5 Things We’d Like To See In Fallout 4

How does a game with such an unbearably grim setting manage to be quite so captivating? Just check out the first trailer for Fallout 4 above, as it aptly demonstrates how this Bethesda series has managed to glue a global audiences' eyes to TV screens ever since the release of the first installment (which ran through MS-DOS) back in 1997. Almost twenty years later, the post-apocalyptic open-world game has managed to generate an astounding amount of buzz amid the gaming community, with fans all over the world salivating at the prospect of another multifaceted, scrupulous dive into the grim, merciless world of a country ravaged by nuclear war. At We Got This Covered, we're just about as excited as anyone for the release of Fallout 4, and we've put our heads together to think up five things that we'd like to see in the new entry. The world premiere of the game is set to take place during the E3 Expo on June 14th, and only then might we be able to see if any of these additions are likely to come to fruition. 5) A Peek Into The Pre-War Setting If the eerie, creepy trailer that popped up on YouTube a few days ago is anything to go by, it looks as though we may get a peep at the world of Fallout before the nuclear blast obliterated everything in its path. Relief from the dank, grey scenery of the series is temporarily granted in the trailer as we’re guided through a typical home that flickers to and fro between pre-war and post-war setting. Viewers are even made witnesses to the horrified reactions of citizens who shield their eyes from the piercing, orange glow in the distance when the catastrophe strikes. Of course, what makes the Fallout games so hypnotizingly horrifying is the sense of dark mystery that hangs like an ominous cloud above the moldering site below, but having a quick look into the final moments of the world before disaster struck could really prove to be a thoroughly intriguing experience. Maybe we’ll even get to play some pre-war stuff, and discover an even bigger, fuller world in which to immerse ourselves in. Oh, and it looks like we’ve got confirmation of that rumored Boston setting too, with landmarks such as the Bunker Hill Monument and Scollay Square briefly visible amid the pandemonium of the remainder of the trailer. 4) Improved Graphics The pink pinches of pigmentation lying on the horizon in the Fallout 4 trailer seem to suggest that we may be in for a slightly less sickly-colored setting than with previous installments, and whilst the teaser seemed to indicate that the graphics weren’t quite flawless, it’d be great to have an improvement on the glitches of New Vegas. Ghosting your way through solid rock and becoming trapped in the wasteland whilst the rest of the game obliviously raged on without you was never a fun experience, but one can only hope that these kinds of glitches have been wiped out for the next entry. Another nice addition in terms of graphics might also be the inclusion of some complex weather conditions that force the player to scramble for shelter. The sprinkle of nuclear ash or lash of acid rain could really inject some panic and excitement into otherwise ordinary gameplay moments, serving to help players out in certain situations and severely endanger them on other occasions. 3) Vehicles Previous Fallout entries created some stirring tension as you trudged through the wide open space of the Wasteland – especially during the dead of nuclear night-time. Even with the red specks floating around on your corner map, you could never really tell what might be about to pop up from around the corner. Many Fallout players love drifting aimlessly through desert spaces stretching as far as the eye can see, whereas others find the initial journey from one map location to another an exhausting process, begging for the fast-travel option to emerge every single dangerous step of the way. There have been arguments to suggest that the introduction of vehicles into the game might eradicate this tense, tough nature of the plod through the wilderness, but the addition of motors might actually have some great benefits. Bounteous thought goes into these games and their post nuclear war setting, and the fact that elements like fuel and working car parts would be extremely rare isn't likely to bypass the creators. Having vehicles sustain heavy damage when whooshing through wasteland spaces, making sure that they require huge amounts of rare fuel, and also introducing the concept of having to find a character in the game who is the post-apocalyptic equivalent of a mechanic could all be ways to include vehicles without turning Fallout into a dystopian racer resembling Death Race 2000. At We Got This Covered, we’ve found that what’s always been so invigorating about the Fallout series is the consistently expansive range of game-playing options that are offered up. Vehicles could simply be another great option, with driveability capped depending on difficulty levels and perhaps even included as part of downloadable content. If not vehicles, how about the addition of mutant mounts? Riding into a crumbling town high aboard a scaly-skinned, wild-eyed horse might be pretty fun after all... 2) Advanced Karma System With Real Consequences Remember in Fallout 3 when you blew up Megaton, suffered bad karma, but eventually wheedled your reputation back up again through performing a series of menial tasks that only a good person would do? That’s like the real world equivalent of picking off a series of innocent bystanders with a sniper rifle but giving a homeless man ten bucks the next day to compensate. Karma doesn’t work quite as simply and easily as previous Fallout entries have suggested. If you blow up an entire city and have caused mass genocide, you really ought to be vilified by certain groups for life, even in a world as cold and merciless as pre-apocalyptic Boston. This “you’ve made your bed now lie in it” style of advanced karma could be an excellent addition to the game. Also, it’d be good to see the karmic creases ironed out. In previous entries, coldly slaying a Raider wouldn’t harm your angelic reputation, yet pick-pocketing their belongings from a campsite or locker inexplicably would. Having an advanced karma system that works consistently and has real consequences could help to make Fallout 4 the kind of incredible game that it so readily has the potential to be. 1) New Enemies & Companions One of the most fascinating and heart-pounding aspects about playing the Fallout series first-time around was stumbling through unfamiliar territory and spotting something utterly horrifying charging towards you from a distance. The moment where you enter VATS mode to take a good, long look at this mutated being was often enough to send your jaw drooping to the floor whilst you muttered some shock-induced profanity. What exactly is that thing? The devastating effects of radiation have the potential to create pretty much anything, essentially giving the creators a free pass to come up with some of the most startling creatures yet. The post-nuclear war setting of Fallout offers a rich plethora of mutated beings, and the series’ wasteland area has been characteristically speckled with all kinds of terrifying beasts over the years. Basically, what we’re hoping for at We Got This Covered is for even more imagination in this area. The more you played New Vegas, the more tiring it became repeatedly running into a flock of Cazadores or school of surly Super Mutants. Fresh, new, terrifying creatures for Fallout 4 would be brilliant, and I have a strong feeling that we might just get them. Fallout fans are divided on the presence of companion characters, but again, as long as having a post-nuclear partner is merely an option as opposed to a choice forced upon you, then marching through the lonely wasteland with an associate by your side from time to time sounds good to us. In the same vein as with the enemies, it’d be great to see an entirely new breed of companions – associates who are wildly complex, unpredictable and may not have your back the whole time unless you talk to them in the right way.