“Fallout 4” was one of the most anticipated games of 2016. There was so much hype around it, that a few days before its release, the internet was flooded by jokes of people calling in sick for a whole week and the world’s economy collapsing. Now, the “Fallout 4” VR is boasting to reach even further levels, to becoming the “Mario or Sonic” of the VR industry.
Road to VR reports that the VR version of “Fallout 4” will be released in June 2017. In June 2016, Bethesda’s official blog announced that “Fallout 4” VR will arrive in 12 months or less. Since then, the company has kept silent on the project, with the exclusion of Bethesda executive producer Todd Howard sharing that this game will not be just a snippet or a short adventure, but the whole product, all of “Fallout 4” translated into VR. Even though this is a pretty good promise, there are some major issues with it that need to be discussed.
Reviewers of CNET had the opportunity to try the official “Fallout 4” VR experience, back in E3, 2016. There it was a small snippet, where the player had a single gun, the opportunity to rummage through the pip-boy and a few enemies to shoot. It was not much different from other experiences offered due to the biggest problem with VR headsets, that is the motion sickness. When the eyes see that the body is moving, but it stays in place at the same time, it creates a dissonance in the brain, which leads to the player feeling sick. Promising the full “Fallout 4” experience includes the free travel through the wastes and unless Bethesda has discovered a way to get through it, it will be a tough promise to keep. Another problem is the sheer render value. Even though modern PCs can keep up with it, a lot of the consoles suffer from stuttering and tearing when trying to render bigger worlds in the VR.
AMD’s corporate vice president Roy Taylor has made the strongest claims about Bethesda project. GameRant shares a statement by Taylor, who claims that the game will be a groundbreaking, mind-numbing world turning experience, which will change the world of VR gaming as we know it. He has gone as far as to claim that the “Fallout 4” VR will be the “Mario and Sonic” of VR technology. Is this just empty corporate speech, based on the expectation of sales, or truly a groundbreaking title? “Fallout 4” VR will be released in June 2017 or sooner.
