Fallout has been at the forefront of the post-apocalyptic gaming scene, consistently churning out memorable content since its inception in 1997. However, as new ideas refresh the genre, internationally acclaimed games have debuted remakes of some of their most legendary works. Following the trend of revisiting previous titles, Bethesda's incoming Next-Gen Update for Fallout 4 seeks to revamp the game's mechanics, and there are an array of components that need a considerable tune-up from the original title, such as its inventory which was infamous for its unpalatable challenges.
The post-apocalyptic scene has enjoyed a new lease of life recently, buoyed by the stellar ratings of The Last of Us, the TV series adaptation of the legendary video game. As such, interest in the category has increased rapidly in recent weeks, and developers are cashing in on the hype, fine-tuning some of their best works over the years with much-needed improvements. Fallout 4 is one of the higher-rated installments of the entire franchise, as gamers were largely satisfied with their experiences except for a few minor issues. One prominent area of discontent with Fallout 4 was its inventory management system, and Bethesda would do well to upgrade the feature in the next-gen update.
Fallout Has Had a Difficult History With Inventory Management
Although it can easily get overlooked in favor of flashier features like graphics and combat mechanics, accessibility plays a key role in a game's overall satisfaction level among fans. Fallout 4 fared excellently in almost all areas of its development, enjoying good reviews from fans and critics alike, but even the best games are not without areas for improvement. Sticking out like a sore thumb amidst the field of near-perfection in Fallout 4 was its inventory system, and this seemingly minor detail served as a source of mild irritation for most players. Streams of complaints were lodged across social media platforms, with item sorting in particular proving a point of contention.
Fallout 4 has not been Bethesda's sole high-profile encounter with item management issues, as Fallout 76 also featured the problem, contributing to a series of inconveniences that turned fans away from the title in swathes at its initial release. Many wrote Fallout 76 off early due to its buggy and incomplete feel, but the developer went to unbounded lengths to recover from the title's turbulent early days, correcting a host of the installment's problems with a string of high-quality updates.
Regarding inventory management, Bethesda increased loot capacity in Fallout 76 and improved its item sorting mechanism, providing new tabs for grouping said loot neatly. The developer's massive revamping project paid dividends, with the title's initially abysmal ratings trending in the right direction after the improvements.
Fallout is far from the only franchise plagued by underwhelming item management systems, with Horizon also struggling with the mechanic in its Forbidden West and Zero Dawn iterations. Other trailblazers in the role-playing genre, such as Skyrim and Monster Hunter, have fine-tuned their systems into efficient machines, and Bethesda could look to the examples laid by these franchises in addition to the ideas implemented by Fallout 4's mods to craft a comparatively superior inventory management system in the Next-Gen Update. As accessibility takes more of a front seat in gaming, item management efficiency could prove to be a defining factor in the update's success.
Fallout 4's Mods Could Hold the Key to a Successful Management System
The gaming community is home to highly resourceful individuals, and fans of the Fallout franchise banded together to solve Fallout 4's accessibility issues. Mods like Better Item Sorting and FallUI - Inventory rolled out sometime after the title's release, making light work of Bethesda's problems and enhancing Fallout 4's grimy user experience. Better Item Sorting assigned a category name before each item, painting a clearer picture for players on inventory to scrap or store. FallUI - Inventory from Nexus Mods, on the other hand, facilitated a complete overhaul of Pipboy, container, trader, workshop, and companion inventories, enhancing the menus' details and user interface.
Many players appreciated the upgrades brought by these mods, and they were an instant hit among a sizable portion of Fallout faithful. Simple fixes such as introducing categories saved players the headache of figuring out the storage levels of a particular item type. The works of these independent modders have built a solid foundation for Bethesda to implement in Fallout 4's Next-Gen Update, even as the developer focuses on modernizing other aesthetically-important gameplay elements, such as adding a performance mode allowing for higher frame rates and enhanced 4K visuals. Performance issues have long been an Achilles' heel of the Fallout franchise, with Fallout 4 notably sporting physics malfunctions during some of the most intense moments in the title.
Bethesda showed its adeptness at correcting errors hampering its gaming experiences in the days following the infamous Fallout 76 initial release. The developer's fixes should inspire confidence for Fallout 4's Next-Gen Update, as Bethesda's unwavering willingness to deliver the best content it can produce to its enduring fan base was on full display. The inventory management tune-up should be the first of many modernizing strides the Fallout 4 Next-Gen Update needs to take to measure up to today's gaming standards. Given the details made available by Bethesda concerning the update, fans have ample reason to be excited about the potential high-end experiences coming to their screens.
Fallout 4 is available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One, with PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions coming in 2023.
