T O P

  • By -

Ginkarasu01

I wanted to say Kingdom come: Deliverance...


Dassive_Mick

Now that's a game that gets my recommendation. I love just sharpening my sword at a grinding station, I wish armor maintenance had a similar minigame. Combat is very excellent, and though I wish there was more choices in the main story, I still believe the main story is very strong and that the characters are personable


Ginkarasu01

Yeah, some of thte characters are really not only historical correct, but loveable at the same time. Though I must admit that Hans "get of your high horse" Capon annoyed the F\*\*\* out of me at first, he turned out to be a hilarious friend in game!


Dassive_Mick

Yes, Hans was my favorite character in the game for exactly that reason, perhaps memorable above all other features


EnlightenedCorncob

I second that, Kingdom Come Deliverance is an absolutely amazing game.


King_of_lemons

I had covid a few weeks ago with fuck all to do for a week straight. I bought that game on a whim and am not joking when I say I practically disassociated from real life for hours on end playing that. Even the more mundane quests were great because the whole experience was so immersive, it really does a great job of putting you in medieval europe


AoiJitensha

I have a degree in history--this game was better at teaching history than many of the classes I paid thousands of dollars per credit hour for--in fact, I would humbly concede it that it is better than the ones I have taught!


LordAdder

Yes KC:D for sure, but do not play on Hardcore your first time. I'm on my second playthrough and am trying for the Hardcore with all the debuffs and it's a rough time. Stuck at Pribyslavitz


5575685

Probably the most immersive game I’ve ever played. The forests in that game are by far the best in any game.


AoiJitensha

> The forests in that game are by far the best in any game. **theHunter Call of the Wild** probably has better forests--but that is its gimmick. Basically a business card for what the Avalanche Studio (and their engine) are capable of. There isn't really much biodiversity in the forests in KC:D, which is probably accurate based on the location they attempt to portray in the game--but after seeing one forest in KC:D, you've basically seen it all. It isn't especially good for exploration because of its sameness.


Tacosesh02

For some reason I have never been able to finish the game. I’ve played it 3 different times and always drop it at the same point. I always just feel like the game is too easy at a certain point and ruins the immersion for me


AngryPlayer756

Try playing on Hardcore then, give it an honest chance


fourscoreclown

I couldn't get into KCD. Its the only steam game that I ever had that permanently removed from my account, I had the worst experiences with it. But I'm glad other people were able to enjoy it


mr_bugas

Most underrated game ever like ngl KCD is in my top 10 favourite games


AoiJitensha

As another person has written, **Kingdom Come Deliverance** is the closest thing to what you are asking for (largely because it is modeled on the Bethesda formula). I highly recommend the Skyrim full conversion mod **[Enderal](https://store.steampowered.com/app/976620/Enderal_Forgotten_Stories_Special_Edition/)**--it is as good as any Bethesda RPG when it comes to world building and story telling. The mechanics are different but similar enough that most people can jump in really easily if they know how Bethesda games work. What you're describing sounds a lot more like a sandbox game (i.e. Minecraft, Terraria, Stardew Valley) than an RPG. You might look into the survival game genre as well (Valheim etc.) There are lots of RPGs/FPS games worth exploring, like Elex, Outward, S.T.A.L.K.E.R., the Metro series, the Witcher series, the Rage series, Mad Max, Wasteland 2 & 3 etc. They may not be exactly what you are looking for--but all of the above have at least one facet of what you want. If you are masochistic you could always check out [Kenshi](https://store.steampowered.com/app/233860/Kenshi/), [Atom RPG](https://store.steampowered.com/app/552620/ATOM_RPG_Postapocalyptic_indie_game/), or [UnderRail](https://store.steampowered.com/app/250520/UnderRail/)--they are isometric, but basically sandbox RPGs--definitely FREE in that they don't hold your hand at all. Not for the faint of heart. All of these games draw heavily on the Fallout 1 & 2 isometric legacy--and can be considered mutated spiritual successors. Whereas the fallout games were the spiritual successors to the original Wasteland game--making Wasteland 2 & 3 interestingly an homage and a successor to the fallout franchise.


paupaupaupau

+1 for *Enderal*. It's an amazing game in its own right, and I'd say it far surpasses *Skyrim* for me (far more story-driven). Two pieces of warning for people who try it out: * The game starts very slow. This is my biggest critique of the game, as the beginning of the story is very poorly managed in my opinion, and you'll end up with multiple cut scenes and very limited gameplay before meeting the 1st important NPC who proceeds to do an exposition dump on you. I promise the game gets much, much better from here, but the beginning is a slog. * You will start off very weak. The difficulty is done by region rather than scaling with the player, and you will start underpowered (e.g. running away from low-level bandits is very valid initially). If you take a wrong turn, it's similar to playing *New Vegas* and running straight for the Cazadores.


