There was plenty of hype when Bethesda took the stage for its first E3 conference, much of which was directed towards the upcoming Fallout 4. The audience at the show and on Twitch was given a treat with over a half hour of Fallout news. But for those who were not able to tune in, here is what you missed.
Where the story begins
While the past Fallout games have focused solely on the events after the bombs fell, we learned that Fallout 4 will actually include a portion of the game that takes place and shows the world from before the destruction.
What makes this unique is the fact that players will finally have a chance to view the world in all the beauty before the mutated creatures and wildlife takes over. It also adds an extra connection to the character as it allows the question: what we would do in a post-apocalyptic world before the chaos?
The majority of the game will take place after the fallout though, although 200 years after the bombs fell. However, through some means, the original character from the “prologue” manages to survive.
Coupled together, the story will most likely feel similar to past Fallout games, but will also remain distinct enough to give a fresh feel to the franchise. Although, after years of silence, any entry in the Fallout franchise would be a warm welcome.
Customization For Days
One of the features that makes any Bethesda RPG unique is the customization options available. However, Fallout 4 seems to put past Bethesda games to shame. In fact, it seems that Fallout 4 has more customization options than any other game.
For starters, all the weapons in the game can be modded in a number of ways to suit the player. At the show, it was announced that there were over 50 base weapons in the game, and over 700 mods for those weapons. These mods ranged from scopes to silencers to bigger and better barrels. It also included stocks and firing methods. There will no doubt be even more modifications for weapons in the final game, but already it seems that Bethesda wants players to make weapons their own.
However, the modifications do not stop there. There will also be the ability to modify power armor. While specifics were not given in the show, there seems to be the ability to add equipment such as jetpacks to the power armor. Other options might include larger armor plating or increased carrying capacity, but until more information on the armor modification system is announced, the rest is speculation.
One of the more interesting and subtle changes with the customization is the ability to have a named character referred to by the voice actors in the game. While not part of the customization options, it does deal with game customization. Bethesda has about 1000 common names recorded by some of the voice actors so players to feel more immersed in the game.
The final piece of customization that seems worth noting is the ability to “fix” the world around you and create settlements in Fallout 4. These projects seem to start with a single house but can grow to include merchants, bars, trade routes, defense and lighting systems, crops, and even more. In the demo shown, a house is torn down and recreated before more residents turn up and generators are to set up to power lights and turrets, along with computers that send commands to the equipment on the network.
All in all, the customization seems to reach new limits, even stretching beyond the player’s personal equipment to the world at large. Weapons, armor, and even settlements can be crafted to best suit the player and his or her play-style.
Fallout 4 Pip-Boy Edition and Companion App
Of all the information released, one of the more interesting pieces dealt with the Fallout 4 Pip-Boy Edition.
A real-life Fallout 4 Pip-Boy will be included. It will be life-size and wearable, and will also be able to sync with someone’s smart phone for the ultimate second screen experience.
The second screen, in this case, shows the player what is on the Pip-Boy in-game. This includes equipment and stats. It is unknown whether leveling and managing inventory will be available through the app.
The Pip-Boy edition will not be needed to download the app though as it will be available for iOS and Android devices when the game launches, however, it will be much cooler when used with an actual Pip-Boy.
Just released new Fallout game for your iPhone and iPad
Some people may not be able to wait for Fallout 4 to release, and Bethesda also had an answer for them with the new, just-released Fallout Shelter.
In Fallout Shelter, players are an overseer of a Vault and manage the residents, rooms, and well-being of those living there. A Sim-City like game, players create their Vault and add to over time. They also must train and level the residents in order to send them out into the world on missions or protect the Vault from raiders and other enemies.
The best thing about the game is that there are no pay wall restrictions. Rooms are built immediately and everything in-game can be done without spending a dime. However, players can spend money to buy lunch boxes, which gives equipment to the player that can be given to residents. However, there are other ways in the game to earn equipment.
Last but not least, the release date
The final piece, and the most anticipated piece of information about Fallout 4 came at the end of the night with the announcement of the release date. Lucky for us, we do not have to wait too long as Fallout 4 will be available this fall on November 10 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.
