14 DAY TRIAL // Without a doubt, one of the most important things that happened last week in terms of gaming was the reveal of the first gameplay trailer of Fallout 4, the new post-apocalyptic role-playing game from Bethesda.
A huge amount of rumors and speculation preceded it and lots of heated discussions came afterwards. While most fans are quite excited about the new RPG, a key point that has sparked a fair bit of controversy is the quality of its visuals.
Fallout 4's visuals look good
First up, my own judgment on the Fallout 4 visuals, after seeing the compressed YouTube video: they look pretty good.
They aren't blowing me away, like the ones in Dragon Age: Inquisition or even The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, but bear in mind that this is a Fallout game that has a less realistic visual style that doesn't strive to cross the uncanny valley and produce picture perfect graphics.
What's more, Bethesda should be congratulated for showcasing in-game footage right from the get-go, eschewing the traditional cinematic trailer or, what's worse, the presentation of an in-engine sequence that's rendered on an immensely powerful PC.
Already quite a few games have fallen in this latter trap, chief among which are Watch Dogs or The Witcher 3. They both got absolutely stellar in-engine videos and then went on to spark a huge outrage when the end result didn't exactly live up to the standards set by the original trailers.
The graphics can only get better, especially on PC
What's also important is that there are still plenty of months separating us from the rumored fall of 2015 release of Fallout 4. Moreover, Bethesda doesn't have to worry about meeting deadlines so it can easily push back that launch if the sprawling RPG doesn't live up to its own internal quality standards.
There are still plenty of optimization processes that can be made and you can bet that the studio is being helped out by the remaining veterans from id Software or other Bethesda-owned companies.
PC users in particular can rest easy, provided Bethesda once again allows modders to go deep into its game and produce all sorts of new things. There are still visual mods launching today for Bethesda's previous game, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, which make the old RPG look phenomenal even in comparison to current releases.
You can be sure that the huge modding community will start right from the get-go to improve and tweak Fallout 4 in all sorts of ways, from new textures to filters, post-processing presets, and so on. As such, you'll be able to make Fallout 4 look even better.
Unfortunately, PS4 and Xbox One owners won't be able to partake in this improvement given the closed nature of those devices and the grueling limits imposed by Microsoft and Sony.
Let's wait until E3 2015 and launch
In conclusion, let's not worry, at least for now, about Fallout 4's visuals. Let's wait for Bethesda's own E3 2015 press conference, where a live gameplay demonstration will certainly take place. So just like with The Witcher 3, let's wait until the game's final version is released to make a judgment on the graphics presented by Fallout 4.
Until then, as with practically all games nowadays, don't pre-order or pre-purchase based on just the tiniest sliver of information. Wait until you're closer to launch before investing in a game that may or may not live up to your own personal expectations. It's the safest option, both for your feelings and for your wallet. If you still like what you're seeing ahead of launch or on release day, treat yourself to something that will cause you pleasure.