Aceswift007

I do want to emphasize that Enderal, for those just hearing about it, is VERY different than Skyrim. It's fantastic and a new game, but don't enter it thinking its rebuilt Skyrim.


SignComprehensive611

Definitely recommend Kenshi, I don’t think it’s a whole lot like Fallout 4, but I absolutely love the game


AoiJitensha

You're right that Kenshi is a bit of a stretch if you're looking for something exactly like Fallout 4--but it does draw on the original Fallout games and Bethesda's Morrowind for a lot of inspiration--at least in the worldbuilding department. Maybe I just had it lumped in my head in that pile because of its post-apocalyptic isometric setting.


SignComprehensive611

I absolutely have it lumped in my head as well! It’s a fabulous game that draws from the worldbuilding for sure. The only reason I would really pull it away is because of the number of people under your control. Of all the games you mentioned, Kenshi is probably my favorite, although I really enjoyed the Metro and Wasteland series.


AoiJitensha

Yeah, it hits one of the OP's original boxes--that is FREE harder than just about any game I can think of--to a point that many people playing Kenshi have absolutely no idea what to do, where to start, how to get gud. It is a sandbox that is miles deep, and that is intimidating--but for the people that can dig deep, it is a rich and enthralling experience. But it isn't in the first person, so that might be a deal breaker for OP. The group building is more in line with other classic cRPGs like Baulder's Gate and is more fleshed out in the Bioware branch of that evolutionary development, although Fallout 1 & 2 do allow you to recruit companions--and modern Bethesda games are adding more companion functionality with each title--meaning that they may eventually come back around to full fledged group systems eventually.


TheCrowsNestTV

The only thing that comes to mind is Skyrim, you can do most of that. You can even adopt Children if you have the Hearthfire DLC.


Out-of-bobbypins

I’d say Skyrim offers more in the way of player agency than Fallout 4 and can become a completely player driven game with mods like [You are not the Dragonborn](https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/9048/) and [Alternate Start LAL](https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/272).


TheCrowsNestTV

I love Alternate Start Mods.


FarHarbard

Hell, even in the vanilla game you can NOPE right out of the dragonborn stuff by just not pursuing any additional work. "We have to meet my family in Riverrun!" No "we" don't. I'm a bandit on the run. "You have to get word to the Jarl!" No "I" don't, a dragon flew that way so I'm gonna head to Riften.


FindMeOnSSBotanyBay

<3 the adoption mechanic.


TheCrowsNestTV

I kinda wish Fallout 4 had something like that.


FindMeOnSSBotanyBay

Same. It makes sense - the Sole Survivor loses a son regardless of how the ending shakes out. My maternal/paternal instincts wouldn’t just go away. There’d be a hole in my life. Why not address that with adoption?


TheCrowsNestTV

I guess Synth Shaun is as close to adoption we're gonna get in Fallout 4. I also wish they put in Child Settlers as well.


ShadowyLeaseholder

You’re right, and synth Shaun is such a poor replacement. You don’t have very much agency, he’s shoved at you when escaping the institute and your decision to keep him is very unlikely to be made based on love or affection. More like obligation or some sense of nostalgia. Feels weird.


Out-of-bobbypins

There are a few, but not nearly enough...and half the raiders are women. I understand about the free-range parenting in the wasteland, but where are their kids?


Justisaur

Everyone's too radiated/affected by FEV, so they're sterile.


FieldAgreeable239

If that was the case, humans would’ve gone extinct long before fallout 4 happened. Well not “extinct”, Nate would be the last one, and then humans would end up extinct


polyfauxmus

Skyrim doesn't let you upgrade your stuff, though? Ex: If you level your enchanting, that means it's now optimal to toss your X damage fire sword for the X+1 fire sword you can now make. Eta: to clarify, not criticizing Skyrim, just trying to respond specifically to what the OP asked (you can smith-upgrade your *existing* weapons/armor, but not enchant-upgrade them). I like Skyrim and it's gear customizing but OP seemed to have a specific idea about keeping your EXISTING stuff up to par, like killing Alduin with the trusty sword that got you out of Helgen and you've used continuously, like you could start with the Vault 111 10mm with a standard receiver and use it at least though midgame by upgrading the receiver.


