Introduction
Fallout 4 will be the fifth installment in the Fallout series, developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. It will get a release on PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on November 10, 2015. Since it’s not too far ahead of us, I thought it would be a great idea to share everything we know about the upcoming title in one article. I’ve been keeping up with the latest Fallout 4 updates since I heard they were making the game, here’s what we know so far…
The Latest Fallout 4 Update
It has been confirmed that Fallout 4 is going to feature a fully voiced protagonists, which is going to be different, as Fallout 3 was almost too quiet. Earlier this year it was also confirmed there are over 13,000 lines of dialogue recorded by Courtney Taylor and Brian T. Delaney.
Besthesda Game Studios recently told fans on Twitter that there are over 111,000 lines of dialogue recorded, which is more than Skyrim’s and Fallout 3’s lines put together. It’s huge, let’s hope they sound good!
The VP of PR and Marketing at Bethesda, Pete Hines, recently announced that the story will remain a secret until the game’s official launch. For now, we will talk about what we know about and stick to new features added, and expected gameplay. With that said, we do know that the developer is attempting to add more “emotional depth” to the characters in this game.
Gameplay and Features
If you’re like me, you love the Fallout series for its exploration and scavenging features. The gameplay in Fallout 4 will be very similar to what we had in Fallout 3, but the developer has been working on some new features to spice up the game. These new features include base-building, a split-piece armor system, an incredibly dynamic dialogue system and an in-depth crafting system. There will be more new additions to the game, but these are what we are mainly excited about.
Base building is what really caught my attention. Out of all the new features they could have added to the game, they chose base building. This is great, because some enemies in Fallout are extremely difficult to kill, and now you have another way of defending yourself.
First, let’s discuss the basics. In Fallout 4 you will be able to use every item you scavenge in the crafting system, so it’s not as simple as just picking up good stuff anymore, now you can make important items. Then, it gets deeper, as you can start building a base, with turrets and other defense mechanisms.
Beyond that, your base can be hooked to a power grid, so you’re basically creating an entire town. This is all so new to the Fallout series, opening up many new doors for gameplay. Fallout needed this, as New Vegas and Fallout 3 weren’t different enough. The series needed something groundbreaking, and this is definitely it.
It’s more than a base, and NPCs can inhabit your towns. To get them there and keep them there, you will need to make sure they have food by growing it, and water by building water spouts. Keep the place safe with turrets and traps, and you’ve got yourself a safe town. Well, as safe as one can be in the world of Fallout.
Pete Hines from Bethesda told Gamespot a while back that the base-building feature is more similar to Minecraft than the lesser creative home decorating feature in Skyrim. “Much like a game like Minecraft, you can be a noob and just build a simple little thing. And you can also get the guys who go crazy and [can say], ‘I rebuilt the spaceship from this game [or] I rebuilt the Tardis from Doctor Who using the lights and stuff and it looks exactly like it”.
Can you imagine how many YouTube stars are going to eat this new feature up and build amazing things just to impress people!? It was a genius idea, let’s hope they pulled it off well. The video below shows a demonstration of the base-building feature, check it out.
We also know that certain enemies will be making a return in Fallout 4, such as the mole rats, super-mutants, raiders, feral ghouls and deathclaws. And yes, Dogmeat is also making a return.
There isn’t going to be a limit as to where you can go, and players will be able to go anywhere they want on the map. Freedom is a big part of Fallout, and you can leave any conversation at any time.
I always thought the weapon system is Fallout sucked. As much as I love the series for exploration, the weapons were not one of the games’ strong points. In this upcoming title you will finally get to customize them, and there are more than 50 base guns to work with. In fact, Fallout 4 is going to feature over 700 modifications, making the weapons more impressive and less boring.
Power Armor has also been improved, you will be able to equip more items to your armor, such as a jetpack, which can be used to help you in many ways. Also, each part of your suit can be swapped out with different types of armor.
The Pip-Boy wristwatch is still going to be a big part of the game, and the Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System (V.A.T.S.) is making a return. If you don’t know this feature by name, its where you are able to slow-down time and select a part of your enemy that will get the most damage. Want to blow an arm off? Want to get that headshot? You will use the V.A.T.S. to take down your enemy.
Conclusion
Fallout 4 is arriving at a crucial time of the year for video games to launch, and I am sure it will prove to be a successful game during the 2015 Holiday season. The features are solid, and fans of the series have every reason to look forward to the November release date. Fallout 4 will have all the features we know and love from Fallout 3, but it will also include the new base-building element so we can build our own towns, with custom homes, and you can literally make everything from the doors to the ceilings and water supply. Check out the trailer below if you want to see the game for yourself, and let us know what you think in the comment section below!
