Fallout 4 patch 1.3: can Vault 81 dwellers now be properly dismembered?
In the interest of science we turn a shotgun on our fellow survivors.
Fallout 4's patch 1.3 went live for consoles yesterday, doing some wonderful technical background stuff as well as fixing a whole bunch of niggles when it comes to quests and companions.
But the most interesting thing for bloodthirsty idiots like us was this little beauty featured in the patch notes: "Fixed an issue where Vault 81 residents would not dismember correctly."
Well, let's put that to the test, shall we?
Using the power of Sharefactory, an Irradiated Hardened Combat Shotgun and my own poor shooting abilities, I conducted a scientific test to see if the changes were noticeable and made the game more exciting.
As you can see from the video above, my first entry into Vault 81 was recorded pre-patch 1.3.
I walked up to a security guard and pumped him full of shotgun shells. He died, but his body lay on the floor with a disappointing lack of dismemberment. He's just a bit floppy. I then shotgunned another security guy who did pretty much the same, before whipping out my Magnum and dying. This won't do.
After applying patch 1.3 I entered Vault 81 for a second time (1 min, 05 seconds in the video) and approached the same guard. After pumping more shells into him his head exploded. Blood spurts and there's chunks of meat on the floor. That's better. But technically that's not dismemberment.
So in the interests of a fair and balanced reporting I reloaded and entered Vault 81 again (1 minute, 26 seconds in the video). Stuck in a groundhog day situation, the security guard gets it in the face again but this time with the results we were all hoping for. Not only does he die in a bloody mess, but his head comes clean off his shoulders. Okay, technically that's decapitation but at this stage I'm not going to argue.
Conclusion: Although we don't see evidence of actual, technical dismemberment we do see a whole lot more violent death in Vault 81. And that's what we're here for. Thus, the patch worked.