Emil Pagliarulo, a lead designer on the project, noted the steep learning curve: “As a studio, Bethesda hadn’t touched gun combat in ages. Developing those systems from scratch was an immense undertaking.” He admitted, “While Oblivion was defined by melee, Fallout shifted the focus to ranged encounters. We were realistic about our limitations; we knew we weren’t going to produce a mechanical shooter that could rival the precision of Call of Duty or Battlefield.”
Ultimately, the Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System (VATS) proved to be a masterstroke. It compensated for the era’s somewhat stiff shooting mechanics—which Bethesda would later refine in Fallout 4—while maintaining the tactical depth of the original isometric games. By allowing players to target specific limbs, it preserved the RPG spirit and prevented the experience from becoming a generic action title.
Read more: Todd Howard hints at unannounced Fallout projects currently in development.
