Fallout 5: What We’d Like to See From Bethesda’s Next Installment
E3 is fast approaching, and with it, rumors of Bethesda’s upcoming projects. There are still two games to come from the company before the next Elder Scrolls, and while no concrete announcements have been made, the likelihood is high that one of the two will be Fallout 5. Based on the release dates of the last few series installments, it’s even possible that the next game could release before the end of the year. With a look at setting options aside, along with any focus on the core gameplay, what could Bethesda stand to improve in Fallout 5?
A Fresh Take on the Wasteland
Fallout 3 and 4 proved that Bethesda have a strong vision for the apocalyptic wasteland that the series is set in. Each of their game’s settings have varied somewhat. However, all three portrayed very similar wasteland landscapes, mostly rendered in a palette of browns and greys. With Fallout 5, Bethesda will need to show fans that they can innovate on what they have already made. One need only look at the history of the Call of Duty or Assassin’s Creed franchises to see what happens when a studio produces overly-similar content, game after game. Even if the fans enjoyed it at first, too much of the same good thing can grow dull.
Granted, the nature of Fallout’s setting does require a level of devastation. It would be bizarre if Bethesda suddenly made a Fallout game that wasn’t set in a post-apocalyptic setting. Nevertheless, if Bethesda simply produces more of the same style of blasted wasteland, they run the risk of Fallout 5 feeling stale. Obviously, the graphics have improved in each new title, but looking past the graphical quality, there were certainly swathes of desolate landscape in Fallout 3, New Vegas, and Fallout 4 that all looked like they could have come from the same game.
More Customisation
Fans of the RPG genre have proven time and again that customization is vital. Putting a unique spin on your character and how you play the game is always enjoyable; Fallout 4 did an excellent job of that. From the character creation in the bathroom mirror to weapon crafting and base-building; customization was something that Bethesda certainly did right. With Fallout 5, they should seek to leverage these aspects as much as possible.
Companion Story-Lines
Fallout 4’s companions had the most depth of any of Bethesda’s game’s companions. However, while that may be true, the bar has been set much higher by other games. Bioware titles like Dragon Age: Inquisition and Mass Effect both featured stronger casts of companions, for example. Companion characters are potentially with the player for much of the game; they are ideal to build a complex cast which players can emotionally invest in. Unfortunately, after a couple of specific quests for each, Fallout 4’s companions were largely reduced to combat aides. Although they might offer the occasional observation or insight, their relationships with the player mostly consisted of a few early vignettes. Three years later, Bethesda needs to show that it can match the bar set by other developers.
Fallout 4 eschewed Bethesda’s traditional story format. Instead of a central story and several faction story-lines, Fallout 4 wove a handful of faction story-lines into one central story. Whatever your view on that approach, it certainly reduced the amount of story content. As a result, it’s even more important to leverage aspects like companions to add story elsewhere. Bethesda has proven that it can invent interesting casts of diverse characters. However, for Fallout 5, the studio should seek to aim high when writing their new cast.