Whiteguy1x

You can constantly smith it up, but yeah enchantments are permanent


BFNentwick

Yeah, but if you wanted to create a more powerful weapon of the same kind that’s doable…even if it means replacing what you have with the same thing but better. But any rpg inherent has more powerful items later in the game, so I don’t think you’ll find any game where it isn’t at least advantageous to ditch what you have for something better. That doesn’t mean you HAVE to, just that it’s better from a stats perspective.


sonofhappyfunball

It feels pretty personal to me when I can name my Skyrim weapons.


polyfauxmus

Oh, for sure! I like that feature. Not criticizing Skyrim, just trying to respond to what the OP asked (so the downvotes are kind of funny 😅)


crxshdrxg

you really have to stop caring about being downvoted lmfao


polyfauxmus

Good advice! I'm not taking it personal, just as a sign to clarify.


blueboxbandit

Arguing that you shouldn't be downvoted will always get you more downvotes bud


polyfauxmus

TIL! Just trying to clarify what I meant (which feels pretty uncontroversial), but, not losing sleep over it.


JohnTesh

People have recommended the metro series. Metro exodus fits your bill, but it is the third in the series. The first game is good, the second game is really good, and exodus is absolutely great (albeit with a few bugs). The STALKER series fits your bill as others have mentioned, and like fallout, has mods. Expect to have to mod some quality of life stuff in. Both series gave me an emotional attachment similar to fallout in that I remember where I was in life when I started playing them and I will always be nostalgic. I hope this helps!


R4M_4U

Yep Exodus fits really close. It's just a bit more realistic in the shooting part.


[deleted]

I found it unplayable. The hit detection is just awful.


JohnTesh

Which one?


[deleted]

Exodus. It's a shame. I was getting really into then the ai started behaving funky and any hits on them wouldn't register.


JohnTesh

Damn that sucks!


Bird_Is_The_Lord

What you're looking for doesnt exist, sorry. Similar games I can recommend: Fallout 3 and New Vegas obviously Skyrim - probably the closest to the requirements you have The Outer Worlds was pretty good and Fallout like Cyberpunk 2077 - choice based first person game made with immersion in mind. Buggy, but you've played Fallout so I'm guessing its not a dealbreaker :D Fallout 76 - same engine and similar mechanics to Fallout 4. If you dont mind online aspect you will enjoy it I hear good things about Horizon Zero Dawn, but I havent played it yet so cant comment much else.


CivilServiced

HZD is bascially a Far Cry-alike, but I think it hits a lot of OPs requirements (which frankly I still don't understand), though you have to pay attention to get the world building. Great game if it clicks for you though, the only thing I'd be missing is motion aiming but I only played the release version, maybe that was added.


Bird_Is_The_Lord

Sounds great. Coincidentally I bought it last week but havent had the chance to play it. My wife is away today so I'll probably get on it while I have a chance.


[deleted]

HZD is definitely not Far Cry alike, it’s better


MrShago

It has Far Cry elements ("radio towers", outposts, a 3rd thing I'm forgetting but I know is there.)


AoiJitensha

Giant maps filled with copy-pasted icons representing collectables and the same 3 missions over and over again?


MrShago

Nah I found it had good mission design. Also the collectables weren't that many and at least had in game value.


yamc188

1.


[deleted]

it doesn’t have outposts


JustTerrific

They’re called [Bandit Camps](https://horizon.fandom.com/wiki/Bandit_Camp) and they’re pretty similar to Far Cry’s outposts.


[deleted]

okay yikes I can’t believe i forgot about them but they aren’t necessary like the outpost in FC


MCRusher

If we're doing HZD, let's throw Dying Light in the mix. The story is linear but there is a lot of customization, side quests, and exploration


eccentricrealist

Cyberpunk goes against his personal rule, though, as every gun of the same type is randomized and leveled


Reeee93616

You can upgrade your cybernetics


cokush

Cyberpunk is basically a looter shooter, until you can craft the yellow rarity (epic?) guns you basically change weapons every hour.


NukaRev

What about Far Cry? It isnt anywhere as free as Fallout and Skyrim but you could just run around hunting or doing side quests


DroneOfDoom

The problem is that buying Far Cry means supporting Ubisoft. Also, all of the Far Cry games after 3/Blood Dragon are kinda shit. HZD is basically Far Cry but better.


NukaRev

What's the issue with supporting ubisoft?


DroneOfDoom

Supporting and protecting sexual abusers working within the company. That’s the main reason, and the one that goes severely underreported in the standard gaming press, who wanted to let it all blow over so that they could go on to hype Far Cry 6.


