The classic Fallout and its sequel, Fallout 2, offered players the ability to deal with many obstacles and challenges without the use of force, allowing them to use their Charisma and Intelligence stats and non-violent skills like Speech to talk their way through difficult situations.
It's a trend that followed in Black Isle Studios' other games, including Planescape: Torment, and more recently in Obsidian Entertainment's Pillars of Eternity.
However, Bethesda's Fallout 3 seldom gave players the option to complete quests without the application of violence. This is all about to change in the studio's upcoming role-playing game, Fallout 4.
Speaking to The Guardian, game director Todd Howard described how it will be possible for players who prefer a non-violent approach to go through the game without killing people. “You can avoid [killing] a lot,” said Howard. “I can’t tell you that you can play the whole game without violence – that’s not necessarily a goal of ours – but we want to support different play styles as much as we can.”
Players will probably find it a challenge to play through the entirety of the game without violence, but Bethesda's offer to support different playstyles will make for some very interesting playthroughs.
Elsewhere in the interview, Howard also explained why the game is set before the nuclear apocalypse. The studio also detailed its plans for modding in the game elsewhere.
Fallout 4 will be released on the PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on November 10, 2015.