Fallout 4 dev explains what went into crafting the post-apocalyptic RPG's most iconic shot

Fallout 4 power armor in repair rig
(Image credit: Bethesda Softworks)

A developer who worked on Fallout 4 has shared what went into crafting the RPG's iconic start-up menu. 

To celebrate Fallout 4's eighth anniversary, the official Bethesda Twitter account shared the scene in question along with the caption: "Happy 8th Birthday to #Fallout 4. Exploring the Wasteland always holds a very special place in our hearts." Following this, Nate Purkeypile, a former Bethesda developer who worked as a World/Lighting Artist on Fallout 4, has given fans an insight into the game's start-up menu scene. 

"Wow, been a while," the developer says, before then giving context to how the scene came to be. "Fun fact, I lit this scene. It's actually hundreds of tiny lights bouncing all the light by hand and making the glints on the armor just right," the developer revealed, adding: "Nice to see it popping up still years later."

Several Fallout 4 fans have replied to Purkeypile's post praising the eight-year-old scene, and some have asked if the developer knows anything about a potential next-gen update of the RPG. Unsurprisingly, since the artist recently left Bethesda, they've simply said: "No idea, I quit to make my own game." The game in question is a "heavy metal horror game where you hunt monsters from folklore" called The Axis Unseen

Purkeypile isn't the only Fallout developer to reflect on the series lately, as Fallout co-creator, Tim Cain, recently said he wants to see the post-apocalyptic RPG series leave the US. "We wanted to explore China and Russia," the developer recounts, before explaining the difficulties of setting a game in a country you're not familiar with. "We need somebody who really knows Russian day-to-day life and could tell us what did 50s Russia think the future would be?" Cain said, "And what did 50s China think the future would be?"

Need to scratch that Fallout itch now? Take a look at our games like Fallout list to find something similar to play. 

Hope Bellingham
News Writer

After studying Film Studies and Creative Writing at university, I was lucky enough to land a job as an intern at Player Two PR where I helped to release a number of indie titles. I then got even luckier when I became a Trainee News Writer at GamesRadar+ before being promoted to a fully-fledged News Writer after a year and a half of training.  My expertise lies in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, cozy indies, and The Last of Us, but especially in the Kingdom Hearts series. I'm also known to write about the odd Korean drama for the Entertainment team every now and then.