Fallout 4’s perks system offers a new way of playing, that will satisfy both fans of the collecting metagame, and gamers who are more focused on gameplay.
When the game starts, the player can choose all the specials they will have. As they level up, more perks open up to them as well.
There are 270 perks in total, and there is no level cap, so you can eventually collect them all if you play long enough. But, here’s the rub.
When the player character levels up, the number of perks they can use gets reduced. The player also gets to see what perks are opened up by previous perks, giving you the chance to plan out your upgrades.
So, if you think about it, you can conceivably focus on getting the best perks, or play at a more leisurely pace and slowly collect every one of the 270 perks. Bethesda’s design means you can choose one or the other, or not worry about it and improvise as you go along. As a result, you can play Fallout 4 multiple times in completely different ways.
Whichever path you choose, you may want to take Bethesda community manager Pete Hines’ advice and maximize strength to 10 when you start. If you do this, another perk becomes available, that you would have to play longer to acquire.
Fallout 4 will be released on November 10 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows.