I took a decent break too, when The Division came out, and then I played the hell out of Exanima.
I returned to Fallout4, and I’m so happy I did. I actually was thinking about this a couple weeks ago, that I may never beat this game, and that’s a damn shame as I was so excited for it.
I think I burned myself out a little bit too, on building, on how much there is to do in the game, and some things just became… less adventuring, and more about stockpiling resources and sort of-- I don’t want to say monotony, but–getting into a certain “gaming rhythm” that wasn’t really focused on anything (be it the story, building up settlements, etc.)
BUT, the most amazing thing happened. Bethesda released their notes about Survival Mode (https://bethesda.net/#en/events/game/fallout-4s-all-new-survival-mode/2016/03/29/96)
I freaked out, needless to say. It COMPLETELY changes the game. It has returned me to what I loved most about it. Adventuring. Discovering. Unraveling. Not feeling like I need to haul every piece of junk I find (because, guess what, I CAN’T. With fast travel, I could take handfuls of stuff at a time, and go back and forth back and forth until I hauled everything home. This got tiresome. And it was unrealistic.
With Survival Mode, things feel more alive. More in the moment. Also, combat is more fun. I HAVE to wear my Power Armor now. Before it was just a luxury. Now I need it. I have to plan my treks. Do I have enough food. Do I have enough water. Do I know of some beds or settlements that are nearby where I can stop to rest.
In addition to all of this, there’s a level of “fear” that has returned to the game for me. I am literally worried about what’s around the next corner, over the next hill, etc. I can die, and if I didn’t sleep recently, all that time and effort is lost (and believe me, this happened to me a lot when I first switched to Survival Mode.
So many aspects of the game matter now. Cooking stations (turn dirty water into purified water, turn RAD food into healthy cooked food.
During combat, I often HAVE to take meds (Jet, Psycho, PsychoJet, etc.), while before, drugs were something I RARELY ever used.
I could go on and on. As I feel I’ve done a little bit. Point is, so many aspects of the game now have their own little purpose and meaning. And it creates a more interesting and more believable world, and brings true adventuring back to the game.