Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition Review (Nintendo Switch 2)
Late in February, Bethesda relaunched Fallout 4 on the Nintendo Switch 2 with the Anniversary Edition. This edition featured the base game, all six previously released DLC packs, and over a hundred Creation Club items for players to use. While we won’t be diving into the story elements in this review – Fallout 4 is an old game after all – we will be discussing whether or not this is worth it in 2026.
You can read my full review of Fallout 4 from 2015 here. Shockingly, I think I enjoy the story more now than I did back then!
First launched in 2015, Fallout 4 was an instant hit with Bethesda and Fallout fans. It combined an open world full of things to discover with solid gameplay, lots of customization options, and more. The compelling story also helped push the franchise to new heights, and cemented Fallout 4 as one of the best Bethesda games of all time.
The Nintendo Switch 2 version of the game comes with a bunch of options, including the ability to toggle between 30, 40 and 60 frames per second. We found that 40 frames was the best option for handheld, while 60 frames per second was our preferred way to play when docked and on the TV. This created a smoother experience, at the cost of resolution.
The world building and story crafting in Fallout 4 are second to none – the branching paths you take depending on the factions you align with lead to a big decision in the late game, but most of the game’s many quests feel impactful and clever. Moment to moment, this is one of Bethesda’s best games ever.
Base building will be a big part of the experience if you want it to be, and I think Nintendo fans might gravitate to that more than fans of other platforms. Is it because of Animal Crossing? Perhaps, but I found myself wanting to build homesteads throughout the world, and the experience was generally favourable. What is disappointing, however, is the lack of any Nintendo Switch 2 specific controls. That is to say, there are no gyro controls here, nor mouse mode. Mouse mode, particularly, would have been such a great add, especially for creative minds like mine!
Another issue is one that generally plagues all Bethesda titles when they launch: bugs. There are plenty of them, and no I’m not talking about critters flying around the screen. There are issues all over the place, from button inputs not working as intended to audio issues and straight gameplay crashes. I think – whether right or wrong – this is part of the course when it comes to Bethesda titles first launching on consoles, and over time I fully expect these issues to be sorted out. While they are more frequent than I would have liked, the compelling gameplay and story pushed me forward. This didn’t make the problems a non-issue, but I wasn’t as annoyed with them as I might be in other game experiences.
Ultimately, this is a package worth picking up whether you are new to Fallout or want to experience it again. I’ve said this multiple times, but I love having games on-the-go, and I’m willing to take graphical downgrades and issues to get that experience. I love the Witcher 3 best on Switch, and Skyrim best on Switch, and probably will say the same for Fallout 4 as well.
Article By Adam
