VATS

VATS, the Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System, is a combat mechanic introduced in Fallout 3 and kept in Fallout: New Vegas and Fallout 4. Activating it pauses the game and lets the player aim at specific body parts of an enemy, with the chance to hit each part shown as a percentage; the action then plays out in slow motion. Each attack costs Action Points, and when they run out the player must wait a short time before using the system again. Executive producer Todd Howard wanted combat that mixed real-time and turn-based play, which led to the creation of VATS, and the slow-motion effects were added to make the fighting feel cinematic.