It's hard to believe that it's been nearly a decade since gamers were first able to step foot into Fallout 3's world. Back in 2008, there were few games on the same scale as Bethesda's massive open-world post-apocalyptic RPG ... and, while it's true that Fallout: New Vegas was released a few years later, it just didn't have the same feel. Fallout 3 was a rebirth for the franchise, and there are many who claim that it's one of the best games of all time.
Last week, Bethesda revealed that Fallout 3's true successor was on its way. E3 2015 came early, as the studio revealed that Fallout 4 was on the way - one masterfully detailed trailer later, and the Internet lost its collective mind. However, the trailer raised one burning question: if the trailer has already been revealed, then what is Bethesda going to show at its E3 news conference?
Many speculated that Bethesda would reveal actual in-game footage during its event, and they weren't wrong: for the first time ever, fans got to catch a glimpse at what the future of Fallout looks like.
If you thought Bethesda's Doom showcase was thorough, you haven't seen anything yet.
Right off the bat, Bethesda revealed that Fallout 4 opens before the bombs fell. It's a period in the game's history that's often discussed, but rarely seen - from the looks of things, Bethesda is trying to create a far more personal, intimate opening. You have a spouse, a home, a friendly robot butler, a child, even a voice - everything feels idyllic, yet tragic. After all, fans of the series know how this story ends.
While Bethesda didn't want to show too much of the story, the studio did outline several of the game's new mechanics. First off is the real-time character creation tools: instead of using sliders and an awkward camera system, players literally sculpt out their characters. There are a few rough edges, and character models don't seem to be Fallout 4's strongest aspect, but it's a huge upgrade to the system seen in previous games. In fact, the only familiar feature during the intro is the SPECIAL system, which helps a player determine their character's stats - otherwise, the character creation system has received a huge boost overall.
Of course, the new features extend past the game's introduction: dialogue choices are now a vital, organic part of conversations, and it's not just limited to which lines you want your character to say. It's entirely possible to walk away from a character midsentence ... or pull out a gun and start shooting. Characters will also talk directly to you: Bethesda claims that over 1,000 different voices were recorded, so as long as you pick something relatively normal, you should hear characters start calling your character by name.
On the other hand, commanding your companions looks to be far easier - it's mostly a point-and-click affair, as opposed to the cumbersome, multistep process from previous games. Environmental interactions are also more contextual, and it appears that scripted sequences will be far more involved than the point-to-point conversation 'cutscenes' of Fallout 3.
If there's one part of Fallout 3 that could have used an overhaul, it was combat. Thankfully, Bethesda has rebuilt Fallout 4's combat to be better in every way: it's smoother, it's more responsive and it works from both third- and first-person perspectives. The slow-motion targeting sytem VATS also makes a return, though it's been re-worked to give players more options once the system's been initiated.
In general, there looks to be more combat overall: the demo showed players fighting everything from lowly mole rats to gigantic Deathclaws to massive airships ... and that's before players can pilot start piloting planes or strap on a jetpack. That's not to say that more combat is a bad thing: after all, it'll give players far more opportunities to try out Fallout 4's new crafting mechanics.
On a basic level, crafting is far more in-depth than any previous Fallout game: instead of just repairing tools and crafting certain recipes, nearly everything in the game can be dismantled, stripped down and built back into something useful. Guns and armor are the immediate beneficiaries, as the game's entire arsenal can be modified, completely rebuilt or layered on top of one another, but players will notice the biggest changes after creating their first settlement.
In previous Fallout games, players basically moved into an apartment that was already a part of another larger town. In Fallout 4, players are the ones making the towns: once a suitable site is found, players can scavenge the area for parts and get to building. If you put enough time and energy into a town, vendors and settlers will start moving in, and these citizens can provide players with some of the game's best loot - though you'll have to watch out for bandit raids, too.
Finally, the ever-present Pip-Boy makes its return. Not only has the in-game model received a noticeable upgrade (it can play Donkey Kong and Missile Command homages), but there's an actual, physical replica that players can purchase. The Fallout 4: Pip-Boy edition comes with a full-sized version of the wrist-mounted computer, but it's not just for show: players can clip their smartphones into the Pip-Boy for use with the game's companion app!
And, while everything Bethesda showed was amazing, the best news came at the end of the conference: many assumed that, with a game as big as Fallout 4, it'd be some time before fans got to actually play it. As it turns out, that's not the case: Fallout 4 will hit store shelves this fall on Nov. 10!
If you want to check out the entire presentation (make sure you have a few minutes to spare, as it clocks in at over 30 minutes), you can view the full Fallout 4 demo below:
Stay tuned for more E3 2015 coverage all week from TechTimes and T-Lounge!
