This summary of the video was created by an AI. It might contain some inaccuracies.
00:00:00 – 00:28:15
The video centers on the frustrations and failures surrounding Bethesda's "Next Gen update" for Fallout 4. Despite high anticipation, the update is widely criticized for breaking mod compatibility and offering minimal actual improvements. Key points include poor optimization on PC, superficial graphical updates, and ineffective performance modes on consoles. Bethesda's handling of mods is repeatedly flagged as problematic, particularly as their updates often introduce more issues than they solve, such as causing game crashes and infinite load screens. The community is notably upset by the need to repurchase the game on PlayStation and the disruption to significant fan-made projects like "Fallout London." The speaker contrasts the poor quality of Bethesda's updates with the superior work of unpaid modders, highlighting a lack of consideration for the modding community.
Additionally, the speaker discusses broader issues with Bethesda's development cycles, noting long delays between major game releases and suggesting potential collaborations with other studios, like Obsidian, to hasten production. The video concludes by questioning Bethesda's decisions, suggesting that their focus on leveraging existing titles over new content or meaningful remasters might be a strategic error, especially in light of strong community support and demand for new Fallout content.
00:00:00
In this segment of the video, the speaker discusses the highly anticipated “Next Gen update” for Fallout 4 and expresses significant disappointment with its outcome. Despite long anticipation, the update is described as disastrous, particularly because it renders the game almost unplayable if mods are installed, leading to frequent crashes and potential loss of saved game data. The speaker stresses the importance of mods for Fallout 4, as they not only enhance replayability but also resolve critical issues within the game. The update, released during a resurgence of player interest due to a new TV show, fails to add any valuable content or improvements, frustrating the community further. The speaker highlights the irony of the update’s naming, suggesting that instead of a substantial upgrade, players received what amounts to a downgrade.
00:03:00
In this segment of the video, the speaker discusses the disappointing performance of a supposed “Next Gen” update for Fallout 4. They highlight that despite expectations, there are no graphical or performance improvements on PC. Even with high-end hardware, the game still suffers from poor optimization, particularly in downtown Boston. While a new performance mode exists for consoles, it only achieves higher frames by reducing graphical quality, which is not true next-gen performance enhancement. Additionally, the quality mode, aimed at offering 4K resolution at 30 FPS, shows no visible difference and is ineffective, particularly on Xbox. The speaker criticizes Bethesda for these issues and suggests that the updates are merely superficial changes rather than actual improvements.
00:06:00
In this segment of the video, the speaker expresses frustration over a recent update that breaks mod compatibility on PC, replacing it with low-quality Creation Club content. This includes poorly-made reskins and animations, some of which fail to load properly, displaying error signs that disrupt gameplay. Additionally, the update introduces an Enclave-focused side quest that is criticized for its lack of story and interaction, described as a basic fetch quest with no meaningful choices or characters. The speaker contrasts this with the high-quality “America Rising” mod, which offers a comprehensive story expansion with detailed content, underscoring the disparity between professional and modder-created content. They also mention irrelevant Halloween decorations released out of season, criticizing Bethesda for being out of touch with their community. Finally, although the update is free, Playstation users need to repurchase the game, adding to their discontent with Bethesda’s practices.
00:09:00
In this segment, the speaker discusses recent issues with an update for games like Skyrim and Fallout 4, produced by Bethesda. Despite aiming to fix bugs, the update introduced more problems, such as crashes and infinite load screens. Notably, critical bugs like the ‘weapon debris crash’ and high FPS physics issues were overlooked. The speaker criticizes Bethesda’s inability to match the quality of work done by unpaid modders, who have already fixed these issues and enhanced the games’ performance and graphics. They highlight Bethesda’s negligence, suggesting the company did not playtest the update properly and accusing them of releasing a rushed and ineffective update after delaying it for a year.
00:12:00
In this part of the video, the speaker discusses the resurgence of interest in the Fallout games, particularly Fallout 4, which has seen a significant increase in players on Steam. Despite this positive development, there’s criticism of Bethesda’s recent update that broke many mods, including “Fallout London,” a highly anticipated fan-made game. The update was released just two days after Fallout London’s scheduled release, forcing a delay. The delay was necessary because mods, especially the script extender essential for running Fallout 4 on PC, need updates to remain compatible with the new game version. This update showcases Bethesda’s lack of consideration for the modding community and prioritizes their own content over significant fan projects.
00:15:00
In this part of the video, the speaker discusses the challenges of updating mods for Bethesda games following updates to the game itself. The process involves deciphering new code, which can take weeks, and often leads to a beta version that is not fully stable. Most of the mods dependent on the script extender and various other mods need updates, affecting both PC and console players. Console players face greater difficulties since they cannot revert to older game versions and might need to uninstall all mods or even reinstall the game if updates cause severe issues. There’s frustration over the limited 2GB mod allowance on consoles, particularly disappointing for those who expected an increase with next-gen upgrades. The speaker contrasts this with their own extensive mod folder on PC and argues that the limit could be more generous given current console capabilities.
00:18:00
In this segment of the video, the creator advises against updating Fallout 4 due to the complications it brings to modding. They detail how Bethesda’s updates frequently break mods, necessitating further updates that create a cycle of continuous patching and issues. The creator recounts similar experiences with Skyrim, where repeated updates disrupted the modding community and created confusion over which game version to use. This led to long periods where the game was unplayable with a stable mod setup. They express frustration over the potential difficulties new players might face due to the availability of cool mods only on older versions, predicting a similarly problematic future for Fallout 4 modding.
00:21:00
In this part of the video, the speaker discusses the benefits and drawbacks of Bethesda’s Special Edition and Anniversary updates for Skyrim, as well as the recent Next Generation update for Fallout 4. They praise the performance improvements brought by Skyrim’s Special Edition, particularly for heavily modded setups and console players. However, they criticize the Anniversary update for lacking substantial new content and express disappointment with Fallout 4’s Next Generation update, calling it a missed opportunity for better performance and optimization. The speaker emphasizes the importance of the modding community to Bethesda’s success and suggests that Bethesda should prioritize mod compatibility in their updates.
00:24:00
In this part of the video, the speaker discusses the delay in the release of new Fallout and Elder Scrolls games by Bethesda. They highlight that while historically the gaps between major game releases were relatively short, recent patterns have drastically changed. Elder Scrolls 6, expected by 2020, was delayed due to the release of Starfield in 2023, pushing its potential release to 2026 and Fallout 5 to after 2030. The speaker criticizes Bethesda for slowing down production, speculating that the company is capitalizing on existing titles like Skyrim and Fallout 4 instead of creating new content. They lament missed opportunities to update older games or release meaningful remasters timed with Fallout’s resurgent popularity. The video suggests that Bethesda could revitalize Fallout with remakes or new games, possibly by collaborating with Obsidian. The speaker appreciates the strong community support but urges Bethesda to respond to the high demand for new Fallout content.
00:27:00
In this part of the video, the speaker discusses the potential benefits of Obsidian collaborating with another studio to create more Fallout games, similar to how Call of Duty operates with a flip-flop schedule. They highlight that such a partnership previously succeeded with Fallout 3 and New Vegas and could help Bethesda, whose current pace suggests Fallout 5 might not be released until after 2030. The speaker also criticizes a recent game update as insufficient, arguing that the modding community is what truly keeps the game alive. They express a renewed motivation to create more Fallout content and wrap up by inviting viewers to share their thoughts on the update.