5. Landscapes, architecture and setting

Fallout 4’s Boston Wasteland is one of the best video game settings to date.

Although Fallout 4 certainly does not have the best graphics around, the game makes up for it with its great art direction and superbly realised post-apocalyptic setting. The game has atmosphere you can cut with a knife, and the superbly detailed locations, ruined buildings and landscapes of the barren wasteland certainly help create a unique mood. And Fallout 4’s sci-fi world also has some superb locations like the USS Constitution ship and Trinity Tower, which have a great sense of scale and are dripping with atmosphere.

On the other hand, The Witcher 3’s medieval fantasy world feels more generic, with the typical castles, forts and towns one commonly sees in a role-playing game of this ilk. And although early locations like the town of White Orchard look very pretty, there’s a sense of wonder when players exit Fallout 4’s vault and first witness the post-nuclear world, which is missing in the early stages of The Witcher 3.

WINNER: FALLOUT 4