By Josh Kenehan
The next addition to the much beloved Fallout series has been announced ahead of developer Bethesda’s E3 press conference next week (14th June). The game has been highly anticipated, especially since Bethesda (creators of Fallout 3) are returning to develop this game, unlike the New Vegas instalment. Fans around the world have been rejoicing this past week with the news, even more so with the rumoured 2015 release date (Amazon lists it for the 31st December).
While created within the game’s engine itself, the trailer shows little, unfortunately, in the way of gameplay. We catch glimpses of the next enormous play area that the world of Fallout has to offer, clarifying the location of this game as Boston (with landmarks such as Bunker Hill, the Paul Revere statue and the Massachusetts State House). We do see the player emerging from a vault, number 111, much like the beginning of Fallout 3. The Vault Dweller sports an armoured vault suit similar to the one in the third game, and is seen alongside the best friend of the wanderer, the newest incarnation of Dogmeat. Power armour is seen within the garage that is presumably the Vault Dweller’s base of operations (one of them, at least), and it seems to be under repair. Other characters in the trailer don the heavy gear previously worn by wasteland heavyweights the Brotherhood of Steel, and Vertibirds appear to be quite plentiful in this region and time period of post-apocalyptia. The deathclaw, the most feared creature of the wasteland, also makes an appearance, looking more fearsome than ever. A controversial aspect of the content released is the voice of the character at the end of the trailer, teasing perhaps that the player will be voiced throughout all dialogue in the game.
The scope of the locations seen in these brief shots is exciting, however, as post-apocalyptic Boston seems to be filled with life. Towers reach into the air, cities sprawl over the wasteland, and there’s even a shot of an airship combing the skies. It sets the scene for an immense adventure.
It will be available for next-gen consoles only, so players on the 360, PS3 and with less powerful computers will miss out. The audience is already criticising the quality of the graphics, especially since it’s a next-gen game. Will this be a major factor upon release? It’s unlikely given the reputation for immersion and plot that the series has.
See the high-res trailer screenshots on Bethesda’s blog, and the first 4K image, filled with juicy easter eggs to search for.
