No Level Cap
Earlier this week, Bethesda revealed that Fallout 4 will have no level cap. That means you’ll be able to play and improve your vault dweller however you see fit while exploring the beautifully rendered Boston wasteland. To make matters even better, you can even continue to level up and play long after the main story has been completed. No more worrying about whether or not you’ll be able to max out your skills before the game ends, leaving you to have to start all over.
It’s a nice touch for players who like entrench themselves in the world and don’t want to be tied down by a story. Want to be the strongest in the wasteland? Or, perhaps the most cunning? Go right ahead. The world is yours.
Better Shooting
Even die-hard fans of the Fallout series won’t fight you too much on the fact that previous games didn’t exactly have the best shooting. Stiff, clunky, and way too reliant on the VATS system, the shooting left much to be desired for those who wanted nothing more than to go toe-to-toe with the wasteland’s inhabitants. Fallout 4 addresses this.
Shooting will be much more fluid, with responsive weapons that are fun to shoot. Enemies respond much more naturally to you and your attacks, adding a deeper sense of realism to each encounter. Of course, VATS is still here to pull you out of a tight spot, and it works even better than before, as the game smoothly transitions between standard combat and the slowed-down VATS system. We’ve never looked forward to encountering bandits more than now.
Fallout 4 Was Apparently Built With Forever in Mind
Alright, this was revealed a little before Gamescom, but it’s such an impressive detail, we’re gonna include it anyways.
Even after 400 hours of gameplay, players will still be able to find new, interesting things out in Boston’s wasteland. Think about that for a second. 400 hours equals 16 days of straight gaming. While a game that allows you to find 400 hours of fun isn’t unheard of (myself and Managing Editor Ed Mcglone are dangerously close to that in Destiny), not many games provide new experiences after reaching that benchmark.
While most games provide a cycle of grinding in order to convince you to dump in more and more hours, Fallout 4‘s approach is a breath of fresh air. This is especially impressive since players will need activities after the story ends. Fallout 4 is definitely making all of the right moves.
Perk System Has Been Revamped
Fallout 4 still has its Vault Boy illustrated perk system, so fans of the series fearing too big a change needn’t worry. But, the system has been revamped to allow much more meaning and flexibility to the whole affair. For each point you put into either of the stats on your S.P.E.C.I.A.L. tree, you will receive a skill or perk. Each of these can subsequently be upgraded, providing over 200 different possible perks and skills.
When you tie this in with the fact that there is no level cap, what you have is Fallout 4 offering true freedom to players. Yes, you will still have to make the difficult choices of what to invest in first, and in a way this adds more pressure to the fun of deciding. But, players will know that the possible combinations and variations are insane in all of the best possible ways.
Bigger Battles
Now that Fallout 4 has better shooting, more skills, and tons of activities, it’s only right that the game ups the challenge in regards to battles. Get ready to participate in some truly epic encounters as you deal with mutants, ghouls, bandits, deadly vehicles and more. The best part? Sometimes you’ll face all of these at once.
To help add to the intensity of each battle, players will be able to call for backup to add some much needed firepower to their side of things. There are also tons of new weapons and customizations to keep in mind. These will add unique ways to decimate your foes on a large scale. Considering that even some of the larger battles in Fallout 3 felt a bit simple, this is definitely a welcome addition to the series.
Are you excited for Fallout 4? Did you pre-order once it was announced? What is your favorite new mechanic/feature/thing coming to the game? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.
