You need to calm down about Fallout 4’s graphics

Yesterday, many people became overjoyed upon hearing the news that Fallout 4 is indeed real.

However, as with anything in life, the internet found a way to turn an exciting and happy moment into one of, at the least, moderate annoyance and cynicism.

For many, Fallout 4’s graphics were the focal point of the discussion, as opposed to the actual announcement of the long-awaited game and the contents of the trailer.

My question to you is this:

Why does it matter?

I do not play games for graphics. I never have and I probably never will. I don’t even play games for story.

There are multiple mediums that are better equipped to tell a story. Books, movies, and TV are better vehicles for story.

What makes video games so special is what they offer that books, movies, and TV cannot.

In video games we can interact with the world we are in. We can be the driving force in determining what happens in a world. Mechanically, it is gameplay that makes a game what it is.

People are complaining about Fallout 4’s graphics. Remember when GAMEPLAY was what made a game good or bad? Oh yeah. That’s still the case.

— Colin Moriarty (@notaxation) June 3, 2015

Sure graphics and story can create a more immersive experience, and I think it would be silly not to acknowledge this. However, gameplay always has and always will be what makes or breaks a video game. 

The best video game of all time, according to Metacritic, is The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for N64. Now, for its time it was pretty great graphically. Now though? It is a blur of polygons that frightens small children.

That being said, Ocarina of Time is great to this day because the dungeons, bosses, and mechanics are so great. These are some of the reasons why it is so many gamers’ favorite game of all time.

So please, before you begin shouting from the top of a mountain that this game is awful because it doesn’t redefine graphical excellence, remember what makes a video game a video game.