Fallout 76: 8 Mechanics Fallout 4 Ditched That Must Return

Fallout 4 can be considered a massive evolution in the series. Its focus on moment-to-moment gameplay, scavenging and some engaging shooting mechanics may be controversial in the eyes of some, but no one can argue it doesn't create an exhilarating experience. That said, a lot of people criticise the game for simply not being "Fallout-y" enough.

It's a valid criticism, as the RPG mechanics of previous games have obviously been toned back, but a lot of previous mechanics also had the axe. In the name of streamlining, a lot of minute and somewhat necessary mechanics to the Fallout experience were lacking in Fallout 4.

Some of those mechanics are understandable considering the direction that the game was going, but a lot of them are genuinely baffling, as they would have actively improved the game overall.

Going forward there's no point belabouring what could have been. Instead, let's focus on what could be.

With Fallout 76 around the corner, Bethesda could create an incredible experience if they simply revisited their roots, reviving some discarded ideas and bringing them into their new vision for the series.

This one is a little debatable, hence it's position on the list, but the complete removal of the skill-levelling system from Fallout 3 and New Vegas crippled any sense of progression the game had to offer. Not having any incentive to develop your own skills made the game feel a little... hollow.

Every character you made was a carbon copy of the last, with there being no need to specialise. You no longer had to commit to lockpicking in order to get into tough safes, and instead simply chucked a couple of the incredibly disposable perk points into the perk tree.

The perks in Fallout 4 were largely circumstantial, and had little to no impact on the way the game was played, or how the player interacted with it. A lot of fans hated the fact there was no point in the game where their choices in character creation mattered. No skill checks or anything.

The system in Fallout 3 and New Vegas already incorporated the perk system from Fallout 4 in a way, so returning to the skill system seems like a pretty easy implementation. It would certainly make repeat playthroughs more enjoyable.