Bethesda explains why Fallout 4’s graphics had to be dialed back

Graphics may not be everything, but good-looking graphics are still nice. That’s why many gamers were understandably upset that Fallout 4, while still looking gorgeous, doesn’t seem to have the same level of graphics that we’ve come to expect from recent games. Bethesda’s massive RPGs have always been this way, and the company has explained that the reason for this is that, when building a game as complex and in-depth as Fallout 4, certain things have to be sacrificed, which in this case means eye-searing graphics. 

Fallout 4 has been criticised for not being mind-blowingly beautiful pretty much since the debut trailer confirmed its existence earlier this month. The RPG’s E3 2015 showing was demonstrated Bethesda’s ambitious upgrades to gameplay, most notably extensive crafting, customisation and base building systems – but not the super-shiny graphics some fans had hoped for. Speaking at an E3 2015 round table, as reported by Gamespot, Bethesda’s Pete Hines said the developer elected to focus on new and interesting gameplay rather than eye candy. “Everything that we do is a balance. We could make the best looking game possible, but we dial some of that back in order to allow for all of these other things,” he said. Hines also said that no other game allows for the level of object interactivity as Fallout 4. It’s probably worth mentioning that Fallout 4 is still pretty fancy when compared to Fallout 3, of course, and that Bethesda is aiming to make the world a more visually interesting place.