Fallout started in 1997 as an isometric, turn-based game, in which the Wanderer would patiently wait for big rats and radscorpions to swipe at their feet, before returning fire with a couple of 9mm bullets to the head. But what set it apart from its peers at the time was the VATS system, which allowed players to target individual body parts for a higher crit chance at the heightened risk of missing their shot altogether.
Bethesda would take the series in a wholly new direction when it bought the IP from Interplay, essentially turning Fallout into 'The Elder Scrolls with guns'. Yet, even with real-time combat, the studio kept the iconic VATS system. In hindsight, that might feel like a no-brainer—VATS is as much a staple as the Pip-Boy and SPECIAL stats—but during Fallout 3's development, there was a real concern that the system wouldn't work in 3D, and it came incredibly close to being cut.
"There were some significant challenges figuring out VATS," lead aritst Istvan Pely explained in an interview with Edge Magazine (via GamesRadar+). "There was a long period where it was like, 'Is this even fun? Is this worth...
