(originally published 10th January 2016 on DVS Gaming)
Since the release of Fallout 4 the gaming community has complained that the role playing aspect has failed when compared to previous Fallout games. It has also failed when compared to the entire RPG genre.
One of the biggest complaints about the overhauled SPECIAL system is that it doesn’t seem to have much of an effect on the storyline or how the sole survivor interacts with another character. For example, having a large amount of points in charisma may initially allow the sole survivor to talk their way out of a fight but it seems like an alternative means to an almost exact same ending. It’s as if the SPECIAL points were distributed elsewhere. Traits and skills have been removed from the game, which many players consider a “dumbing down” of the game play. Perks also seem too simplified.
In Fallout 4 the player is given this “perfect life” with the white picket fence and not a care in the world. The sole survivor’s pre-apocalyptic career is even picked out for the player, either an army veteran for the husband or a lawyer for the wife, guaranteeing the sole survivor and their family a place in Vault 111. From the beginning of the story, the player feels like they are forced down a specific path. Ironically Fallout 4‘s story gets in the way of it being a true RPG.
However, if a player wishes to be “evil”, villainous acts are either strangely ignored by the game’s characters, or they just feel out of place in the storyline. Companion affinity replaces karma and faction systems from previous Fallout games. This can sometimes end up becoming frustrating for players who wish to role play as anything other than “good”, as most companions are not tolerant of villainous behavior. Even if a companion was to be disapprove of all of the sole survivors actions, doing something simple that they like (for example putting on Power Armour) appears to quickly increase the player’s approval rating. It’s as if they completely forgot that the player slaughtered an entire town for no reason.
Bizarrely, in a game that forces the player into being good, it also forces to the player to kill a lot of people. There appears to be a lot of angry people in the wasteland, prepared to kill the sole survivor. Rarely is there the opportunity beforehand to diffuse the situation or use your SPECIAL statistics. Other than characters relating to the main storyline, it is literally kill or be killed. Worse still, the sole survivor becomes an “accidental hero” being offered the role of General of the Minutemen within the first hour of game play.
The Brotherhood of Steel are no better, with Paladin Danse showering the sole survivor with praise, regardless of his actions. All that’s required for him to see the player as the perfect Knight is to complete a couple of jobs. The fact that these jobs are offered so quickly and the characters express how noble and good the sole survivor is, shatters the illusion for the player that may be role playing as a villain.
The dialogue system seems to be lacking conversing options with characters in the game. There is a good response or a sarcastic good response. Unless the player just kills the character, there aren’t inherently evil acts to do. There’s also a lack of options in the responses given during character interaction. In the dialogue sequence with Piper in Diamond City for example, there is no option to ignore her questions when she interviews you .
Fallout 4 appears more like an open world first person shooter with a half-decent storyline, as opposed to a true RPG. The game play feels particularly restrictive, forcing the player to inevitably be the hero of the wastelands. This is in stark contrast with previous Fallout games, such as New Vegas or the RPG genre in general. There seems to be no true “choice” in regards to the direction of the storyline.
Bethesda simplified key role playing aspects to create a product that would easily appeal to a wider audience. It seems that they missed the mark and left out everything that makes a “true” RPG.
Images © Bethesda Softworks 2015
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