Todd Howard demoing Fallout 4. IMG Source: YouTube
During its first ever E3 conference, Bethesda showed off some exciting new titles it's working on, such as Dishonored II and DOOM. However, it was Fallout 4, the company's flagship IP, that was the real star of the show.
Speaking on stage, Todd Howard of Bethesda Game Studios revealed a lot of interesting information about the game.
The gameplay demo kicked off with character creation. You're able to fully customize both your male and female avatars in real time. Gone are the sliders, replaced with a system of customizing facial features by pointing at them with a cursor. The male and female avatars are a married couple and the changes you make to their appearance are reflected in their offspring. What's more, the banter between the couple revealed a feature new to the series – fully voiced player characters.
After the initial character creation, we discover that the intro section takes place in the pre-apocalypse world. You're able to explore the house until you are visited by a Vault-Tec representative who informs you that your family has been approved for a slot in the Vault. The only thing you need to do is answer a few simple questions about yourself, which is a clever way of allowing you to set your stats and traits. Another nice touch is Codsworth, your robot butler, addressing you by the name you chose during your interview with the Vault-Tec rep. Howard explained that the team actually recorded around a thousand of the most popular names for your robot to say.
Not long after that, all hell breaks loose with reports of atomic bombs falling on US cities. The player grabs his family and makes a frantic run to the Vault. The demo then skips forward to avoid spoilers. You emerge 200 years later as the sole survivor of Vault 111. From this point on, you're able to freely explore the vast world of Fallout 4.
Next, the trailer focuses on showing off various gameplay features. The dialogue system has been reworked, and now bears a striking similarity to the one used in the Mass Effect series. The combat relies a bit more on reflex this time, but V.A.T.S. also makes a return, allowing players to precisely target specific spots on an enemy's body.
Fallout 4 also introduces a set of new features to the series. One of them is a dog companion, which will follow you around and respond to your orders, For example, you can order your four-legged friend to fetch an item for you. The game will also feature a deep and robust crafting system.
First, players will now be able to construct a home for themselves out in the wastelands. By successfully upgrading and expanding your abode, it will evolve over time from a rickety shack to a real homestead, which will attract new residents along with traders peddling rare items. Building an automated turret or two to fight off those pesky raiders threatening your settlement seems like a good idea.
Second, the game will offer a myriad of ways to customize your weapons of choice. Bethesda wants to do away with garbage loot – all items you pick up serve a purpose now. Loot can be used to craft modifications for your weapons. And there's a lot to craft. With over 50 base weapons and hundreds of modifications to choose from, players can construct weapons that are tailored to their specific playstyle. Power armor will be similarly customizable, with replaceable body parts.
The biggest surprise of this conference might be the release date for Fallout 4. Players will be able to delve into the post-apocalyptic wastelands of Boston on November 10th, 2015. Bethesda prepared a real treat for their most diehard fans – a collector's edition of Fallout 4 that includes a full-size Pip Boy.
The gizmo will act as a second screen, allowing player to manage their inventory and so forth. The company will also release an app for iOS and Android, which will serve the same function as the Pip Boy mount.
Fallout 4 - PipBoy
Source: YouTube
