Fans eager to find out how the teased survival mode “overhaul” will work in Fallout 4 have been digging around in the game’s files, and Reddit user ShaneD53 made a post outlining his findings (they were fairly extensive). Yesterday, Bethesda Game Studios confirmed his findings to be accurate via Twitter:
Our fans are too smart. Early look at #Fallout4 Survival Mode on @reddit. We’re still messing w/ it. More to come! https://t.co/1YmVBIt6W0
— BethesdaGameStudios (@BethesdaStudios) February 24, 2016
Obviously, this all comes with the caveat that changes might be made, as the update is still a work in progress. However, what was found is indeed promising, especially to fans like myself who enjoyed the mechanics introduced in New Vegas immensely.
The full Reddit post can be found here, but here’s the gist of it:
Survival will be added as a difficulty option in the primary menu, and it will disable both manual and quicksaving. Progress can only be saved by finding a bed and sleeping for more than an hour. Make sure it’s a comfy mattress though, as that will determine how well you sleep (and how long). Fast travel is also disabled, and your compass will no longer be able to conveniently point out foes. This is, however, only the beginning.
Damage dealt and taken will be increased across the board. A new perk, called “Adrenaline”, will automatically be activated upon entering the mode. It increases your damage for every foe killed, but resets after sleeping. You’ll also build up fatigue, which will act in the same manner as radiation, but on your AP meter. Limbs will no longer heal after combat, and neither will Companions, both requiring manual use of stimpaks.
Players will once again have to manage general wellness by eating, drinking water, and sleeping regularly. In addition to fatigue, illness will also be a part of the Wasteland. New antibiotic items can be crafted at chem stations to combat this, but be wary, as item scarcity will be increased. Both enemy and item respawn rates will be drastically reduced. Add onto all of this weight for each individual piece of ammunition, and even S.P.E.C.I.A.L. penalties and limb damage from carrying excessive weight, and there will be a formidable suite of challenges for Fallout 4 fans to overcome when this new mode arrives.
As of now, there is no announced release date for these updates. However, Todd Howard did indicate a beta would be released on Steam for the features.
If you want to know what The Outerhaven thought of Fallout 4, check out my review here. For more Wasteland news nuggets, stay tuned.
