Share via:
-
The solution was VATS, a system that promised to bridge the gap between action and statistics, yet it introduced its own “formidable technical hurdles.” Pely admitted that for a long time, the team was plagued by doubt, wondering if the mechanic was truly engaging or if players would bother using it at all. One of the most difficult obstacles was camera placement; Bethesda eventually had to engineer a custom algorithm to ensure the cinematic viewpoint didn’t clip through walls or get snagged on the environment during slow-motion sequences. Perfecting the system was such an exhaustive endeavor that it was finalized only moments before the game was ready for shipment.
Ultimately, those internal anxieties were misplaced. While VATS might not appeal to every type of player, it has become an indispensable pillar of the Fallout identity. Bethesda’s versatility in alternating between sci-fi and fantasy has also proven remarkably successful. After Fallout 3 came Skyrim, followed by a return to the wasteland in Fallout 4. Although Fallout 76 and Starfield have kept the studio focused on futuristic horizons recently, the impending arrival of The Elder Scrolls 6 signals a return to their traditional fantasy roots.
Fallout remains a legendary fixture on our definitive list of the greatest RPGs ever created.
