Summary
Fallouthas experienced a bump in popularity since the premier of the fan-approved and critically acclaimed Amazon TV series earlier this Spring. Although Bethesda’s iconic post-apocalyptic franchise has never really faded from the limelight,Fallouthas seen its share of controversies over the years, and prior to the live-action adaptation, expectations were fluid as to how the project would turn out. Its success, though, gave the series an injection of goodwill and attention from fans new and old, driving conversations about how it will continue to advance and adapt into the future.
As it’s been nine years sinceFallout 4, Bethesda could now consider taking the franchise in a different direction from themassive open-world RPGdesign that the mainline games have employed. And the TV version might already have provided a good framework for how it could experiment further in this way. Based on a significant subplot from the show, the studio could potentially attempt a less ambitious but no less interesting possibility for aFalloutside project— one that resembles the works of developer Telltale Games in genre and scope.
AlthoughFallout 5is all but assured eventually, Bethesda has currently been focusing most of its attention to continuing support forStarfieldand its upcoming Shattered Space DLC, as well as the recentMilepost Zero update forFallout 76.
Fallout Could Strike Gold With a Smaller, Telltale-Styled Spin-Off
The Fallout TV Series Provides a Perfect Blueprint for the Franchise to Try a Narrative-Driven Spin-Off
While the “main quest” in the show revolves largely around the trio of plucky Vault Dweller Lucy, The Ghoul, and Brother of Steel initiate Maximus, the “side quest” involvingLucy’s younger brother, Norman MacLean, forms a major revelation that affects many other characters.Fallout’s Vaults are infamous for containing dark secrets, often involving unethical experiments conducted on its unsuspecting citizens, and Vault 33 was no different. Norm’s digging into the true workings of the Vault and its council of Overseers uncovered the depth of deceit that underpinned its function and operations. Despite being perceived as cowardly and unqualified, by simply asking questions no one else thought to, and using his specific set of skills, Norm was able to get at the truth; and this shows the potential for aFalloutgame designed around a similar setup.
How a Scaled Down, Narrative-Focused Fallout Game Could Work
Given thatFallout 5is not likely to release any time soon, Bethesda could still give players a fresh experience in the interim, and offer a change of pace from the established formula. The developer has previously shown a willingness to experiment outside usual conventions.Fallout Shelter, the mobile base-building title, contained some intriguing ideas and mechanics, even if it wasn’t precisely what some fans were hoping for in a spin-off. Taking inspiration from Norm’s storyline and thetemplate that Telltale popularized, a narrative-drivenFallouttitle set entirely within a Vault, with the vibe and feel of a detective game, could be a great switch.
A theoretical Telltale-likeFallouttitle based around character choices and dialogue could provide fans with compelling content while alleviating the wait forFO5, perhaps hinting at its elements along the way. There is plenty of leeway to pull from existing lore, for example, by going back in time to a previously seen Vault and learning more about its history, or conversely, introducing a completely new one. Expanding into a genre space thatFallouthasn’t tried yet via a narrative investigation centered around players uncovering aVault conspiracyin the vein of Norm’s plot, and utilizing aspects of Telltale’s design, would provide fans with a unique take while keeping the momentum going ahead of the fifth full length title.
