It’s no secret that the Fallout franchise hit a bit of a road bump during the most recent console generation and Fallout 5 has big improvements to make. Fallout 4 and Fallout 76 were both underwhelming games, especially when compared to the incredibly high bar that Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas set. Although Fallout 76 has made significant improvements since launch, it still isn’t what fans of the best games in the series are looking for. Fallout 4 disappointed die-hard fans of the series for not staying true to what people loved about the previous two games. Fallout 3 and New Vegas were both lauded for the RPG elements that defined them.
Fallout 4 removed a lot of the same elements that made those games great. Power Armour, something that bordered on legend, in Fallout 3 and Fallout New Vegas, was available everywhere in Fallout 4, which essentially broke the combat curve of the game. The lack of choices in Fallout 4 is another criticism that many fans had about the game. Fallout 3 and New Vegas were made great by the massive, lasting choices that players could make while playing. Fallout 4 had players on rails far too much.
Fallout 5 needs to get back to the roots of the series. RPG elements that were stripped back for Fallout 4 need to be improved upon and extended in Fallout 5. There needs to be a feeling of building a unique character again in Fallout 5. Fallout 3 and New Vegas had such rich RPG systems that they could be played over and over. Players could create an intelligent, charming player for one playthrough and a strong brute for another. Each time, the games felt different. That’s what Fallout 5 needs to restore at its core. The ability to play the game and really feel like you’re affecting the world in a unique way.
Hopefully, with Fallout 5, Bethesda is able to take the series back to the roots that fans loved so much. The elements are all there, Fallout 4 and Fallout 76 aren’t bad games. They’re just not the games that fans were hoping for out of the PlayStation 4/Xbox One generation. For the Xbox Series X/PlayStation 5 generation, Bethesda needs to bring back that old-school RPG charm in Fallout 5.