Recent Fallout titles feel like they're following in the footsteps of Mass Effect.

One of the big differences between an RPG and an FPS, for me, is the question of character skill versus player skill.

In an RPG I expect to build my character's skill. I'm going to have to kill critters to get XP and raise my stats. I'll raise my perception and it'll give me a better chance of hitting things I attack.

In an FPS I expect to build my skill as a player. I'm going to have to spend time playing, honing my skills, getting better at hitting targets.

And this plays out in many ways throughout the course of a game... RPGs are more stat-driven. There's emphasis on skills and builds and equipment. There's a difference in gameplay if your character has a high intelligence, or low charisma, or whatever. And the choices you make, as you play, are going to have an impact on the gameplay beyond what weapon you're using to kill guys.

Fallout 4 feels more like an FPS to me, than an RPG.

VATS is borderline-useless these days. I used to live in VATS back in Fallout 3 and New Vegas. And my stats directly affected how well I hit targets in VATS. But in Fallout 4 it's all up to me, as a player, to aim the gun and shoot the guys. This isn't necessarily bad, but it doesn't feel like I'm playing an RPG.

Similarly, stats like Charisma and Intelligence seem kind of useless in Fallout 4. Sure - Intelligence will get you more XP, and Charisma lets you persuade people... But neither of them is going to impact the story at all. You don't get special dialogue options because you've got a high/low Intelligence. And all you can persuade people to do is pay you more.

And the shallowness of these RPG aspects makes the gear similarly shallow. Why do I care if my equipment has a bonus to Intelligence or Charisma or Perception if I'm just shooting things all day? The only stats that really wind up mattering are things like Strength that have a direct impact on how much you can carry, or how much damage you do.