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Fallout 4 at Gamescom 2015: Familiarity Breeds Contempt?

Fallout 4 at Gamescom 2015: Familiarity Breeds Contempt?

By Rishi Alwani | Updated: 17 August 2015 15:35 IST

After a stunning reveal, a fantastic E3 2015 presentation, and an overwhelming fan response, it seems that post-apocalyptic role-playing game (RPG) Fallout 4 can do no wrong. Helmed by the creators of some of the greatest open world adventures in the industry, each showcase of Fallout 4 has been met with critical and popular acclaim. While we wish this was the case with the game at Gamescom 2015, the pre-recorded video presentation did little to inspire confidence.

We didn't get to play Fallout 4, but behind closed doors, we were shown a short video of Fallout 4 director, Todd Howard, narrating what players can expect from the game's specials and perks system. Fallout 4 has seven specials or primary attributes: charisma, endurance, intelligence, strength, agility, luck, and perception. How you invest in these at the beginning at the game (and as it goes on) determines what kind of options are open to you in terms of gameplay.

(Also see: Bethesda's E3 2015 Conference: Fallout 4, Doom, Dishonored 2, and More)

At the beginning, the game gives you 28 attribute points to use across your seven specials. Perks are special abilities you earn as you level up in the game and change the way you can approach the harsh wasteland. In the demo video, Howard succinctly explained what you can expect and do.

"If you come out of the vault with 10 charisma, you can pick this intimidation perk that lets you manipulate and control other people," Howard said. "There are 70 base perks with multiple ranks that do new things yielding 275 that you can choose from. And it gives you a ton of choice and many different ways to develop your character over the course of the game."

It's a more streamlined approach compared to earlier games that had specials (known as skills) and perks run separately. This also implies you could be locked into your choices and style of gameplay for the duration of the game.

After this, we were shown a slice of gameplay footage that takes place in the town of Lexington. We're told that it was overrun by feral ghouls (the Fallout universe's equivalent of zombies); furthermore, there have been murmurs of bandits setting up camp in a nearby factory. An apt setting to show off the game's combat options.

(Also see: Fallout 4 India Pricing Revealed; 2015 Release Date Tipped)

Expected progression methods like hacking and lock picking were demonstrated, as was the ability of your dog to scavenge the world for useful items. Favourites like the laser rifle and rocket launcher made an appearance as well, allowing you to dismember limbs and explode foes with ease.

Much like its predecessors - Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas - here too, you can approach combat either in real time or using the VATS system. The latter has you pausing the game while you choose which critical organs of your enemy you wish to target. It gives the game a somewhat turn-based feel to the proceedings.

What was noticeable though, was that the gunplay and melee combat in real time felt a lot more smoother and easier than before. Maybe Bethesda ensured that your character's strength special was maxed out for demo purposes, but the second-to-second combat appeared quicker than what we've come to expect from the series and the animations appeared less sluggish too.

In terms of looks, Fallout 4 seems like a cleaner, crisper version of its last generation versions. Gory combat kills delighted us with gruesome blood splatter, while lobbing grenades let out stellar smoke and explosion effects. There was the odd lens flare or two in outdoor sections, but barring these enhanced special effects, you would be hard-pressed to tell the difference between Fallout 4 and Fallout 3.

(Also see: Bethesda Dismisses Reports Fallout 4 Will Run at 1080p, 30fps on 'All Platforms')

That, of course, is until you notice the scale at hand. Towards the end of the demo, your character squares off against giant mutants, and bandits. You're aided by armoured soldiers from the series' Brotherhood of Steel faction, dropped in via helicopter no less. All of this added up to a sense of war and busyness in battle that earlier games lacked.

It was at this stage that Bethesda showed off another staple - the Fat Man, a mini nuclear launcher. At the pull of trigger, it served up mass devastation a la carte. Amidst all the chaos of combat, Fallout 4 managed to hold a solid frame rate and looked decent while it was at it.

Prior to this part of the presentation, Howard had claimed that "this area really shows how we like to build our combat- wide open, tons of choice it's all up to you." And if that was the intent, Bethesda hit the nail on the head.

However one can't help but feel that after a solid E3 showing the company is perhaps out of features to tease. While the Fallout series is known for its long, meaty games with tons of content, Fallout 4 at Gamescom 2015 appeared to be more of the same. Considering that technology has improved drastically since the last two games were out, it would be nice to have seen something to take advantage of that to the fullest. Instead, we were on the receiving end of a severe case of deja vu with incremental improvements. There was very little that stood out and made us take notice.

(Also see: What the Games Industry Can Learn From Fallout 4's Reveal)

Will it be a case of familiarity breeds contempt when Fallout 4 finally hits in November? Given the series' rabid fanbase and incredible preorders, it seems unlikely. But if you're a newbie to all things Fallout, you might just want to save some money by playing the earlier games in the franchise instead of succumbing to the pre-release hype and preordering it.

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