I liked 4 a lot but yeah 3 and NV hit differently and I generally preferred the non voiced character, with a more create your own path style.

It’s been so long since I played it unmodded I kinda forgot it had a voiced character and strict backstory. I’ve been using mods for years to remove the backstory where you instead choose your own (basically you can play the main story but as an outsider. It changes the dialog so your not the SS and works pretty well). mute the player voice, show the full dialogue before saying things, etc.

Those 3 things make it feel pretty similar to the older ones and I overall enjoyed the game just as much as 3 and NV. I don’t remember 4 being bad vanilla, but I felt more connected to my character after adding those mods.