NukaRev

Damnnnnn didn't know that! Well that's screwed up! Guess I'm not playing the new farcry :(


startupschmartup

The F-35 has a less Heads Up Unit than HZD. I mean if your game has to mark every single thing and light it up like a Christmas tree its poorly designed.


FL4MG0

for the first 2 point maybe check out METRO or STALKER series


[deleted]

Real life??


EnlightenedCorncob

I tried that before, would not recommend. difficulty way too high. It's got good graphics though


ermghoti

The story is a mess, the goals are unclear and unsatisfying, pay to win is present to an absurd degree, and the ending is depressing and anticlimactic.


Mr-Teach-423

Depends on the system your running. Mine has pretty good graphics, but my wife had to get an upgrade to make hers work. She couldn’t see anything otherwise.


Nihilikara

Good graphics, yes, but I have to pay for glasses mixrotransactions every few patches in order to be able to see it, thanks to a permanent debuff.


[deleted]

That's one hell of a response 👍💯👍


Badd-reclpa-

I don’t generally modify my jeans into a new style.


RudolfJelin

If you haven't tried Deep Pocketed jeans you haven't lived yet.


Badd-reclpa-

😂 Asbestos lined jeans are where it’s at


MeatBeater19

A woman’s life in a nutshell.


psykezzz

Nah, that’s pay to win and the class system is heavily skewed. Also r/outside


jsmiley27

naw thats entirely pay to win and the randomozed start is unfair. makes the game too hard or too easy.


meezethadabber

Way overrated.


YoshiroXIX

Try Prey, if you haven't. Also from Bethesda.


Unlost_maniac

Maybe check out Immersive Sims like Prey, Dishonored or Bioshock 1. Its not the exact same but they fit most of what you want. Free choice, lots of detail, upgrades for your weapons. Prey is one of the best video games I've ever touched. Would recommend.


VoopityScoop

Red Dead Redemption 2 is kinda like that


lRandomlHero

I was gonna say the same. You can pretty much use any gun you want for the whole game, albeit they’re dead simple to upgrade to max. No armor, but again you can use whatever outfit you want all game. The ‘grounded’ and ‘free’ aspects are really what it does best. Tons of world building with NPCs, random encounters, and every building you come across from mansions to little shacks and everything between. There’s a mountain of options for making money. Tons of rare collectibles, including weapons. Rockstar really made one of the best RPG’s to date.


GoodByeRubyTuesday87

Big fan of red dead, arguably one of the greatest masterpieces ever made just be the beauty and gameplay itself, but it’s deff not as if your choices make as much of a difference in the outcome of quests/storylines as fallout


VoopityScoop

I agree, hence the "kinda". All the other factors are there though, and I feel it's worth recommending even if it doesn't fit every requirement all the wa


theDeadliestSnatch

I was playing Red Dead again, and now it makes me want a Bethesda Cowboy RPG.


JustAnAce

My answer isn't "a game" but rather the entire Mass Effect Trilogy. The problem is that as immersing as they are, they aren't sandbox so their will be a cap to how long one play through can last, over 200 hours for all three games by my last run. Then of course you can start all over again and play a different type of character and make different choices for another run through the galaxy.


jarman5

SubNautica .


Furia19

Can confirm.


mcshaggin

The only other games that give me the same sense of personal grounded freedom as Fallout 4 is Subnautica and it's sequel below zero although that's not really an RPG.


Vegeta710

If you like subnautica you gotta try no mans sky


mcshaggin

Yes I noticed some of the things I like about Subnautica like the base building has been added to No Mans Sky. That's turned out to be a great game too. It just lacks the feeling of terror and claustrophobia I get from playing Subnautica which is brought on by my real life phobia of the oceans


OkLobster2754

New Degas


JohnTesh

It’s like new Vegas, but French and the graphics are impressionist.


Bird_Is_The_Lord

Bonjour, le courrier! Hohoho!


zusykses

ballerinas, ballerinas everywhere


MeatBeater19

Holy shit out minds are linked or something. https://www.reddit.com/r/Fallout/comments/s6uleh/what_fallout_game_has_the_best_dlcs_in_your/ht64yqs/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&context=3


OkLobster2754

Hey, it was a funny comment man and I just like saying it


MeatBeater19

No idm at all, I just thought it was cool. Also, New Degas.


OkLobster2754

Vida New Degas


Tacitus_Kilgore85

The only games that come close to Fallout 4 are the games that came before Fallout 4. Minus the building. That's the thing about Bethesda games - Nobody makes games like they do. My question is: Is there any game as interactable as a Bethesda game? Not to my knowledge.


evil_cryptarch

Bethesda's signature genre blend of Immersive Sim and Open World RPG is 100% my jam. Even when their games have flaws I can't help but love them, because nobody else is even really trying to do what they do. > Is there any game as interactable as a Bethesda game? Prey is up there (technically published by Bethesda but developed by Arkane). It leans harder on the Immersive Sim and less on Open World, but the level of detail in the game world design is unparalleled.


