Numerous videos and screenshots are now available. Visit the sites linked below for more.


The Fallout series is in a way a descendant of Interplay's 1988 "Wasteland", to which Electronic Arts retains the rights. The Fallout series takes place in a fictional post-holocaust earth inhabited by the "Vault Dwellers" who survived the fallout of the brief but deadly nuclear war of 2077 in meticulously managed underground facilities, and a variety of others who met different fates, which include, of course, mutation.

The series introduces the player to a quest of survival and adventure in an often harsh world of varied cultures, where not quite all that was good of mankind has perished, and the player may determine their own morality, skill and creativity.

Bethesda Software announced in 2004 that they had acquired the rights to produce Fallout 3 and subsequent sequels, though Interplay retained the MMO rights (and in November of 2006 set in motion a process that might lead to the funding and creation of a Fallout MMORPG.)

As of April 12, 2007 Bethesda appears to have purchased the IP to the Fallout franchise outright, as development continues.

Game Features (both known and speculated):

• Bethesda is using the Gamebryo engine, with which they previously produced The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.
• Actor Liam Neeson has been cast for a major voice acting role.
• Bethesda has reportedly acquired the rights to some 20 songs of the 40's and 50's that you might expect to hear over your Pip-Boy 3000 as you wander the wasteland, sometimes receiving broadcasts from a few surviving radio stations.
• RPG elements are at the heart of the Fallout series, and also a staple of Bethesda Software, so it is anticipated that this aspect will remain.
• Open-ended non-linear gameplay is likely.
• Three different perspectives: Isometric, behind the shoulder, and first person.
• Game runs on an evolved version of the Oblivion engine. Third person view has been reworked since the verdict was that the Oblivion version was bad.
• Game starts with your birth and your mother's death in a vault hospital. This is essentially the character customization part of the game. Your father hands you up to have your DNA analyzed and you get to pick out all your character traits. Your dad takes off his mask to reveal similar traits to the ones you picked.
• You grow up in the vault and as you grow you get your first book titled "You're Special" which allows you to choose you baseline stats for each of your 7 primary aptitudes. You'll also get your first weapons and wrist computer (menu) as you get older and take tests to determine the initial layout of your skills and traits.
• Every aspect of character creation is based on S.P.E.C.I.A.L. system. Of your 14 skills you can tag 3 to grow at a faster rate than the rest as you level up.
• Battle system is called the Vault-tec Assisted Targeting System (V.A.T.S.). The article states. "While you'll certainly be able to tackle enemies in real time using first person shooting, V.A.T.S. lets players pause time and select a target at their leisure". Battle system still uses action points, but once you've used them up you'll still be able to fight targets in real time while they charge back up.
• Game is still violent and gory. One of the featured screens is of a guy's head exploding in super gory detail. Apparently all gory deaths in the game will be in slow motion.
• More than one way to play the game. Go balls out and kill people, or sneak past situations, or perhaps talk your way out of situations.
• Enemies can target you just like you can target them, so you can get injured in very specific points on you body. This in addition to an all new health/radiation system. This new system has you measuring how radiated certain things (like water) are and how they affect you when you consume them.
• Karma system returns.
• The game does not scale like oblivion, so if you enter a high level area expect to be promptly murdered.
• Level cap is 20.
• Definite ending to the game, but there are 9 - 12 possible endings.
• There are NPC's you can hire, but this is not a party based game.

Developer: Bethesda Software
Publisher: Bethesda Software
Released: Projected release date of Fall 2008

System Requirements
TBA