Fallout 4: what do we know about the Game of the Year contender?

[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"content_original","fid":"86236","attributes":{"class":"media-image"}}]]It has been five long years for fans of the post-apocalyptic franchise but, with just days to go until the 10 November release date, it appears Fallout 4 may well live up to the hype.

Where the 2010 edition was set in a desolate Washington DC, this year's edition takes place on the eastern seaboard in Boston, and promises fans an even more immersive gaming experience.

Details are still pretty scarce as developer Bethesda has done everything it can to keep most of the game's plotline and features under wraps before release day. Here's what we know so far:

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Plot

The basic plot was revealed at the E2015 expo by the developers: "Set in a post-apocalyptic Boston, players will start the game on the day the nuclear bombs fall, before emerging as the sole survivor of Vault 111, 200 years after the nuclear holocaust."

Bethesda's vice president of marketing, Pete Hines, told attendees of the expo: "I would be stunned if we said anything else about the story ever again [prior to launch]. We're going to let everybody experience that in the game as much as possible."

Despite this, Trusted Reviews reports that "we have found out that the game starts before the bombs fell on a beautiful Saturday morning".

It adds: "Your nuclear family is existing with the threat of nuclear war hanging over them. As your characters head into the bathroom of their humble abode, you're taken into a complete character customisation sequence.

"You'll be able to completely personalise your character, and have the choice whether to play as a man or a woman."

The game will even generate a baby based on the couple you make but choose wisely, says the site, because "whoever you leave the room as will be the character you control for the remainder of the game".

One thing we do know is that the plot will contain more dialogue than ever before: according to a recent tweet by the developers, some 111,000 lines were recorded for the game.

Gameplay

The developers have stuck with the tried and tested open-world sandbox-style gameplay from the previous versions.

Fallout 4 offers players what Bethesda is calling "an enormous dynamic world", where you can go wherever, do whatever and be whatever you want to be. "Player freedom remains our absolute number one goal," said Bethesda.

The publisher has also claimed that the main story is only a small part of the experience, with over 400 hours of gameplay in total and the ability to continue playing and finding new adventures for your created character.

There is said to be no capped level in the game, so you can keep progressing throughout, playing the game at your own pace and in your own style.

New features

The Independent reports that Fallout 4 will have new crafting mechanics that "will allow players to create entire buildings as well as new weapons and armour in the game".

These structures will require electricity with power generators and defences to protect from invaders, the newspaper adds.

GameRant has also noticed a new feature in the Power Armour that the game provides the character. "It looks like power armour will now have a functional headlamp, which will go huge distances when fighting in dark locations or during the night," it says.

The site goes on to describe this new feature as "not unlike something from Iron Man" while claiming it will "completely change the player's user interface".

Release date

Fallout 4 is released on Xbox One, PS4 and PC on 10 November. Players can also pay around £20 for an added season pass, which will provide them with all the downloadable content that Bethesda produces following the game's release.