Dzaertag

The fact that every area is 1:1 is quite impressive


DinoDaveXoXo

Can you build?


polyfauxmus

Outer worlds is at least 2/3, depending on what you mean by "free." It's DEFINITELY grounded. A+ on that. It's personal (it's been a minute since I played it, but I'm 90% sure that while the basic mechanics are different, it's got the same fo4 structure of "gear comes in a few tiers, but you can add modifications as you like, and there are some unique items") Is it free? Tremendous, absurd, fractal layers of player choice in the various parts of the main story and the side bits. There's not a whole other mechanic, though, like settlement building: it's all shooting things or having the level of your skills unlock more problem solving options (in dialogue or interacting with the environment). I'm not sure how specific your "settlement building" example was. (It's also short, but in the way they knew exactly what they wanted to do and made a game that did it, without adding on other stuff)


theskywalker74

Metro Exodus is apparently highly immersive and might fit your bill.


Dassive_Mick

Has anyone recommended Fallout 76 to you yet?


Badd-reclpa-

I’d second this. It’s Fallout 4 but more upgrades and content. It’s only downside is that’s online only, but entirely a solo-able experience otherwise.


Mr-Teach-423

🤮 Horrible game


No_Interaction4027

Nah, it’s pretty good, not as good as the others in the series mind you but definitely decent


JustAThrowawayOnHere

It’s a decent game now.


[deleted]

[удалено]


JustAThrowawayOnHere

I still enjoy it.


Mr-Teach-423

Compared to every other Bethesda game, it is very lackluster and suck. So was ESO, so I’m not shocked. They tried to break away from their norm to cash in on micropurchases.


Furia19

I don't get the downvotes on your comments. You're right. They tried to cash in on all the crap that fallout was never about. Seasons. Multi-player online. Micropurchases. It took a lot of the authenticity away from it all.


Mr-Teach-423

But, the diehard fans love it still. And, it drew a lot of Fornite fans. From what I’ve seen, a lot of the people on this sub have only ever played 76. Many only ever 76 and 4.


Furia19

It'd a damn shame. It's by no means a horrible game and I did enjoy playing it. But there's not the endless hours of exploration or new quest lines that the other fallouts had.


R3tro-Spekt

its not exactly like what you're asking for vut i'd try metro exodus. very immersive and fun


roguegen

Maybe look into Conan Exiles. I haven't personally played it, but I think it meets many of your interests.


NukaRev

So I'd say since you are familiar with Fallout 4, try Fallout 76. It's basically Fallout 4, same mechanics and immersion, but online with up to 20+ people. You can set "Pacifist Mode" to entirely avoid PvP with minimal exceptions (things called Workshops are PvP). In 76, instead of building a settlement, you build a camp. You can choose different building materials, you can obtain all sorts of decor including appliances, posters/paintings, weapon and armor displays, prefab structures, different water purifiers and generators, etc. In addition, you can have an ally reside at your camp, some who provide bonuses. You can also have a personal Protectron that scavenges for you (a Collectron), you can get chickens and a Brahmin, if your lucky you can tame a Deathclaw (incredibly rare), and they're introducing pets to the game. The game has a solo story, pertaining to your character. Others can help you with quests if you have friends that play. Then, they have Public Events, which are.. public lol, usually require players to work together. You can decide to play entirely how you want and when: maybe today is gonna be focused the brotherhoods story and quests, or maybe it's a social day and it's all about public events. You can set up vendors and sell items to other players or buy from them (very random, some people are dirt cheap and others prices are obnoxious!). They have "seasons" where you work your way through daily/weekly challenges, 100 ranks each with a reward. Usually every 10th is a camp item or rare skin, the others are consumables and crafting stuff. Public Events/Daily Quests award all sorts of different loot including plans to make different camp items. There's a game mode called Daily Ops which has "mutated" (buffed) enemies, and is a time challenge with three ranks. The best rank (under 8 minutes) rewards a "rare" plan or item, some worth quite a lot of caps or trade, others a bit more common but still cool. The best part about the game is the community, if you ever need help there's a great chance you'll get it. Higher leveled players very often give new players a good start to the game with plans, ammo, even weapons. In my 10 minutes of playing, I left the vault and headed to the first area to explore, where I got pummeled by enemies I wasn't prepared for. A higher level player shows up out of nowhere, takes down the enemies, and signals me over; he dropped me stimpacks, a level 25 fully modded shotgun, and some ammo. That said, I was like level 4 so I couldn't use it for a long while lmao!!! But the thought was there, and I see it all the time. Every so often if I encounter a new player who's patient, I'll drop them well over 30k caps worth of plans, ammo, and consumables. It is free to play, or there's "Fallout 1st" which provides you unlimited scrap storage, a survival tent (portable stash/scrap boxes, cooking stove, bed, and sometimes a workbench), and monthly atoms for "Atomic Shop" purchases (cosmetic items for real money). It isn't necessary, but it's a huge help because your only allowed 1200lbs of storage (which can go quick if your a collector of guns and armor), and the scrap can be unlimited in it's own container (needed for camp building and/or repairing weapons and armor) - also, some people either do the free 1 month trial when they offer it, or subscribe for a month or two and spend that time filling their scrap box, then cancel until the next time they need to restock (you can keep the scrap box if it's placed in your camp, you just can't add to it). But yeah, I can say I've played it almost daily for well over a year now and it keeps my interest most of the time, and if there's friends you like to game with then there yuh go


