Bethesda showed off more of Fallout 4 during Microsoft's E3 2015 press conference. They also revealed that the Xbox One version will have some special extras.
For starters, Fallout 4 will come with a free game: Fallout 3. F3, released back in 2008, was Bethesda's first crack at the franchise. The game mixed the 3D open-world exploration of the Elder Scrolls series with dark humor and lore of Fallout. It took players to the Capitol Wasteland, the post-apocalyptic remains of Washington, D.C.. If you have any interest in Fallout 4, you should really try out its predecessor as well.
The major selling point of PC versions of multiplatform games is modding. PC gamers can download fan-made mods that dramatically change or add the content of the base game. This was a huge advantage for that platform; a game with a strong modding community has almost unlimited replay value. It's tough not to be jealous as a console owner.
However, Fallout 4 will let Xbox One owners in on the fun. Designer Todd Howard said during Microsoft's presser that mods created on PC can be shared and played for no additional charge on XB1. The implication seems to be that you can't design mods on Xbox One but even getting access to others' creations is a huge boon for the console.
The new gameplay Bethesda showed off during the press conference built on their preview from last night. We were able to see a bit more of the game's opening hours. While exploring the town of Concord, the player finds a group of Commonwealth Minutemen under siege by bandits. He finds a nearby laser musket - an accurate energy weapon that must be cranked between shots - and vaporizes the attackers. He then introduces himself to Preston Garvey, the leader of the Minutemen.
To finish off the bandits once and for all, the player recovers a suit of Power Armor and climbs inside. After grabbing a nearby minigun, he begins clearing the streets. Wearing Power Armor is a more dramatic difference than it was in Fallout 3. It allows players to withstand far more damage and even survive a jump off a roof. The armor helps the player defeat not only the bandits but the Deathclaw that unexpectedly crawls out of the sewers.
Fallout 4 will be launching November 10th on Xbox One, PS4 and PC.
