Fallout 4 has launched and hot dog are we excited.

The latest in Bethesda’s post-apocalypse RPG takes the action to Boston, Massachusetts and New England, and once again casts the player as a Vault dweller trying to survive a Wasteland full of mutants, radiation, bandits, molerats and other scavengers. It looks familiar in the right places, and is sure to offer hundreds of hours of entertainment. When even the development team are getting lost, you know there’s plenty to see.

So let’s take a look in detail at the game, especially the new modding and crafting systems, which join the returning SPECIAL stats and perks, alongside an expanded group of companions.

Getting started

Beginner’s tips for surviving outside Vault 111

Advanced tips for the hardcore wastelander

The ultimate list of things you didn’t know you could do in Fallout 4

The easiest way to get the X-01 Power Armour

How to pick locks and hack computer terminals

How to join the Brotherhood of Steel

How to join the Railroad and finish the Road to Freedom quest

How to earn more XP and level up fast

There’s a lot of things to learn in Fallout 4, with significant changes over Fallout 3. These tips give a good overview of the changes to equipment and weapons, the enemies you’ll face and friends that you want to keep on your side.

There’s also a couple of factions you want to get to know better. Obviously, the Brotherhood of Steel is the big one so you can get some big armour and weapons. But also consider joining the Railroad for a different political stance (and one of the best guns in the game).

Console commands for PC players

The best PC mods for Fallout 4… so far

How to get the secret Harpoon Gun

Use these cheats to access god mode, change character sex, add unlimited funds, any items to your inventory and much more. And check out some sweet mods to improve the game.

Where to find the most lethal weapons

How to get a weapon with guaranteed unlimited ammo capacity

What exactly do all those Legendary Weapon effects do?

There’s a collection of truly lethal weapons in Fallout 4: some are found, some bought, some stolen and some rewarded. Here’s where to find them.

Fallout 4 crafting guides

How to craft, build bases and finish the Sanctuary quest

Weapons crafting guide

Power Armor use, repair and modding guide

A map of all Power Armor frame locations

How to get unlimited adhesive

Tips and tricks from master Fallout builders

Fallout 4 brings a new crafting system to the series, giving you plenty of weapon customisation options and base building, unashamedly inspired by Minecraft. Hit this link to get the lowdown on building settlements, defending them, and customising some serious firepower.

Perks and SPECIAL skills

12 essential Perks for for ass-kicking Wastelanders

Every Perk in Fallout 4 and what it does

The SPECIAL system is Fallout’s character progression system. Levelling up is much more detailed than in previous Fallout games, and it’s now possible to level up individual attributes and Perks. Here’s a guide to all the SPECIAL attributes, what’s changed since Fallout 3 and here are all the Perks in detail.

Fallout 4’s 12 Companions

How to find and recruit all companions in Fallout 4

How to romance Piper, Preston and other companions

Here’s all the names Codsworth knows – is yours on the list?

How to find a full set of armor for Dogmeat

Fallout 4 allows the player to recruit up to 12 companions as they roam the wasteland. You can only have one companion at a time though, so choose wisely.

There’s also romance options with some of the companions, although you can only get it on with other human companions, so robots and others are off the list, you pervert. If you don’t recruit a companion at all, there’s an extra Perk in for you.

Story quests and side missions

Main story and side quest checklist

How to get Grognak The Barbarian’s axe and loincloth

How get the Alien Blaster Pistol

How to get infinite Caps in Fallout 4

There’s a lot of quests out there in the wasteland. You’ll want to keep on top of them with out handy checklist and follow advice to get some of the best weapons and armour in the game.

Where to find skill books, bobbleheads and holotapes

Skill books locations visual guide

Bobblehead locations visual guide

Holotape locations visual guide

Comic books, bobbleheads, skills books, tattoo magazines and more – they all boost your character when you find them. This is where you’ll be able to find clear and simple guides to picking up all those back issues of Grognak the Barbarian.

What’s in the Fallout 4 Season Pass and DLC

Firstly, don’t worry about your format of choice: no one platform is getting timed or other exclusive content over another. Phew.

Fallout 4’s Season Pass will run you $30 / £25 although Bethesda has not yet clarified what that content will be. The first downloadable content will drop sometime in early 2016.

And you did order the Pip-Boy edition of the game, right? Because it’s sold out. If you didn’t, the video above is the closest you’re going to get.

Building the world from the ground up

It’s important to sweat the little details. The team at Bethesda is focusing on dynamic details to convince the player this is a real world. Storytelling isn’t just done via dialogue, but it’s in the environment, the way the world has been built by the designers.

Fallout 4 has also had a paint job to make it look less depressing than Fallout 3, with clearer skies the most immediate distinction. But also look out for colour that draws your attention to a particular part of the map or environment. It’s there for good reason.

The basics

Fallout 4 will run in 1080p and 30 FPS on PS4 and Xbox One. The PC version will be uncapped, and Bethesda has now confirmed recommended specs.