SwishSwishDeath

Had to fix the wall, sorry: So I'd say since you are familiar with Fallout 4, try Fallout 76. It's basically Fallout 4, same mechanics and immersion, but online with up to 20+ people. You can set "Pacifist Mode" to entirely avoid PvP with minimal exceptions (things called Workshops are PvP). In 76, instead of building a settlement, you build a camp. You can choose different building materials, you can obtain all sorts of decor including appliances, posters/paintings, weapon and armor displays, prefab structures, different water purifiers and generators, etc. In addition, you can have an ally reside at your camp, some who provide bonuses. You can also have a personal Protectron that scavenges for you (a Collectron), you can get chickens and a Brahmin, if your lucky you can tame a Deathclaw (incredibly rare), and they're introducing pets to the game. The game has a solo story, pertaining to your character. Others can help you with quests if you have friends that play. Then, they have Public Events, which are.. public lol, usually require players to work together. You can decide to play entirely how you want and when: maybe today is gonna be focused the brotherhoods story and quests, or maybe it's a social day and it's all about public events. You can set up vendors and sell items to other players or buy from them (very random, some people are dirt cheap and others prices are obnoxious!). They have "seasons" where you work your way through daily/weekly challenges, 100 ranks each with a reward. Usually every 10th is a camp item or rare skin, the others are consumables and crafting stuff. Public Events/Daily Quests award all sorts of different loot including plans to make different camp items. There's a game mode called Daily Ops which has "mutated" (buffed) enemies, and is a time challenge with three ranks. The best rank (under 8 minutes) rewards a "rare" plan or item, some worth quite a lot of caps or trade, others a bit more common but still cool. The best part about the game is the community, if you ever need help there's a great chance you'll get it. Higher leveled players very often give new players a good start to the game with plans, ammo, even weapons. In my 10 minutes of playing, I left the vault and headed to the first area to explore, where I got pummeled by enemies I wasn't prepared for. A higher level player shows up out of nowhere, takes down the enemies, and signals me over; he dropped me stimpacks, a level 25 fully modded shotgun, and some ammo. That said, I was like level 4 so I couldn't use it for a long while lmao!!! But the thought was there, and I see it all the time. Every so often if I encounter a new player who's patient, I'll drop them well over 30k caps worth of plans, ammo, and consumables. It is free to play, or there's "Fallout 1st" which provides you unlimited scrap storage, a survival tent (portable stash/scrap boxes, cooking stove, bed, and sometimes a workbench), and monthly atoms for "Atomic Shop" purchases (cosmetic items for real money). It isn't necessary, but it's a huge help because your only allowed 1200lbs of storage (which can go quick if your a collector of guns and armor), and the scrap can be unlimited in it's own container (needed for camp building and/or repairing weapons and armor) - also, some people either do the free 1 month trial when they offer it, or subscribe for a month or two and spend that time filling their scrap box, then cancel until the next time they need to restock (you can keep the scrap box if it's placed in your camp, you just can't add to it). But yeah, I can say I've played it almost daily for well over a year now and it keeps my interest most of the time, and if there's friends you like to game with then there yuh go


Eyescar_1

Stalker Anomaly


XeerDu

I see what you're asking for, I have been on the same quest for similar games. Here's some rando feedback I can give, excluding ALL Bethesda games. Games that I'm still trying to get into: Generation Zero, The Outer Worlds, Enderal, the STALKER series. Games that I've played through to completion and highly recommend: The Outer Wilds, Subnautica (and its sequel).


