Fallout 4: 10 Core Lessons It Must Learn From Skyrim

7. Fix The Melee Combat

One of the biggest criticisms that Fallout 3 received was for its woefully inadequate melee combat system. Given that the Fallout series always grounds itself in a world were a nuclear war has left much of the technology we currently rely on in ruin - and with bullets or other such missiles in short supply - combat with simple melee weapons should be a staple of the survivor's necessary skills. Unfortunately Fallout 3 didn't seem to appreciate this and melee combat was virtually useless as a result. Melee weapons were dull and uninspired and offered virtually no reliable alternative to their ranged counterparts. The striking system itself was also incredibly difficult to get to grips with as well, making any player foolish enough to think they could survive without guns in this game doomed for a grizzly end. In 2011, however, Bethesda's Skyrim came along and offered players a well-constructed melee system that assigned each of the players' hands to a shoulder button in a simple but effective mechanic. Though not always entirely convincing to the eye, this system actually made it feasible for players to develop a successful character to employ melee combat in both first and third-person perspectives. Skyrim further enhances the possibility for melee combat to be a legitimately useful tool through its use of perks that enhance damage and speed, and through the active effects granted from the first minutes of gameplay with the attributes of the various races players can choose their character from. Speaking of which...