Bethesda just wrapped their first E3 presentation that streamed online live on Twitch.tv. To no one's surprise, they capped it with a fairly detailed look at the forthcoming Fallout 4. Here's a quick breakdown of what was revealed.
The game is set for release on November 10th, 2015. The collector's edition will come with an actual Pipboy that you can plug your smartphone into. Bethesda has created a mobile Pipboy app that will actually work as a fully functional second screen when playing the game.
In Fallout 4 you play either a male or female adult who survives the great war in a vault but by means unknown to us at this time, you emerge as the sole survivor of the vault 200 years in the future. There, you are met with the devastated remains of Boston where you reunite with your Mr. Handy robot butler and take as companion a German Shepard.
New features include a character creator where you simply move facial features around to sculpt your looks. The game engine is an advanced version of the one used for Skyrim and includes built in advanced lighting and real-time physics capabilities.
Taking cue from the Hearthfire DLC for Skyrim and the Real Time Settler mod for Fallout 3 and Fallout New Vegas, Bethesda has integrated an advanced salvaging and building function to the game where you can collect material and construct fortifications, defenses and living spaces decorated any way you see fit.
What may cause a bit of controversy is confirmation that your character will have a voice. Already, this is upsetting some people who are concerned that this will spoil their roleplay experience. Honestly, as long as the voice acting stays fairly generic in terms of its tone, I don't see a problem. Bethesda has assured us that players will still have full control over their interactions with NPCs. That said, they didn't discuss or reveal anything of the morality system in the game, or even confirmed that there is one. However, the basic stats appear intact.
Everything else appears to be improved upon and expanded. This includes an advanced weapon creation and customization system with at least 50 base weapons and 700 distinct modifications. The Pipboy has been streamlined with added functionality for managing every aspect of your character. The VATS targeting system returns with a more streamlined interface. It also appears that iron sights are finally in the vanilla game, along with overall improved standard FPS mechanics. Environments are massive, detailed and appear to raise the bar for an open-world, free roaming exploration game.
It may be too early to say for certain but based on this first impression, Fallout 4 appears to to be a massive leap forward for Bethesda. It has certainly far exceeded my expectations and I cannot wait to get my hands on it. I also can't wait to see what the modding community does to improve what already looks to be an incredible game.
Edit: I forgot to add a few other features observed in the presentation. It appears Bethesda also borrowed from the mod Enclave Commander to not only allow you to summon a Vertibird but to fly in it and fire off it's side-mounted cannon at ground targets. In addition, once you build a community hub, you'll be able to set up trade caravans, presumably as a way to earn additional income. In relation to weapon customization, you'll also be able to modify power armor, which now comes with a new unique HUD system when the helmet is worn.
The game is set for release on November 10th, 2015. The collector's edition will come with an actual Pipboy that you can plug your smartphone into. Bethesda has created a mobile Pipboy app that will actually work as a fully functional second screen when playing the game.
In Fallout 4 you play either a male or female adult who survives the great war in a vault but by means unknown to us at this time, you emerge as the sole survivor of the vault 200 years in the future. There, you are met with the devastated remains of Boston where you reunite with your Mr. Handy robot butler and take as companion a German Shepard.
New features include a character creator where you simply move facial features around to sculpt your looks. The game engine is an advanced version of the one used for Skyrim and includes built in advanced lighting and real-time physics capabilities.
Taking cue from the Hearthfire DLC for Skyrim and the Real Time Settler mod for Fallout 3 and Fallout New Vegas, Bethesda has integrated an advanced salvaging and building function to the game where you can collect material and construct fortifications, defenses and living spaces decorated any way you see fit.
What may cause a bit of controversy is confirmation that your character will have a voice. Already, this is upsetting some people who are concerned that this will spoil their roleplay experience. Honestly, as long as the voice acting stays fairly generic in terms of its tone, I don't see a problem. Bethesda has assured us that players will still have full control over their interactions with NPCs. That said, they didn't discuss or reveal anything of the morality system in the game, or even confirmed that there is one. However, the basic stats appear intact.
Everything else appears to be improved upon and expanded. This includes an advanced weapon creation and customization system with at least 50 base weapons and 700 distinct modifications. The Pipboy has been streamlined with added functionality for managing every aspect of your character. The VATS targeting system returns with a more streamlined interface. It also appears that iron sights are finally in the vanilla game, along with overall improved standard FPS mechanics. Environments are massive, detailed and appear to raise the bar for an open-world, free roaming exploration game.
It may be too early to say for certain but based on this first impression, Fallout 4 appears to to be a massive leap forward for Bethesda. It has certainly far exceeded my expectations and I cannot wait to get my hands on it. I also can't wait to see what the modding community does to improve what already looks to be an incredible game.
Edit: I forgot to add a few other features observed in the presentation. It appears Bethesda also borrowed from the mod Enclave Commander to not only allow you to summon a Vertibird but to fly in it and fire off it's side-mounted cannon at ground targets. In addition, once you build a community hub, you'll be able to set up trade caravans, presumably as a way to earn additional income. In relation to weapon customization, you'll also be able to modify power armor, which now comes with a new unique HUD system when the helmet is worn.