Lowered Expectations: 20 Fallout 4 Concept Artworks That Make The Game Disappointing
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In-game objects usually look a little different from their concept art. This is doubly true for Fallout 4, though. Just look at these 20 examples!
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Bethesda is an enormous developing and publishing powerhouse. They made a name for themselves in the video game industry thanks to the Elder Scrolls series. After acquiring the Fallout series from Interplay, their company became a household name. Now at E3, fans look forward to their panels, especially for Elder Scrolls or Fallout news. Bethesda has made it clear that they want to be known for more than their most popular IPs.
Fallout 4 was released seven years after its predecessor. Game development took several years between programmers, designers, and testing. Bethesda did not create a brand new game engine for Fallout 4 and used what they already had in-house. They still had to create concept artwork for the Commonwealth, which the series had yet to explore.
Fallout 4 retained many of the traits of Fallout 3 since it took place a mere ten years after the adventures of the Lone Wanderer. Many fans were disappointed by the lack of an RPG system and uninspired landscapes. When the official Art of Fallout 4 illustration book was released, fans were shocked. The released game’s graphics were a disappointment compared to the depth and richness of the concept art.
Fans don’t expect carbon copies of concept art in the game, but some of the changes were a major let down. We have compiled some of the most significant concept artwork changes in the final game. Before you read on, be aware that there are massive spoilers ahead.
20 A Misleading Commonwealth Battle
There are no consequences to joining all of the factions at the beginning of the game. You’ll have the opportunity to explore all of their headquarters and meet new companions. Soon after meeting Paladin Danse, he wants to take you to the Prydwen to meet Elder Maxson. The Sole Survivor gets to ride the Vertibird a few times, but it’s nothing like the concept art. After being forced to changing into a first-person view, you climb onboard and can’t do much else. You can barely even turn around to look at your companion.
This concept art would lead you to believe you’ll witness your character shooting a minigun like an action hero.
There is are a few scenes where you can fire a minigun into the Commonwealth, but it’s nothing like this concept art would lead you to believe.
19 Lost Light Of The Commonwealth
The Sole Survivor’s journey takes them to the Institute within the M.I.T. Ruins. Depending on the faction who has helped you reach this moment, you’ll be teleported away to a brand new world. The Sole Survivor is led through several dark corridors that make it seem more like a hospital than a Scientific playground. After you’ve spoken with Father, the Survivor is given free reign of the Institute. What should be a breathtaking moment is more disappointing than exciting. The concept artwork shows rooms filled with light, which accentuates how clean and pure the faction is compared to the irradiated Commonwealth. Instead, the Institute has unusually dark lighting that makes it seem that a few light bulbs need to be changed.
18 An Unusually Barren Cul-De-Sac
The Sole Survivor has been living in Sanctuary Hills for the past year with their spouse and son, Shaun. When you first begin Fallout 4, you’re trapped inside of your house. During the Prologue, you can’t leave and look around the small settlement. After escaping Vault 111, you return to Sanctuary Hills. It’s unusually small, especially when compared to the original concept art. There are some similar areas, such as the broken down homes.
In the initial concepts, the settlement emphasizes the devastating impact of war.
Once your character explores the area, many of the homes look pristine after 200 years of the end of the Great War. Either Codsworth did an excellent job cleaning or the developers didn’t want to make the settlement too ruined.
17 Mirrors Are His Worst Enemy
Hancock knew that experimenting with illegal substances had the possibility of Ghoulifying him, but he couldn’t stand looking at himself in the mirror anymore. Hancock’s original fanart gives the impression of a man who wanted to live his own life without following the rules. He wears hooped earrings and still has some blonde hair remaining on his withered skin. Hancock’s in-game model is more toned down. His eyes are the most striking, as they’re pure black, an unusual change that was made to all ghouls in Fallout 4. His unique features are his attire. Hancock is nowhere near boring. Though his character model may not impress you, the writers did an excellent job making Hancock a unique character. Concept art may change over time, but Hancock is proof that a strong writing team and voice actor can still make a character shine.
16 Inventor Gets Less To Tinker
Tinker Tom is the Railroad’s quirky inventor. He’s lively and more than willing to help, as long as the Sole Survivor returns the favor. Most of his in-game tinkering isn’t anything worth watching. When he’s not sleeping or hitting a hammer on a table, he’s asking you to install MILA devices around the city to watch for the Institute.
According to his concept art, Tinker Tom was significantly different from what we saw in the game.
His headgear would have often changed, allowing him different abilities. He may have had a more significant role in helping the Sole Survivor instead of being a glorified merchant and radiant quest giver. The original Tinker Tom would have also been much older with graying hair and a beard.
