One of the major reasons behind Bethesda's continued success with its Fallout series is due to the developer's amazing attention to detail when it comes to the games' settings. Whether exploring the dilapidated National Mall in Washington D.C. in Fallout 3 or the blasted desert landscapes of Nevada in Fallout: New Vegas, Bethesda has always been able to transport fans to eerie, and highly realized versions of irradiated U.S. cities.

Now, with Bethesda's beautiful trailer for Fallout 4 having sated gamers' deepest desires by officially announcing the game's existence, fans have been given a glimpse into a broken and battered version of Boston. While it's been rumored for quite some time and now confirmed Boston is the location, rather than directly state that legendary American city is the setting, Bethesda opted for a more subtle approach by showing off Boston's iconic landmarks in the first official video for Fallout 4.

Hints about Fallout 4's environment begin about halfway through the trailer as we see shots of the USS Constitution near some rubble. In all actuality, considering the fact that Boston should be practically falling apart in the game, the historic Old Ironsides looks relatively pristine. Then, we're given images of the Paul Revere statue that sits in front of a soot-smeared Old North Church with what appears to be a Brotherhood of the Steel aircraft carrier looming in the air above the scene.

One place that appeared multiple times in the Fallout 4 trailer is a bazaar setting that is similar to Megaton, a Fallout 3 town full of folksy traders, ruffians, and regulars. And upon closer inspection, with a lot of baseball iconography such as the bat signpost that's filled with nails and the “Diamond City” marquee centered in the shot, the market square shown is rather reminiscent of Boston's Fenway Park. This becomes even more evident after noticing the lighting rigs in the upper right hand corner of the frame.

Also included with Bethesda's magnificently re-imagined locales are the Massachusetts State House and Bunker Hill monument. While the former takes up the forefront of a lovely sunset scene, the latter's inclusion is without a doubt a nod to the Washington Monument in Fallout 3, as the pillar stands tall amid a crisp, clear day despite the wreckage and ruin surrounding it.

While it's a wonder how all of these symbolic buildings survived a nuclear explosion, their incorporation into Fallout 4 will certainly influence the game's themes and storylines, much like Bethesda has done in the past entries of the popular post-apocalyptic RPG series. It will definitely be fun to see some quests comparable to the nabbing of the Bill of Rights from the National Archives in Fallout 3 or instilling a firm sense of control over the Strip's casinos in New Vegas.

With the official announcement of Fallout 4 occurring today, it's still unclear as to when it will release, although we do know that it will be available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Even so, fans ought to rest easy, as Bethesda will surely be divulging more information as the days to E3 draw ever closer.

Fallout 4 is rumored to release in 2015 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

Source: Polygon