Mamoru Oshii takes a different approach to the Bethesda Game Studios title that came out more than 10 years ago…

According to IGN Japan, the prolific Japanese director loves Fallout 4. In a new video celebrating the 30th anniversary of Ghost in the Shell, Oshii revealed that he played the game for 2,000 hours on PlayStation, then another 8,000 hours on Steam. When asked, Oshii immediately named Fallout 4 as his favorite game. He described it as something that feels like it was made to match his own desires, and he noted that VATS aiming suits him well because he finds twitch aiming relatively difficult – though it seems he has managed to pull off at least one Chicken Dinner in PUBG.

Oshii also made a keen observation about violence in RPGs. He appreciates the realism of Fallout, arguing that ultra-violence makes sense in a post-apocalyptic setting. He compared this to Cyberpunk 2077, where violence can clash with the relative civility of Night City.

Oshii plays Fallout 4 in a way that may not apply to other games. He does not engage with factions, glitches, or companions (except Dogmeat). He does not build settlements, and he avoids main quests – except, perhaps, killing Kellogg. He particularly hates the Brotherhood of Steel, compares them to Nazis, kills them wherever he finds them, and decorates his base at the Red Rocket gas station with so many empty suits of their armor that the game starts to lag.

“I will ignore the main story and carve my own path through slaughter and looting. In Fallout 4, players will ultimately be guided to the game’s ending by contacting and joining one of the organizations. Whether it’s the Brotherhood of Steel, the Minutemen, or the Railroad, I’d much rather be beaten to death by Deathclaws, repeatedly bludgeoned or shot by Super Mutants, or raid raider hideouts for loot. Living day to day like this is more fun, and it lets me maintain my ideological integrity. I can only marvel at my own passion for pushing past level 100. Well, you could also call me an idiot,” Oshii explained.

This may sound like an alien way to play, but is it really that far from how many players ignore the main quest – and sometimes even install alternate start mods to immerse themselves more deeply in the world? Oshii’s fascination with this niche playstyle says a lot about Fallout 4‘s durability and flexibility.

Source: PCGamer, IGN, Automaton