Bethesda’s Fallout 4 was originally released in 2015, becoming one of the best games in the series and was a strong contender for Game of the Year. Even with the release of Fallout 76 three years later, many fans would go back to Fallout 4 and other Fallout games.

10 years after the original release and following much fan demand, Fallout 4 was re-released as Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition on modern consoles, and now, in 2026, it finally makes its way to Nintendo Switch 2. 

The story begins on October 23, 2077, the day of the Great War, when nuclear bombs drop on Boston. You, your spouse and infant son, Shaun, are rushed into Vault 111, where you are tricked into entering cryogenic pods and frozen alive. Years into your stasis, you are briefly awakened and witness mysterious intruders opening your spouse’s pod, killing them and taking your son away. You are refrozen, only to wake up again decades later as the lone survivor of the facility and now in a wasteland known as the Commonwealth. Your main goal is to seek justice for your spouse and find your son. 

At the start of the game, players can choose to play as either Nate or Nora, a married couple and the parents of Shaun. Players will be able to customise their physical features, and the rest of the game will adapt based on who you choose. The first few hours of the game act as a tutorial, teaching you the mechanics, which are paced quite well because there is a lot to learn. 

The game takes place in a huge open world with so much to see, and it can be easy to get lost in, but you’ll quickly realise you are not alone. You’ll encounter various creatures and mutants of all shapes and sizes, as well as factions of other people doing what they can to survive. The factions players can join include the Minutemen, Brotherhood of Steel, The Railroad, and The Institute, which are central to the main storyline, and players can choose which to join.

Their choice can dictate which faction could gain control of the Commonwealth, and there are a few other non-joinable factions, too. Early on, you’ll meet and befriend a German Shepherd the protagonist names Dogmeat, who also becomes your ally and aids you on your quests. 

Aside from the main quests, there is also a wide variety of side quests to do that will keep you busy and are worth doing to gain more weapons, equipment and simple items, which are mainly junk and materials, but can be useful later. When not on a mission, players can also explore various houses, buildings, and more to find useful items. 

Another big feature of the game is base building, where players can design and manage more than 30 settlements across the Commonwealth using the Workshop menu to craft structures, weapons, equipment and from junk and materials you’ve collected, so those shouldn’t be overlooked when you find them. Base building isn’t necessary to complete the game, but it is well worth it for players willing to put in the time. There are actually many players who play Fallout 4 purely for the base building, with online communities showing off their settlements. Base building in a post-apocalyptic world can easily be its own game. 

The $89.95 AUD price might be a bit high for some, but Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition includes all the DLC from the original 2015 release, making it a great option for longtime fans to play on the go and for newcomers to get into Fallout 4.

Being a port of a game that came out over 10 years ago, the graphics are showing their age, but still look impressive by today’s standards. The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X versions are the far superior versions in terms of graphics and performance, but the Switch 2 version holds up surprisingly well. 

The game can be played at 30 fps, 40 fps, or 60 fps, each with its pros and cons. 30 fps performs best, but the lower-quality graphics make it hard to look at, possibly causing eye strain. 60 fps offers sharper visuals, but performance suffers to accommodate them. 40 fps is a good in-between, with solid performance and graphics still pleasing to the eye. 

Playing in handheld mode, there is a slight downgrade in performance and visuals, but not by much, and it plays quite well for those who want to play Fallout 4 on the go, though the battery life lasts around 2 hours at most. When there is a lot going on at once, the game slows down a bit, which can affect momentum but not overall enjoyment, unless the game crashes. 

The original release of Fallout 4 had various bugs and glitches, and unfortunately, the Anniversary Edition has many of the same issues. There have been various reports of the game crashing, which I didn’t experience myself during my time playing it, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen at some point.

There are still some graphical and audio glitches that can be distracting, and players can still duplicate resources, which would be cheating, but some players likely wouldn’t complain. 

It should be noted that when switching between docked and handheld modes, players should close the game first and reopen it after switching, as it seems to struggle to adjust its settings during the transition. 

The Switch 2 Joy-Cons feature motion controls and can also be used as a mouse, which was a big selling point of the Switch 2 leading up to its release, and they work quite well with first-person shooters like Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, but sadly, Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition doesn’t take advantage of this. This is a shame because it would’ve given Fallout fans an incentive to buy the Switch 2 version for a unique experience. 

For the past 29 years, the Fallout series has been a legendary franchise that has seen its highs and lows, but the dedicated fanbase has always remained strong. A new game has been confirmed, and season 3 of the highly successful TV series is already in development.

Fallout 4 was already an impressive game back in 2015, and many players still go back to it today, and it gets a new lease on life on the Switch 2. Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition is just as thrilling as before and will have you gearing up in your vault suit and strapping on the Pip-Boy once again.

Written by: Sammy Hanson