Opinion: Will Fallout 4 Measure Up to The Witcher 3?

With its vast open world, nonstop action, and dark storyline, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt seems to set an all new standard for open world role-playing games. In fact, perhaps the developers (CD Projekt Red) did too good of a job creating a deeply engrossing game the likes of which haven't been seen since Skyrim released in 2011. It's only fitting that a game like Fallout 4 should be announced, which threatens to steal the "most expansive role-playing game" title back for Bethesda. But can it, or any other RPG expected to release this fall, measure up to The Witcher 3?

This fall is going to be a very exciting time for RPG fans. Not only does the first extensive DLC add-on for the Witcher 3, Hearts of Stone, promise to add another 10 hours to the epic sized game, but there will be other games that take us to fantastic worlds. Fallout 4 will probably be the Witcher 3's greatest competition, but less open world games like Deus Ex: Mankind Divided will be releasing around the same time. That's not even counting action-oriented games like Assassin's Creed Syndicate and Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. All these competing games have been in development for years, but now their releases have a big Witcher shaped shadow hovering over them. It could turn out that The Witcher 3 spoiled many role-playing fans so that they expect a lot more from their open world games, ranging from graphics to gameplay.

Decisions

Choices have always been one of the cornerstones of the role-playing experience, and that certainly won't change this fall. Fallout 4 should have multiple solutions to just about every problem, while letting players be as benevolent or ruthless as they like.

The depth of player decisions will surely set these two games apart. NPCs generally dislike or feel uneasy toward Witchers, so really any decision that doesn't result in the whole town being killed can only improve Geralt's reputation. Some decisions will impact how his story turns out, like doing a favor for a local lord, while others seem to do little more than impact how much money ends up in his pocket. Even instances where Geralt happens upon a horrific incident, like men burning a woman inside a house alive, is only impactful to a limited extent. Also, in many cases, the only way to deal with these sorts of conflict is through killing. Although Geralt does occasionally dole out advice, he's generally not much of a talker.

So, it might not be too difficult for games to match, or even surpass The Witcher 3 when it comes to decision making. Using Fallout 3 as a measure for the kinds of things one can expect from the sequel, you could blow up the friendly town of Megaton, because some wealthy guy thinks the place is an eyesore. Furthermore, if you did the research quest for Moira to figure out how best survive radiation, she survives the blast as a Ghoul. That's on top of all the things you can do to or for the Megaton residents before you decide to blow the place up. Your Charisma, Speech, and Karma, along with other skills allow for different ways of handling people.

What games like Fallout 4 will have that The Witcher 3 doesn't is one of the most critical decisions of all: The main character. Although you can modify Geralt's fighting style so that he excels and certain skills, in the end, he's still a Witcher and has to stick to whatever path the narrative sets before him. With Fallout, players are free to take the character in whatever direction they want. They can be as strong or smart as they want to be, provided they have enough points.

Story and Combat

We have a case of Retro-Future vs Fantasy here. The highly imaginative settings for these games each have a strong following, and the chance to explore places like a blasted out Boston may be more than enough to overcome criticisms over Fallout 4's supposed graphics quality. When it comes to graphics, it could come down to how much you prefer green forests full of dragons and werewolves compared to the blasted Wasteland populated by cannibalistic raiders and giant sized insects. Actually, The Witcher 3 has some supersized bugs too, so that might not be an issue.

There's also the matter of humor. The charm of the Fallout games comes from the fact that it's kind of preposterous. Everyone is stuck in a 1950s aesthetic and mentality, despite it being the latter half of the 21st century, where robots still roam the streets. There are sarcastic ghouls and people in metal power suits that might join you in your adventure. Cybernetic dog companions are not unexpected, nor are portable nuclear warhead launchers. It's an amazing world, full of crazy possibilities. We don't yet know what the Fallout 4's story will involve, but both Fallout 3 and New Vegas indicate that we're in for crazy ride.

On the other hand, there's a lot to be said for the dark and mature world of The Witcher, where there's plenty of sex and violence. Compared to its themes, Fallout seems like a kid's game. Plus, Geralt is a monster hunter, and part of the game's challenge is figuring out and procuring the means to best defeat these creatures. Werewolves and ghosts may eventually become old hat, but they're powerful enough to put up a good fight. Plus, the Witcher does pull out a number or surprises, like the Botchling quest.

As far as fighting the beasties that populate these worlds, the two games couldn't be further part. Fallout 4 will undoubtedly be a first-person shooter with an over-the-should camera option, while The Witcher 3 uses third-person hack'n'slash action. Another fundamental difference is how Fallout will use the VATS (Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System), a system that allows player to queue up multiple commands and specific body parts, to supplement the straight shooting action. Both are satisfying in their own way, but Fallout is the only game that has a mysterious stranger that comes from out of nowhere to help you kill something.

Wastelands or Witchers?

Perhaps I've been looking at things the wrong way. Although The Witcher and Fallout have some things in common, like how ingesting too much of something can lead to lethal toxicity levels, and how equipment has a tendency to quickly break down, they're very different experiences. New Vegas even has its own card game. Ultimately, both games should be the best they can be in their respective series. But at the same time, we should note that The Witcher 3 is as good because it learned from games like Skyrim and sought the huge open world.

Whether or not Fallout 4 succeeds will depend strictly on its own merits, and whether or not players will prefer to wander the Wastelands or the Woodlands, when the Heart of Stone expansion releases. But whether you decide to pursue werewolves or Deathclaws, a world of possibilities will undoubtedly awaits.