15 Remains Of A Populated District
Boston has always been a densely populated city filled with people and businesses. Walk down any street in the city, and you’ll see buildings everywhere. After getting hit with bombs during the Great War, we can expect some desolated city ruins. What we ended up getting in Fallout 4 was a maze of invisible walls, Raiders, and Super Mutants. Most of the locations seemed the same. The concept art gives us a different glimpse of what we could have received if the development team had the time and resources. The artwork shows people rebuilding parts of the urban landscape that were destroyed by the bombs. Not only is the scene brighter, but it gives one hope that people on the East Coast can recover just like those on the West Coast.
14 Where Unwanted Memories Can Come To Life
The Memory Den is located in the settlement of Goodneighbor. The Sole Survivor can head there on their own, but will likely be turned away from the owner, Irma. Once the plot allows you to enter with Nick Valentine, you’ll get to explore the building. People head to the seedy den to re-live specific memories, or even have them wiped.
The concept shows a more decomposed structure that lacks the hope and romanticism of the in-game version.
Instead of seeing Irma lounging on a plush bench, we’re treated to a broken man sleeping on a couch, trying to forget the painful memories he just recalled. The illustration makes it clear that not all memories are worth reliving. The Memory Den, as shown in the original concepts, would have made rewatching your painful past have more impact.
13 Time To Investigate Another Museum
After waking up from cryogenic sleep, Codsworth suggested the Sole Survivor head to the neighboring city of Concord. With Dogmeat at your side, you’ll find Preston Garvey on the balcony, begging for your help like a stereotypical damsel-in-distress. Once you enter, the building is shockingly tiny. There’s a few broken stairs and pathways to jump onto, but the small museum is fairly linear. Once you compare the museum to the concept art, you’ll notice how dark it is inside. The original illustration almost illuminates the historical figures in a bright, open space. Graphical limitations may have caused Bethesda to spend less time tweaking this area. They may have also changed their minds to make the museum look more similar to the existing museum in Concord, Massachusetts.
12 Harrowing Harbor Done Right
The original concept artwork for Far Harbor was one of the few instances where Bethesda improved in-game. The concept art left much to be desired. You only see the Sole Survivor on a small boat, which turned out to be a larger fishing boat formerly owned by Grandfather Nakano. DiMA’s Synth paradise, Acadia, sits on top of a cliff. The mist in the lower settlement has an unusual yellow fog. If you’ve played Far Harbor, you know of the fog’s importance to the Far Harbor Expansion Pack. The concept artwork makes the area look empty and barren.
Bethesda’s developers improved on the artwork by making Far Harbor one of the most unsettling areas in the Commonwealth.
Fans were delightfully surprised when they reached the new region.
11 Just A Pile Of Misshapen Rocks
Dunwich Borers is an unsettling place inhabited by Raiders. You’ll often encounter this area when settlers are kidnapped and must be rescued to appease Garvey’s demands. The concept artwork makes this area look unsettling. You don’t know what you could encounter here. Within the illustration, you can almost feel the suffering of the workers who were trapped here when the bombs fell. Bethesda attempted to recreate this horrifying scene within the interior of Dunwich Borers, but it appeared more like a supernatural threat than something that could hard the Sole Survivor. There was so much Bethesda could have done with the quarry, but time and technical limitations likely held them back from creating something amazing. Instead, we got a bunch of white rocks and radiant Raider battles.
10 Too Bad We Got A House Of Disappointment
After Nate left the military service and married Nora, they settled into the small town of Sanctuary Hills.
The suburban neighborhood was meant to have more futuristic advancements compared to the older regions of Boston and Far Harbor.
The House of Tomorrow was intended to be the home of the Sole Survivor. The concept art makes it clear that you were meant to have a “convenient” two-story house. The advancements would also include nuclear radiant heat, automatic grocery sorting, and a self-serving bar. Unfortunately, you get stuck with a single level home and a robot butler. Some gamers may not find this an issue since so little of the Sole Survivor’s family home is featured in the prologue. The advancements in the concepts would have been an exciting look at how advanced America had become before the Great War.
9 A Beacon Easily Missed
If you’ve seen the concept for Beacon Hill, you may be confused on where this location is in the game. It can be found near the long bridge on the outer edge of Boston. The location is easy to miss because it looks so radically different from the concept art. For starters, there are no guards around this bridge. The only living beings you may find are Raiders and their loyal Attack Dogs. Beacon Hill looks like an impressive landmark from its concept art but becomes a forgettable scene in-game. Bethesda may have never intended Beacon Hill to make an impact on players. Before you dismiss Beacon Hill, the location is worth checking out. If Nick Valentine is your companion, the Raiders here may stop attacking you, as thanks to the detective for helping them in the past.
8 The Commonwealth’s Lackluster Diamond
On the topic of the great detective Nick Valentine, his home, Diamond City, was a huge disappointment. Mama Murphy states that Diamond City is the Great Green Jewel of the Commonwealth. Once you arrive, it’s a tiny settlement that fails to impress.
The concept art makes the settlement seem like society has once again been reborn in a war-ravaged land.
