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Much has been said of Fallout 4's graphics prior to its launch. Perhaps the most widely-leveled criticism is that it doesn't look like a 'next-gen' title in every aspect, but part of a line of games born from last-gen development. No doubt, Bethesda is in its element with the sheer scale of its world building - and certain leaps are made on a visual level. But questions were raised ahead of release; is this a true technical successor to Fallout 3? And has the Creation Engine evolved enough to a point where this could only be achieved on current-gen hardware? Having picked the game apart over the last week across PS4, Xbox One and PC, it's fair to say repeat use of the Creation Engine from Skyrim draws a lot of parallels with that game. The sprawling dialogue tree system, the incredible volume to its world, the shifting time of day, use of physics-based items and ragdolls, and even the controller setup are eminently familiar. But new layers are added to the engine overall, giving a sense progress is being made - even if the skeleton of the studio's earlier work rattles underneath.
For a quick memory jog, we also went back to Fallout 3 on PC, maxing out all settings to see the standard Bethesda had to build on for Fallout 4. A generation on, and differences are stark for several reasons, both in art direction and technology. In particular, Fallout 4's biggest selling point is its new, physically-based lighting system - plus a suite of added effects that put it a cut above Bethesda's last effort. A 30fps target is set on PS4 and Xbox One too, keeping it on par with frame-rates in its last-gen titles.
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