple your legs - then it's safe to say that this new way to play really won't be your cup of tea.

All in all, survival mode is pretty great addition to the game - especially if you're looking to make your post-apocalyptic life that much more immersive. As mentioned, it's certainly not for everyone, but for those who can appreciate a slower, much more tactical Fallout 4, it provides a thoughtful change of pace, and a very different way to enjoy the game.

Have you been exploring the Commonwealth lately? Have you taken the time to try survival mode? Tell us if you're a fan via our poll, and then share your stories in the comments section below.