The central landmark, Power Noodles, is not as massive as it appears in illustrations. The concept art also shows where settlers have build homes among the highest stadium seating, but these remain walled off in-game. Diamond City is the largest settlement in the game, which is disappointing when you realize how amazing it could have been with a little more love.
7 Mama’s Missing A Massive Chair
The Sole Survivor first meets Mama Murphy in Concord, along with Preston Garvey. She has insight into the future, and the small group believes her fortune telling. Her appearance changed radically from concept art to the final game. Her concept art has some wild ideas for her character. Instead of walking, she would have flown across the Commonwealth with a customized Mr. Gusty. It would have provided her comfort and made her character more interesting. Her final appearance is a frail old woman who gives you one small bit of advice and asks you to build her a chair. After that tiny bit of interaction, you don’t have to talk to her again. From the complexity of her in-depth concept art to how little impact she had in-game, we can understand why Bethesda toned down her character.
6 The Saddest Swamp Scene
Ever since Fallout 4 was released, fans were hoping that Bethesda would bring the series South. Fans even believed that Obsidian would work with Bethesda again to develop Fallout: New Orleans, which was eventually revealed to be Pillars of Eternity II.
This concept art shows that Bethesda knows how to show off the eerie swamplands of Southern Louisiana.
The fog covering the waters sets an unsettling scene as the Sole Survivor and Dogmeat trek forward. The in-game area, Forest Grove, turned out much differently. There were some shallow pools of water and Mirelurks everywhere. The developers did a poor job bringing thing scene to life. If Bethesda plans to bring Fallout into the South, they’ll have to take more inspiration from their creative concept artists.
5 The Brotherhood Can Do Better Than This
The Brotherhood of Steel has a long-standing reputation for having all of the best technology available. They have the best looking suits of armor and are a force to be reckoned with. After defeating Kellogg, you are forced to witness the Brotherhood of Steel enter the Commonwealth. From the concept art, you’ll witness a large, flying airship that’s crafted by the factions most talented engineers. The in-game Prydwen leaves much to be desired. Instead of an impressive ship, we received a massive metal balloon that looked more similar to Cid Highwind’s ship from Final Fantasy VII. Bethesda could have spent more time on the Brotherhood’s main headquarters since it is always visible at the Boston Airport instead of what we received in the released game.
4 This Theater Will Make You Want A Refund
If you’ve met Preston Garvey, he will task you with clearing out the Starlight Theater for a new settlement. The theater is an old-fashioned drive-in theater where the movie is projected on a large building.
The concept artwork is an impressive look at what Starlight Theater could have been.
A pre-war film is being played on the screen with a Deathclaw looming in the distance. Once you arrive, you’ll likely feel extremely disappointed. The only threat at this drive-in theater is a handful of Molerats. These giant rats are such a low threat that most of the settlers eat them for lunch. There is also no Deathclaw waiting to attack you. Gamers who struggled with the Deathclaw in nearby Concord may be grateful it’s missing.
3 Boston’s Airport Shouldn’t Be So Small
Once the Sole Survivor has begun working with the Brotherhood of Steel, you’ll have the opportunity to help them secure the Boston Airport. The airport is based on the Logan International Airport in Boston but a much smaller scale. Compare the concept art with the official in-game version, and you’ll see why. The concept art shows multiple destroyed airplanes and terminals. There’s even artwork of the restored interior terminals. The final version of the Brotherhood of Steel’s ground base is disappointing. There’s only one crashed airplane and a few scattered pieces of a terminal. The concept art makes the Boston Airport look bigger than Diamond City. The airport would have been impressive Bethesda had more time to develop this area.
2 No Wonder Synths Kept Wandering Off
The Railroad stays underground for a reason. They’re a group of Synths who escaped the Institute to start a new life on the surface. If you take the time to find them, you’ll discover their hidden location within Falls Church. Their headquarters is inside a tiny one-room crypt that looks like it can barely hold a single body. One look at the concept art tells you how hidden this group intended to be.
Their headquarters would have been much more advanced with all of the tools Tinker Tom could ever need.
They had extensive notes on how to rescue runaway Synths and which safehouses to seek out next. The final version of the headquarters doesn’t give off the impression of a sophisticated network to save Synths. We’re not surprised the Brotherhood found them so quickly.
1 A Wreck Of Epic Proportions
The USS Riptide was a U.S. Navy tugboat. It was towing a barge carrying a massive load of military supplies along the Charles River before the bombs fell. The concept art makes the tugboat look much more mighty than the in-game version. The boats have also rusted over, which is entirely reasonable for ships that have survived for over two centuries. The in-game model leaves much to be desired. The boats still retain a fresh coat of green paint. Raiders have taken over the small barge and set up random ladders around it. They never attempted to open most of the containers. Even the bridge is significantly downgraded from the concept art. Instead of a large spanning bridge, it’s a small metal structure that looks like it could have been broken before the Great War.
Link Source : https://www.thegamer.com/lowered-expectations-fallout-4-concept-artworks-make-game-disappointing/