COLOGNE, Germany—Once you've built up the kind of reputation and fan base enjoyed by Fallout it can become difficult, if not impossible, to make any significant changes without causing a backlash of apocalyptic proportions. The more popular a franchise gets, the less room there is to take creative risks and rock the boat, such is the curse of success.
Fallout 4, from what I've seen, is an apt demonstration of this. Its approach is one of enhancing past successes, rather than exploring new directions. Perks, shooting, levelling up, and exploration have all been boosted in some way, but only within the predefined boundaries that the audience already understands. This direction is not necessarily good or bad—it all comes down to how much you value iteration over innovation, and of course, how entertaining the thing is in the first place.
Despite the similarities, things do look more streamlined in Fallout 4 than in the past. For instance, firing weapons should be much more manageable than it was in Fallout 3. While V.A.T.S. (Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System) is still a major part of the game—allowing you to pause the real-time combat, but at the expense of action points—you no longer need it to perform a well-aimed shot at an enemy's point of vulnerability. The new down-the-sights aiming does a better job of replicating the feel of a first-person shooter within Fallout's staunch RPG design.
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