In a development that has shocked no one anywhere, early press release copies of Fallout 4 are being played and the proverbial beans are being spilled. It’s going to be hard for even the most casual of fans to avoid seeing something Fallout 4 related for the next week, much less stay spoiler free. However, in an effort to satisfy both the spoiler-ok and spoiler-free fans, we’ll do our best to report on what’s coming out without ruining too much. We’ll provide links to relevant wiki pages for those who want to dig deeper. Here are some highlights:

Perk Chart Is 100% Revealed

We now have a name and description for every one of the Perks and their corresponding Ranks. Check out the wiki pages for both of those for an in depth look at what to expect. There appears to be a signifcant amount of impact and heft to each perk and rank, making the choices a powerful decision.

No Hardcore Mode

Expected by many to be a standard feature of the vanilla game, hardcore is not a part of the new entry. The present difficulty modes are as follows:

• Very Easy
• Easy
• Normal
• Hard
• Survival

We’re not 100% sure what the details of Survival mode are, and how it differs from a Hardcore mode. We can probably expect a mod in the future to rectify this omission.

Settlements Are A Key Feature

Settlements are a robust addition to the game. Although not mandatory, they are said to provide the player with very worthwhile rewards if properly managed. They are persistent, so even if you are overcome by an attack, all you lose is people. The objects and buildings you place will always remain, so no need to worry about losing all of your hard work.

The game world itself is also predictably massive and populous. No confirmation on exactly how large but on par with what we were expecting. The locations aren’t all shanty towns either, there are some massive and populated urban areas to explore.

Voice Acting

The much discussed dialogue is present, with the entire system overall earning positive reviews. Conversations play out a bit differently, with more dynamic views of both participants (similar to Mass Effect).

Gear

Some notes about weapons and armor in the game:

• Combat feels redesigned according to players. It feels more like a traditional shooter, fleshed out with the tactical VATS element.
• Mods are numerous, with one weapon able to be transformed into dozens of different guns.
• Radiation is confirmed as a new damage type.
• Power Armor now behaves like a vehicle than an armor you wear constantly. You need a consumable Fusion Core to power it. While wearing it, your carrying weight and resistances go up, you can enter buildings and sprint and jump. Movement speed is slowed some.

We’ll keep adding more updates as more is revealed. One of the best ways to stay on top of what is getting entered  is by keeping on eye on the Recent Changes section of the wiki. New NPCs, Quests and more are going to be added daily.

Hype Train is basically off the rails at this point, this is one of the most anticipated games of all time. Get your time off, food and beverage situation squared away shortly, it’s going to be a long, irradiated party. The bombs on your social life drop next Tuesday, November 10th.

Visit the Fallout 4 Wiki

More Game News