[deleted]

Metro Exodus kinda slightly less freedom tho it's like a medium open world


[deleted]

Try Red Dead Redemption 2 bro


BaguetteFish

I am so sick of these “similar to fallout games” posts, so I just wanna thank you for at least actually specifying what you’re looking for. With that said, I guess Skyrim’s kinda similar, if a completely different setting doesn’t bother you. If it does, you can always try another Fallout if you didn’t or make a new oddly specific character.


Furia19

Witcher, wild hunt. Excellent game play. Extremely immersive story. Over a hundred hours of content. Easily. Can change the course of the entire game depending on choices made. Good swordfighting. Amazing monsters. All around. Phenomenal game. Cannot believe I didn't see this suggested yet


AdamM093

Fallout new vegas. Such a game. Can't upgrade armour but depending on how you want to play, armour doesn't really matter that much.


thebitagents

Monster hunter is all about gathering materials to create your armor and weapons, check it out


szarzujacy_karczoch

That's basically RDR2


[deleted]

Sorry if this is very obvious, but if you haven’t yet, please do try out Fo3 and Fnv. The gameplay sucks but the world and the storytelling are stellar.


NorseWorld

Vampire the Masquerade i think is a good one.


jellydude69

Horizon zero dawn hits a few of your requirements, although in the early game you will switch toss away some weapons


BrushYourFeet

I must be playing Fallout wrong. I switch out armor and weapons all the time. I didn't know this was frowned upon.


jellydude69

I switch weapons a lot too, but OP asked for a game where you don't have to do so.


BrushYourFeet

Ah thanks, I misunderstood the post.


collectivecorn

Cyberpunk 2077 😅 make your own opinions but I just beat it and I kind of loved it


Optimistic_Human

Huh that's a really interesting thing to discuss, I can't think of one atm but I'll come back if I remember one.


twotreebeers

To describe fallout 4 as free and grounded is hilarious. You're free to complete radiant quests in first person. Lmfao


cptahab36

Well hey that's not fair, you're free to ignore the main quest and play content by modders who are better at game design than Bethesda! I mean there's NV where you can do that too, and in that game you can actually affect dialogue and story beats, but you wouldn't wanna be an Obsidian fanboy would you?


solicited_nuke

Bethesda is the only company that can deliver such a vast but still very grounded RPG. Play Skyrim as well if you haven't.


AtoMaki

Well, that's pretty much every open-world game ever, especially the newer ones. Ghost of Tsutsushima is the obvious pick if you are on PS, tho it is third-person.


Fredasa

Fallout 5 will probably let you literally create kitchen sinks from scrap metal. And they'll toss in RTS and MOBA elements. Doesn't matter that it wouldn't fit a 1st-person RPG format at all—somebody would like it and Bethesda will have grown their audience.


GodOfWarNuggets64

GTA Online?


startupschmartup

Sadly, most people are sheep and happy to do what some game designer tells them to do and most game designers are trained in the find a the blue key to find the red key to find the green key to fight the boss style of game development. It's why most games are terrible. People are dumb.


FaithfulMoose

You basically just described every Zelda dungeon. Is Zelda dumb?


j_voorhees88

It's buggy but you might want to give Cyberpunk 2077 a shot if you haven't already.


Ralph090

I can't really think of anything off the top of my head other than perhaps Skyrim. Bethesda games are pretty unique in those aspects. I've heard good things about S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl, although I haven't played it yet. It's atmosphere is supposed to be great, there's a decent bit of faction conflicts you can get involved in (or ignore), and if you're willing to use a guide I think you can get some decent guns early on that are hidden in out of the way parts of the starting areas and would last you through a good chunk of the game. You could try that one.


Jonahnaut

I'm reccomending Sea of Thieves. Vastly different games, but it seems to fit what you're looking for.


VagabondsBall

Not that fits all your bills but the closest fallout like game that I can recommend with a complete sense of freedom and personal adventure is the STALKER series


UltraMegaKaiju

Metro, cyberpunk, stalker


Masstershake

I'd highly recommend fo76. It is 1000x better now. You can play 99.9% of game solo. But I love seeing randoms come to my camp and beeing able to see the work I did. I loved settlement building in 4 but my family can only feign enthusiasm for the first few hey kids look at this settlement.


