I hold Fallout 1, Fallout 2, and Fallout: New Vegas in the highest regard. These games established an iconic post-apocalyptic environment, a mature and gritty world, and unique, retro-futuristic art and design. I even liked Fallout 3, despite it's flaws I could find some good in it with mods. Unfortunately however, Bethesda's handling of Fallout 4 and Fallout 76 has completely derailed the franchise, transforming it into a grotesque parody. It's sad to see how all and every aspect of what makes Fallout Fallout has been butchered by Bethesda.
1. Environment and Art Style:
3. Worldbuilding and Storytelling:
Fallout isn't Fallout anymore. Let's call it Failout shall we? Bethesda’s changes have fundamentally annihilated the soul of the game, transforming it from a mature, gritty, and unique RPG into a bland, generic, and ludicrous action shooter game. And not even a good shooter it can be. I don't get why Bethesda wanted the IP so badly when they quite obviously hated everything about it. Conclusion, I can not play this garbage and can not support Bethesda in any way.
1. Environment and Art Style:
- The unique, bleak landscapes and haunting dead forests and desert wastes of the original games have been replaced by generic, lush green environments. This outrageous change obliterates the series' distinctive atmosphere, making it feel like any other run-of-the-mill game, instead of somthing uniquely Fallout.
- The once inspiring retro-futuristic art style has been reduced into a goofy 50s comic book aesthetic, resulting in a clean and colorful world that feels absurdly out of place in the Fallout universe. It's nauseating how default, boring and uninspired everything looks now.
- Iconic weapons and style from Fallout 1 and 2 have been mercilessly discarded in favor of bulky, impractical, and hideous 1890s fantasy-style guns. The fact that all weapons are left-handed just because "the shells look cooler" is a slap in the face to player immersion and practical design. How stupid can anyone be?
3. Worldbuilding and Storytelling:
- Bethesda's worldbuilding is laughably nonsensical. Children surviving 200 years in a fridge? Seriously? Newspapers remain untouched after two centuries in the open, as if printed yesterday. This game is great in breaking any semblance of immersion and believability with each step you do in it's world.
- The world is infested with immortal NPCs that can't be killed, completely destroying the stakes and immersion of the game. The world map is in a way big and also tiny at the same time. It feels cluttered, a far cry from the expansive, engaging landscapes of the originals. (Even if in FO1 and FO2 it was nothing more than a well executed illusion)
- Quests are insultingly simplistic. Most interactions boil down to fetch quests. Sometimes NPCs in the same room can't even be bothered to talk to each other. It almost feels as if Bethesda believes players are incapable of handling engaging quests. But the truth is Bethesda is incapable of creating any.
- The S.P.E.C.I.A.L. system and perks have been gutted beyond recognition. Player builds no longer matter, and perks are rendered useless, obliterating any sense of progression or specialization. You are good in everything no matter what build you play.
- Settlements and crafting systems have replaced interesting locations and story-driven exploration, making the game feel like a half-baked, poorly executed version of Minecraft.
- Dialogue options have been eviscerated. A dialogue wheel with four options? For real? And they even lead to the same outcome? FOR REAL? Just reduce player choice and agency to a joke. Thank you, got you.
- Beloved features like crippled limbs and radiation poisoning have been insultingly dumbed down. Crippled limbs magically heal after a short time, and radiation is reduced to a health bar meter, losing all the impactful gameplay and storytelling elements they once had.
- Combat is now the only solution. Gone are the days where you could talk your way out of a fight, or do anything besides shooting. Bethesda forces you to shoot everything and everyone - minus - the nonkillable NPCs, making the gameplay feel monotonous and devoid of the depth that defined the series.
Fallout isn't Fallout anymore. Let's call it Failout shall we? Bethesda’s changes have fundamentally annihilated the soul of the game, transforming it from a mature, gritty, and unique RPG into a bland, generic, and ludicrous action shooter game. And not even a good shooter it can be. I don't get why Bethesda wanted the IP so badly when they quite obviously hated everything about it. Conclusion, I can not play this garbage and can not support Bethesda in any way.
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