Fall Ahead

The new Fallout looks a lot like the old Oblivion, but how does it play?
8/1/2008 5:11 PM | 3 Comments | Page 2 of 5

Crispy Gamer: What about the gameplay -- what new stuff have you added or changed this time around?

Hines: Much of the basic gameplay systems and character systems are still there: SPECIALs, skills, perks, XP-based leveling up, etc. We've spent a lot of time working on the quests, characters, and dialogue in the game to have it match up with the tone of the original games. It's still a "go where you want, do what you want" game, which is, of course, what we like making. But the game is played in first- or third-person, rather than the isometric view of the originals. The combat is also different; it's a mix of real-time and this new paused mode, called VATS, where you spend action points queuing up attacks and then watch it play out using a special camera system. Our goal was to capture as much of the originals as possible while still trying some new things we think will add to the experience.

Crispy Gamer: How much of the decision to give this game both a first- and third-person perspective was influenced by the success, creative and commercial, of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion?

Hines: It was certainly a factor, but we simply felt it was the best way to immerse the player in this universe. You aren't looking at your character from sixty feet up and from the top of buildings. You're down on the streets, right there in the midst of it all. We felt it was a much more powerful way to connect to the world you've been thrust into.

Crispy Gamer: Can you switch perspectives in the middle of the game, and if so, is there an advantage to doing so? Like is combat easier in first-person but getting around easier in third-person?

Hines: You can switch at any time and it's really more about your playing style. Some folks simply prefer one way over the other. The camera in third-person can be moved around, zoomed in and out, so you can tweak it to get the perspective you most enjoy.

Crispy Gamer: Do you have a personal preference between first- and third-person perspective, at least for this game?

Hines: First. Just feels much more immersive seeing the world through my character's eyes.

Crispy Gamer: In a way, the game seems like it's going to be a first- or third-person shooter but with deep RPG elements. Am I wrong?

Hines: It is a deep RPG with shooter elements. How to handle combat doesn't define the game. Just because you're holding a gun and shooting at things doesn't make it a shooter, although some people are going to see it that way, which is okay. If you decide to play the game because it looks like a fun shooter, we don't mind. Whatever reasons you have for giving it a try, we hope there is enough compelling gameplay to make you want to keep playing. You may not buy it because of the quests or dialogue, but if you play the game and end up really enjoying the game for those things, where's the harm in that?

Ultimately, what makes Fallout 3 somewhat unique is that the game is all about what your character can do, which is decided by you. What you want to be good at, what kinds of things you want to do. Those choices will affect your overall experience and how you decide to play the game, but there's nothing wrong with getting in a big fight with some Super Mutants and having a great time running around blowing things up. Many really good RPGs have quite a bit of combat to them, so we might as well make that as fun as it can be.