When Bethesda Game Studios releasedFallout 4in 2015 it was praised by many critics and players for evolving the post-apocalyptic, open-world formula that the developer had established withFallout 3and its expansions. Despite being lauded for expanding on the lore and gameplay mechanics of its predecessor,Fallout 4drew complaints from some players for the run-down and squalid state of much of the game’s Commonwealth setting. With over 200 years having passed sincethe Great War in theFallouttimeline, some players were confused by the still roughshod state of the game’s central setting when compared to other locales fromFalloutlore.
The impressive and thoughtfulworld-building inFalloutgameshas always been one of the franchise’s strong suits, so the seeming lack of progress and rebuilding throughout much of the Commonwealth rubbed some players the wrong way. This was compounded by the fact that some previousFalloutgames taking place earlier in the timeline have featured locations that have been rebuilt far more thoroughly and effectively than the crumbling cities of the Commonwealth. With the release ofFallout 5, Bethesda has the opportunity to address the drastic tonal and technological mismatch between different areas of theFalloutuniverse and make the wider world of the games feel far more cohesive.
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Post-War Progress in the Fallout Universe is Confusingly Uneven
While it’s understandable that not every part of the country would rebuild as fast or as thoroughly as others following the destruction wrought by the Great War, the fact that much ofFallout 4’s Commonwealth was still largely a wasteland two centuries later didn’t sit right with some gamers. Despite being left comparatively unscathed in the Great War according to theFallouttimeline, rebuilding seems to have come to a near-standstill in the game’s version of Boston. This leaves the morally dubious experiments ofThe Institute inFallout 4as one of the few signs of technical progress or advancement in the region.
Standing in stark contrast to the ramshackle state of the Commonwealth isFallout’s New California region. The area served as the setting for the first twoFallouttitles, with forces of the New California Republic also showing up as one of the factions in the fan-favorite game,Fallout: New Vegas. Unlike the crumbling Commonwealth, New California has reestablished a functioning government and has even managed to develop a functioning economy built around agriculture and manufacturing. All of this occurred despite the fact that, inFalloutlore, cities on America’s west coast suffered far more damage than many of their east coast counterparts.
Fallout 5’s Settlements Should Reflect the Passage of Time
One way that Bethesda could address the technological and tonal mismatch between different games and regions in the franchise is by overhauling the appearance and functionality ofsettlements inFallout 5. Rather than making players feel like they’re attempting to rebuild society from scratch, as is often the case in the barren wastelands of the Commonwealth, settlements should let allow gamers to contribute to the already-in-progress growth and advancement of whatever regionFallout 5takes place in.
Updating the visual appearance of settlements to reflect the progress made in the centuries since the Great War would be another way for Bethesda to makeFallout 5’s world feel more cohesive. While things would still likely be at least somewhat ramshackle in the game’s post-apocalyptic setting, even hundreds of years after the Great War, it wouldn’t make sense for all ofFallout 5’s settlements and outposts to look like something out of one oftheMad Maxmovies.
One of the main draws of theFalloutfranchise has always been its post-apocalyptic aesthetic, andFallout 5shouldn’t abandon this. However, by making a few changes to some visual elements and gameplay mechanics to reflect that the world ofFalloutcontinues to evolve, Bethesda could create aFallout 5that not only has a more consistent tone but is also a more immersive playground for gamers.
Fallout 5has been confirmed by Bethesda Game Studios but is not yet in active development.
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