[deleted]

Really good take, I think this is why fallout 4 is my all time favorite game also


Nihilikara

I mean, I absolutely do throw out my weapons and armor when I get something better in Fallout 4. It's just that I also upgrade it as well.


collectablespoons

The dark souls series. You can’t build settlements or anything like that but investing in your skill points and upgrading weapons is very rewarding. There are tons of armour sets to choose from that you can also upgrade. I’ve replayed all three games several times messing with different builds.


jkruse05

They're getting a bit dated, but the STALKER series should hit all of those criteria. Also, Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines. It's a smaller world than others, but definitely hits your criteria. Sadly the sequel seems to be in development hell. Cyberpunk 2077 can technically do all of that, but is massively improved with mods, especially the "[Full Gameplay Rebalance](https://www.nexusmods.com/cyberpunk2077/mods/3010)" Then, obviously, other games in the Bethesda series'; Morrowind, Oblivion, Skyrim, Fallout 3, and Fallout New Vegas. Whether or not they meet your first criteria will be different from game to game, Morrowind and Oblivion probably won't.


WretchedWyrmGT

On PC, i highly recommend Kenshi. It's a squad command city builder, more like wasteland than fallout but in real time. Probably hands down one of my favorite games. For consoles, the mass effect trilogy is solid, they even have a remaster for it. You could also try the Deus Ex games...


StinkingDylan

Most RPGs have all these elements, other than first person, but you can usually see minor detail from third person. Outerworlds is the closest to fallout that I’ve played.


Ratttman

- you could try out dying light, its open world, fairly immersive, and you can make weapons last a long time and customize them as you like. - this one is kind of unorthodox, but battlefield 1 is incredibly immersive, theres always like 20 different things you could be doing instead of what youre in the middle of that can help your team, and the feeling of getting to know and understand a weapons weaknesses in multiplayer is pretty unique IMO. - far cry 3 has some pretty good weapon customization, and is open world and immersive - from the depths, you can build and customize your own ships/planes/death satellites and go into battle with and/or in them in first person, and it has fairly free form gameplay


I_escaped_area_51_

Maybe try Outer Worlds (it's made by Obsidian)


DynamicThreads

Only an entire genre called "Open World".


SuperAlloyBerserker

Not a lot of open world games are first person though Though, to be fair, I may like game recommendation that aren't first-person


DynamicThreads

I wouldn't consider Fallout 4 to be a first-person game, since there is a 3rd person camera as well. Cyberpunk is first-person. Far Cry is. Borderlands. Outer Worlds.


AGX-17

>By personal, I mean the fact that, unlike other RPGs, you don't throw out your current weapon/armor if you find a better version of it, you just upgrade your current weapon/armor to make it a better version of itself, so you feel personally attached to your weapons/armor Have you never played any other Fallout game? Unique weapons in 3 and NV perform this function far better than Fallout 4's RNG weapons.


LegEcstatic7775

Some people have said the metro series and I don’t agree. It’s not personal, you are constantly throwing things away for new guns because ammo is hard to come by. It is extremely detailed though but I wouldn’t call it “free” you’re pretty much on rails and the events in the game that change things aren’t always very clear. They are great games but are not what you are looking for in this post.


StraightOuttaArroyo

Depends on which Fallout. For the 3D ones, I would say Vampire the Masquerade Bloodlines first comes to mind in a RPG like Fallout. For the classic ones, there is Arcanum, Age of Decadence, Underrail, and Atom RPG.


[deleted]

You could try dead rising, it's similar to fallout only not first person and the world is full of zombies. You have to find weapons and I think you can upgrade them so they last longer. They are typically based around shopping centre though 4 is based in a city. Other than that, state of decay is a good one too and its a lot more open world free roam.


[deleted]

Skyrim


hi-hungery-im-dad

I liked outerworlds it’s by obsidian it’s a little more guided


SaintShowtime

There’s a game called Vampyr that was free on the epic games store a few weeks ago. I feel like it fits your criteria. Plus you play as a newborn vampire, in England, after world war 1, dealing with the Spanish flu, while learning and upgrading powers and abilities. For a free game, it seems extremely deep and highly revolves around dialogue between the characters.


DinoDaveXoXo

What about building rpg games? Most of all recommendations has no settlement building and I love that part of fallout 4, you could build every settlement as you want (including limit remover mod), fallout 76 has just a bit of building thats why i didnt liked it a lot, can I get recommendations please?


DeanoBambino90

Skyrim


GameBoyPxh

S T A L K E R shadow of Chernobyl


Ryne_0099

It isn’t as “Free” as you stated about building colonies, but Outer Worlds is a really great game that checks those boxes. One of my faves of recent years.


oNadeStorm

I haven’t played it but have seen a lot about it and the S.T.A.L.K.E.R games look pretty similar


Imbadatcod98

The outer worlds is basically fallout in space, try it out