This might be premature, I only played it for 6 hours before deciding to give up on it... I did not even reach Diamond City (Shocking I know, I got lost... a lot, because I stubbornly turned off Map Markers), granted I was playing on Survival Mode (Mostly because I started New Vegas on Hardcore Mode with the Viva New Vegas guide back in early 2021, so maybe it's on me and on New Vegas for having Hardcore mode as actually being a viable way to experience the game for the first time).

For additional added context I was also using The Midnight Ride Extended Mod Guide to set it up.

I think didn't really get that story hook in me the same way New Vegas or other RPGs did, "Oh wow some jagoffs kidnapped my baby? There's an undisclosed period of time since I woke up though, is my kid still even a baby? Is a big part of Bethesda-Fallout is just the overall presentation and look of the Wasteland acting as the main drive to keep exploring? As someone I guess who just is more used to the dustier sandy setting of the West Coast Fallout it wasn't working, having no real cultural background on Boston also didn't help.

On actual mechanics and gameplay, I got a rude awakening when I learned how incredibly different Character Progression was going to be, I guess I already knew this before but kind of just forgot about it. There being no skills, just Perks? The default for VATs also being changed from V to Q was also odd, same with Free Look being on V now instead of F, and F now being a Favorites Slider. Oh Survival Mode, I was also pretty confused that you couldn't really track how sated your Hunger/Sleep/Thirst was, the icons could only do so much, and it didn't help that after my first major story advancement (Killing the Deathclaw), the game decided to hang loading into the Museum causing me to replay the entire thing (2nd time I used a bed around Concord just to be extra safe). The crafting and stat-overload of minute differences across pieces of gear was also honestly just overwhelming and realizing that crafting and loot hoarding was probably going to be a significant part of the gameplay experience turned me off. The actual moment of clarity came when after 20 mins of being lost I ended up being ambushed and die unceremoniously an hour away from my last save. I honestly kinda wished maybe I shouldn't been stubborn on Survival Mode and also just added a Utility Mod that did quick saves every 15 minutes for me the same way I had for New Vegas, but honestly from there on any momentum I had on the game was gone and the thought of redoing all that looting and exploration was just dead for me.

Do people think that I should give it more of a chance? Or did the fact killing that Deathclaw with Power Armor did entirely nothing for me just a tell that I probably won't enjoy most of what this game will have to offer? I genuinely really wanted to give this a chance but 6 hours in, feeling like I've done basically nothing but walk through scripted set pieces with barely any agency if I wanted to do something that wasn't just fucking off didn't really set the tone. Is there a specific state of mind or approach I should have went in instead? I was really thinking 'I haven't played a new RPG where my choices mattered for the world around me, Fallout 4 is on sale and I heard it's not as bad as people say even when compared to New Vegas)