Summary
Fallouthas come a long way from its top-down turn-based roots, although it hasn’t been a completely smooth ride. One hot topic in the franchise’s community has beenhow theFalloutgames have changed power armor, although there’s plenty more that has been altered since the original games. While the modernFalloutgames are still worthy of their own merits, for the most part, they have taken the franchise in an entirely different direction.
Bethesda’sFalloutfranchise games are generally considered landmark RPG titles, acting as a benchmark in the genre to compare with other games. Over time, the franchise has made significant changes and technical advancements that have unanimously shaped the genre with their individual impacts. However, when it comes to theFalloutgames, not all the latest changes have been for the best, especially given the current state that theFallouttitles have dug themselves into.
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Combat and Weapon Builds Have Taken a Backseat in the Fallout Franchise
In the latest single-player games from the franchise, investing in weapons has become a mostly unnecessary part of leveling up andbuilding a character inFallout. Skilled players can generally be just as efficient with weapons as players who chose to max out perks and skills related to weapons. This is all due to the franchise moving away from turn-based combat and leaving players to their own tactics for combat, with VATS, Action Points, and specific weapon skills taking on a less vital role.
FutureFalloutgames don’t necessarily have to return to the turn-based combat styles from the original games, but they could still benefit from giving more meaning to weapon-related perks and skills. However, returning to the basics of the franchise might be a chance to kill multiple birds with one stone.
The Illusion of Role-Playing in the Fallout Games
Hacking terminals andlockpicking inFalloutgameshave taken a central role in the franchise, and in doing it has made unique puzzles an increasingly rare occurrence. Outside these iconic features, the franchise still utilizes skill checks and combat encounters, but these aren’t without their own flaws either.
The problem with howFalloutgames have simplified the puzzles and obstacles in the game is that players can get their character to the point of being omnipotent. This “one build to rule them all” has become increasingly common throughout each sequentialFalloutgame, and has arguably reached an extreme in the most recent games in the franchise. Players can focus on earning experience and loot from general sources before bringing their character into the more pivotal moments of each game, like the main storylines. With the open-worldwastelands in theFalloutfranchise, this strategy has become increasingly common over time.
RPGs tend to offer players many different ways to play, although, in the recentFalloutgames, there’s not much stopping players from combining all possible playstyles together within a single playthrough.Fallout 76’s Bloodied buildsare a perfect example of this situation. These builds give players a substantial increase in damage and SPECIAL attributes, all for the small price of decreasing their maximum health. On top of the benefits of a Bloodied build, players can also mix in elements of VATS, sneak, and critical hit builds for an unmatched and universal endgame skillset.
More unique and diverse puzzles could go a long way for futureFalloutgames, potentially preventing this “one build to rule them all” phenomenon that the Franchise has slowly turned into. At the same time, futureFalloutgames don’t necessarily have to get rid of these omnipotent builds either. Instead, futureFalloutgames should meet somewhere in the middle, by still offering experienced players the opportunity to become omnipotent, while meanwhile being inclusive to players who opt for more specialized builds, like combat-focused builds.
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