For years now, the video game and movie industries have used the death of dogs as a plot device. While the depictions of violence against animals have been rampant in the entertainment industry for years, it has become especially prevalent with the current-gen systems. So when Fallout 4 revealed a dog companion, gamers hoped against hope it would not mean what we think it does.
And thankfully it won't.
Bethesda has confirmed that Dogmeat — as the dog shown in the new trailer is being called — can not die in Fallout 4. Confirmation came by way of the Bethesda Softworks Twitter account, citing Fallout 4 game director Todd Howard as the source, although IGN had a lengthier discussion with him.
From @BethesdaStudios' Todd Howard: Dogmeat cannot die #Fallout4 #BE3 pic.twitter.com/0hSaF42xoD
— Bethesda Softworks (@Bethblog) June 16, 2015
Speaking to IGN, Howard explained, "[The dog] does not die, because we realize that's automatic re-load. We like to make the game where the only scenario where you re-load is your own death. So, like a lot of open world games, they'll have it where 'you failed this mission, go ahead and press "A" to redo it.'"
"We don't ever want to do that. So, we've got to handle all failstates and some of those we have to do like, 'Okay, the dog can't die, because you're just going to re-load.'"
Howard also revealed that having companions in Fallout 4 is entirely up to the player. Like everything else, it's entirely optional. So, you can have a companion with you and it can be the dog, it could be other characters we haven't shown yet," he said. "Or, you could have no companion."
Rest easy, dog lovers. Dogmeat is safe.
Announced this week at E3, Fallout 4 is due out on November 10, 2015.
