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Bethesda has detailed the graphical technology that powers Fallout 4. For those unfamiliar, Bethesda will be using the Creation Engine to bring the title to life, which is the same engine that was used for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. That doesn't mean that the former will look like the 2011 fantasy RPG, however, as the first thing that Bethesda did after Skyrim was upgrade the graphical core by adding a physically based deferred renderer. This means that Fallout 4 will have better dynamic lighting, and materials have been painted with a realistic brush.

"We want objects and characters in the world to feel tactile and grounded," a blog post explained. "And a big part of that is ensuring that these materials are distinct – that metal reflects light in a distinct manner from wood, for example."

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Additionally, weather is getting an overhaul. Rain was first added to the Fallout franchise in the Honest Hearts DLC for Fallout: New Vegas. Even then, though, it felt static. Now, surfaces, clothes, and hair all react to the rain and actually appear wet.

Here's a quick list of other new features to the Creation Engine:

  • Tiled Deferred Lighting
  • Temporal Anti-Aliasing
  • Screen Space Reflections
  • Bokeh Depth of Field
  • Screen Space Ambient Occlusion
  • Height Fog
  • Motion Blur
  • Filmic Tonemapping
  • Custom Skin and Hair Shading
  • Dynamic Dismemberment using Hardware Tessellation
  • Volumetric Lighting
  • Gamma Correct Physically Based Shading

Bethesda stresses that you shouldn't worry if you don't understand what any of these changed mean.

"What's important is how this technology comes together with the art and gameplay of Fallout 4 to create a dynamic, immersive experience – no matter your gaming system," the publisher concluded. We're less than a week away now, let us know how you're preparing for the 10th November launch in the comments below.

[source bethesda.net]