Take a revolutionary, genre-defining series of games. Put it into legal and developmental limbo for a decade or so as the rights get juggled around like a hot potato. Then try to update it for a new generation of hardware and players as an obsessive, tight-knit group of fans watches your every move.
No pressure, right?
Since Bethesda Softworks got the rights and started work on the next Fallout game in 2004, Executive Producer Todd Howard has been well aware of the expectations bearing down on him and his team. "The myth of Fallout has grown over those years that people haven't played it," he said at a demonstration of the game at the company's Maryland offices. "I think the game is great, but each year it gets better and better and better in people's minds. I'm not saying the game isn't awesome, but it's that myth of it. ... I think the expectations for Fallout 3 came back in a big way."
So does the early build of the game live up to the lofty expectations? Continue reading to find out.
Well, it's somewhat nigh. In fact, it's very close to almost bordering on the status of being considered nigh. If the just released teaser trailer for Bethesda's foray into a world wrecked by nuclear catastrophe is any indication, Fallout 3 is set to leak out of a suspicious cannister in Fall 2008. Alright, so not particularly nigh then.
The trailer (which is currently creating a bandwidth apocalypse on Bethesda's site) doesn't give away much along the lines of gameplay, but provides some assurances that obliterated cityscapes and dilapidated vehicles will be completely represented in all their glorious, err, incompleteness. Perhaps Fallout's new caretakers really do care about the revered RPG franchise.
Bethesda's Pete Hines even cares enough to offer some answers to questions you were just about to ask: The trailer is in-engine, those are the Ink Spots you hear and yes, that's Ron Perlman's gravelly voice.
Given the miasma of secrecy emanating from Bethesda's Fallout 3 camp, many fans of the post-apocalyptic RPG franchise have expressed concern over its impending return. Will it be Morrowind with Mutants? Final Fantasy with Freaks? Short of naming Liam Neeson as the game's father figure, the Elder Scroll-keepers have barely offered up any information regarding the nature of the game, a situation which has ardent followers worried.
Enter Todd Howard, Fallout 3's self-proclaimed "person-in-charge." Responding to fans in a "Meet the developers" thread on Bethesda's forums, Howard provides a lengthy and heartfelt commentary on the developer's thoughtful approach to the game... without giving anything away. "To say we care about Fallout would be an epic understatement," says Howard. "We are excited/humbled to be the ones to bring it back. I know we don't have all the right answers, or the one's you would make when it comes to how it should be or look. We can only do what we think is right and what makes us the most excited, and that's what we've done. We've left no stone unturned in trying to find Fallout's 'soul', but those decisions are ours, not yours. I just hope you give the game a look and decide if that soul is there for you."
Though fans will surely focus their attentions on more specific items once the game is fully unveiled, Howard's sentiments provide interesting insight into a developer tasked with meeting expectations within an established and loved universe. He likens Fallout 3development to the adoption of a child which one steadily grows to love -- 7 glowing arms and all. We're sure to see more of the game "very soon."
Though our schoolyard arguments and childish vendettas have long since shifted to the blogosphere, we have always been profoundly confident in our father's ability to physically lay waste to your meager sack of paternal meat. In other words, we thought our dad could beat up your dad. That is, until we learned today that your dad is, in fact, Liam Neeson. Bethesda Softworks has announced that the famous actor and thespian will act out and, err, thesp the role of your father in post-apocalyptic RPG, Fallout 3.
Our father stands little chance against the might of the man who trained Batman, gave Darth Vader his training wheels, exhaustively researched sexuality and is destined to become the president of the United States. Neeson's also "absolutely amazing to work with," according to Fallout 3's executive producer, Todd Howard. "This role was written with Liam in mind, and provides the dramatic tone for the entire game."
Neeson, who hopefully survives a bit longer than Patrick Stewart did in Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, adds that it was a pleasure sharing his voice with Bethesda and that he hopes "the fans of the franchise and the game will be excited by the results." If not, we'll just have to beat up your father ourselves.
Bethesda has issued an
official statement addressing the ESRB's decision to change Oblivion's rating from Teen to Mature. The developer will not
contest the change, but insists that a "full, accurate, and comprehensive" report of Oblivion's
content was submitted to the ESRB before the game's release. That report included a 60-page document that detailed all
"explicit language, acts, and scenes in the game."
Bethesda's report did not list nudity
because "[there] is no nudity in Oblivion without a third party modification." The existence of
topless heroines is not a result of unlockable content, but rather, a result of third party tools used to modify the
game's art archive. With that said, it's difficult to justify the ESRB's decision to include "nudity" as part
of the PC version's explicit content.
Bethesda also confirms that there will not be a recall, nor will the
game's content be changed in order to retain the Teen rating. Instead, future copies will be printed with Mature rating
labels, and M-rated stickers will be applied to all existing unsold copies of Oblivion.
Note: Both
the PC and Xbox 360 versions of Oblivion have been re-rated.
If you haven't heard enough about the ladies of Oblivion
recently, this tidbit is an interesting look at gender and gaming. While the female characters manage to score bonus
points on the "lack of scantily clad armour" scale, it seems that there are some inherent gender-based stat
advantages under certain circumstances.
Gamers with Jobs have spoken to Bethesda about the perceived gender
bias, and it seems that the differences are subtle, designed so that players have more choice when it comes to
gameplay. While it may seem a little old-fashioned for male Redguards to have a higher strength, while females have a
higher personality, the balance is all in the name of game diversity. For anyone wishing to experience the game free of
any gender concerns, there's already a mod which equalises stats
irrespective of gender.
Following a four month delay, Bethesda Softworks has finally delivered Elder Scrolls IV:
Oblivion, and the gaming press is abuzz with marathon review sessions. As
usual, the TeamXbox coverage reads more like a tutorial, but that's fine for a game as deep and meticulous as
Oblivion. You'll want to read every word.
Credit Bethesda for maintaining their cool and keeping
the fan base in the loop with frequent developer chats and previews. It appears the extra effort has paid
off, resulting in a worthy successor to Morrowind.
With God of War-like ratings,
Oblivion is sure to contend for game of the year honors.
Yahoo! Games
(100/100) was instantly addicted ("The only problem with Oblivion is putting it
down"), and spent plenty of time taking in the scenery: "Screenshots don't do this engine justice -- seeing
it in motion will impress the most jaded of gamers. Sumptuously detailed and full of vivid, rich color, it puts even
the most graphically detailed of FPSs to shame, let alone the rest of its typically drab genre."
GameSpot
(96/100) compliments Bethesda's attention to replay value: "The many types of gameplay in
Oblivion are well-designed and deeply satisfying, even when taken on their own. That's the main difference
between this game and Morrowind. This may be a role-playing game, but you could play it like a pure action
game, or like a stealth game, or like an adventure game, and it'd still be at least as good, if not better, than games
that are specialized in these regards."
TeamXbox
(95/100) enjoyed the customization and level progression: "Although the amount of options
provided when creating a character not only amazed us, it tops our list of favorite features. The way in which a
character’s skills and abilities are increased works great for the experience, and we found ourselves not having
to worry about what level we were, as it seemed to naturally move up as our quest evolved."
IGN (93/100) suggests the game will appeal to
both hardcore and newbs alike: "Once outside the initial dungeon, you'll start to understand just how massive
Oblivion's world really is. Opportunities for new quests and stories are everywhere, and there's no pressure
as to which path you should follow. Thanks to the map, journal and fast travel system, it's way easier to follow a path
once you pick one."
