Reviving the Roots: Unleashing the Potential of Future Fallout Games

Highlights

Additionally, the puzzles and obstacles within the franchise have been simplified, enabling players to create an incredibly versatile character capable of excelling in any playstyle. While this has the potential to reduce the challenge and variety in gameplay, it grants players an omnipotent character experience.

In order to improve future Fallout games, it is important to achieve a balance between giving experienced players the opportunity to have all-powerful characters and allowing for more specialized builds, such as combat-focused ones. Additionally, introducing unique and diverse puzzles can enhance gameplay.

Fallout has evolved significantly from its original top-down turn-based format, although the transition has not been without challenges. One contentious issue within the franchise's community has been the changes made to power armor in the Fallout games, although there have been numerous other alterations since the original games. While the modern Fallout games still have their own merits, they have largely taken the franchise in a completely different direction.

Bethesda's Fallout franchise games have long been regarded as iconic RPG titles, serving as a yardstick in the genre for comparison against other games. Throughout its evolution, the franchise has introduced significant alterations and technological advancements that have undeniably left their mark on the genre. However, not all of the recent modifications made to the Fallout games have been beneficial, particularly considering the current predicament in which the Fallout titles find themselves.

Combat and Weapon Builds Have Taken a Backseat in the Fallout Franchise

In the latest installments of the franchise, the need to invest heavily in weapons for character development and leveling up in Fallout has diminished significantly. In fact, adept players can achieve equal efficiency with weapons without maxing out perks and skills specifically tied to them. This can be attributed to the franchise's departure from turn-based combat, allowing players to rely on their own combat strategies, effectively diminishing the importance of VATS, Action Points, and weapon proficiency.

The Illusion of Role-Playing in the Fallout Games

Instead of strictly adhering to the turn-based combat styles of the original games, future Fallout games can explore new avenues while still enhancing the significance of weapon-related perks and skills. However, revisiting the fundamental elements of the franchise could present an opportunity to accomplish multiple objectives simultaneously.

Fallout games have placed significant emphasis on the act of hacking terminals and lockpicking, which has resulted in a decline of unique puzzles. Despite these iconic aspects, the franchise also incorporates skill checks and combat encounters, yet these elements are not devoid of their own imperfections.

The issue with how puzzles and obstacles are simplified in Fallout games is that it allows players to make their character all-powerful. This "one build to rule them all" has become increasingly prevalent in each subsequent Fallout game, and has arguably reached an extreme in the latest installments. Players can focus on gaining experience and loot from various sources before tackling the main storylines and crucial moments in the game. This strategy has become more and more common in the vast wastelands of the Fallout franchise.

Traditionally, RPGs offer players multiple ways to play, but in recent Fallout games, there are few limitations on combining all playstyles within a single playthrough. A prime example of this is the Bloodied builds in Fallout 76. These builds provide players with a significant boost in damage and SPECIAL attributes, at the cost of reducing their maximum health. Furthermore, players can also incorporate elements of VATS, sneak, and critical hit builds into their character, creating an unparalleled and versatile skillset for the endgame.

Introducing more innovative and varied puzzles in future Fallout games could greatly address the prevailing issue of a dominant "one build to rule them all" scenario that the Franchise has gradually evolved into. However, it is not essential for future Fallout games to completely eliminate these all-powerful builds. Instead, a balanced approach would be to strike a midpoint, wherein experienced players can still attain god-like status, while simultaneously accommodating players who prefer more specialized builds, such as combat-focused ones.