Fallout 4 will introduce a dynamic weather system to the series, alongside a renewed fondness for color. The details are in Bethesda’s latest expository video, aptly titled “Why Details Matter.”
“There is different weather,” project lead Todd Howard said. “We actually have a part of the world we call the Glowing Sea, which is where the bomb falls. That looks more like your classic Fallout 3 wasteland, but even more so. We have a new weather system for [Fallout 4], so that the storms from the glowing sea, these radiation storms, can flare up and then blow through the world.”
Aside from creating the threat of irradiating lightning, the Glowing Sea also underscores Bethesda’s intent to distance themselves from the environmental “sameness” that defined Fallout 3. With Fallout 4, the team is leaning on color for world-building and environment design, aiming to pepper the world’s disrepair with attention-grabbing highlights.
Many of these innovations can be attributed to the added horsepower and creative freedom of newer systems. In particular, Howard said, memory is key to Fallout 4.
“[With more memory] we can make a world that has, not just more detail, but more dynamic detail that we can keep track of and stream in and load quicker. All of that suspends your disbelief that this is a real world, so that when something happens—a Deathclaw comes busting through—it’s that much more real.”
Howard’s latest comments are very much in line with Bethesda VP Pete Hines’ earlier claims that Fallout 4 prioritizes player freedom over graphics. The team is implementing some impressive lighting and texture updates, but also keeping interaction and agency at the forefront.
Source [BethesdaNet]
