By
Steven Garrard
Published 1 minute ago
Steven is a seasoned writer specializing in the video game and technological fields, with years of experience creating reviews, features, and industry analysis. Passionate about the gaming world and its evolving culture, Steven always wanted to combine his enjoyment of writing and love for gaming in a way that can provide insightful coverage for players and enthusiasts alike, striving to provide this since he joined Screenrant in 2024.
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Although the Fallout series is having a well-deserved renaissance with the popularity of the TV show bringing it back into the spotlight, it hasn't been an easy road leading up to this point. Having such a massive cultural impact on the gaming world over the years and plenty of games under its belt, being a Fallout fan can be just as exhausting as it is rewarding at times.
With a post-apocalyptic sci-fi series filled with so much creativity and despair at the same time, it's only fair that fans often feel the same, with long gaps between releases and controversial releases being par for the course as a Fallout fan. While the Fallout community itself is easily the best part of the series, there are still plenty of struggles that any Fallout fan can relate to.
You Probably Have A Love-Hate Relationship With Bethesda
Having created several legendary gaming experiences that still hold up relatively well to this day, Bethesda is easily one of the most recognizable game studios out there, especially for the RPG genre. Despite their acclaim, much of Bethesda's legacy also comes from the infamously buggy launches and somewhat outdated game design.
While it's easy to overlook the technical flaws behind the fantastic and immersive storytelling experience each Fallout game deserves, the franchise hasn't exactly been treated well in the past decade or so. With the only new game in the past decade from the series being its controversial MMO, each announcement for the series has just as much potential for greatness as a lackluster re-release.
You'll Spend More Time Modding Than Actually Playing
Fallout London Mod Demo screenshot with the logo in the middle.
With a practically endless catalog of mods for each major game in the franchise, a fully modded Fallout experience can be impossible to recognize at a glance, if you can even get it running, that is. From visual overhauls, UI improvements, model replacements, or arsenals of weapons, the list goes on of how many ways the community has built upon Fallout's foundations.
While mods are easily the most exciting part of any new Fallout playthrough, it's all too common for you to spend countless hours finding and installing mods for a Fallout entry, only to play it for a fraction of the time. With how many technical issues you'll run into along the way, it can take a significant amount of time to get working, but at some point, it takes away from enjoying the game itself.
Fallout Lore Isn't The Most Consistent Topic
The ghoul Captain Zao onboard the submarine in Fallout 4 quest Here There Be Monsters
It's not an easy task to keep consistent worldbuilding across nearly three decades and over 6 games from different developers, which is why it's impressive that Fallout's lore isn't more all over the place. Despite Bethesda's best efforts, there have been more than a few slip-ups and contradictions over the years that get harder to excuse each time.
From small details like Fallout 76's surprisingly beautiful alien-filled apocalypse, arguments over what canon, and even major retcons over who started the Great Wars itself, it's hard to go far in the Fallout community without finding disagreement over one lore-related topic over another, especially with each entry offering more questions than answers.
Official Merchandise Is Often Expensive Or Sold Out
The Fallout series is absolutely loaded with iconic imagery thanks to its retro-futuristic style, with virtually endless potential when it comes to creative or high-quality merchandise. While Bethesda has been knocking it out of the park with their helmet and Pip-Boy replicas, much of the other official Fallout merch has been struggling with price complaints and stocking issues for years.
Whether it's waiting ages to see a restocking of Nuka Cola bottles and other official goodies, or the price is astronomically higher for simple display items, it's understandable why many fans would rather go with aftermarket alternatives, or skip over them entirely.
Your Favorite Faction Is Just As Flawed As The Rest
New Republic of California NPC soldier in Fallout
While some factions, like Fallout: New Vegas' New California Republic or Fallout 4's Minutemen, have the moral high ground in their respective Fallout games, every faction still has plenty of questionable philosophies or methods. From bad strategies, corruption, militaristic tendencies, or full-blown prejudice against ghouls, each of Fallout's factions often walks a line between moral grey areas at best.
This isn't to say that there aren't several fairly cut-and-dry factions, like the Slavers, Nuka World Raiders, or Caesar's Legion, that are more than happy to invite you along their villainous crusades, but even fan-favorite factions aren't free from their fair share of criticism, even if you can overlook some of their rougher edges.
The Future Of The Fallout Series Might Not Be Singleplayer
Even though Fallout 76 wasn't able to achieve nearly the same sales success as its single-player-only predecessors, its addictive live service format and endless potential for microtransactions could be a potential look into the future of the franchise as a whole. With part of Fallout 76's failure being its poor launch, and live service being incredibly common nowadays, it's more than likely that we'll see more multiplayer Fallout titles in the future.
Thankfully, it's hard to imagine Bethesda ever completely abandoning their bread and butter single-player franchises like Fallout and The Elder Scrolls, but that doesn't mean that live service elements couldn't creep their way in over time. Whether through XP boosts, cosmetics, or a plethora of small-scale DLC, hopefully, the Fallout series can retain its identity regardless of its future forms.
There's No Such Thing As A Perfect Fallout Game
NCR ranger firing from on top of the New Vegas sign in Fallout: New Vegas trailer
While there has been endless debate on which Fallout game is the best, each entry in the series has its own share of issues that are hard to ignore on additional playthroughs. From the inaccessibility of Fallout 1 and 2, the clunky combat of Fallout 3 and New Vegas, and a lack of RPG mechanics in Fallout 4, the series still has its struggles.
Even with the unique set of bugs and gameplay issues facing each Fallout game, that hasn't stopped the best aspects from shining through, especially with Fallout: New Vegas coming close to the ideal Fallout experience. Thankfully, mod projects like Fallout 4: New Vegas could help bridge the gap between the weaknesses of each counterpart, getting closer to the series' full potential.
Fan Works Are The Biggest Thing Keeping Fallout Alive
From fan art, cosplay, memes, and full-blown modding expansions like Fallout London that feel like their own game, each creation does more than simply ease the wait for the next Fallout game. Even without major projects, Fallout's modding community has fixed countless problems and quality of life complaints across the series, elevating them to even higher heights than Bethesda could.
Although the Fallout show is easily the biggest reason for the series' return to the spotlight in recent years, it likely wouldn't have had nearly the same cultural impact if Fallout's dedicated fanbase wasn't keeping the franchise alive with countless creative fan games, creations, and other excellent media to enjoy.
The Next Fallout Game Isn't Releasing Anytime Soon
Fallout 4 wanderer character and Dogmeat companion
While there were plenty of hopes that Bethesda had something up its sleeve to follow up on the smashing success of its television endeavors, the anticipated release of Fallout 5 is still many years on the horizon. Even if we did get an official announcement for Fallout 5, Bethesda is focusing all its efforts on The Elder Scrolls VI right now, meaning there's no reliable timeline for the iconic world of Fallout.
Thankfully, there is virtually endless potential for future Fallout projects, with plenty of iconic settings to visit or factions to explore, even if it's only through Fallout 76 or Fallout Shelter updates. Although Fallout 6 feels like a lifetime away at this point, Bethesda's recent release and massive success of Oblivion Remastered have exciting implications for the Fallout franchise as a whole, giving more life to the rumors of the endlessly rumored Fallout 3 remaster.
We Probably Won't See A Follow-Up To Fallout: New Vegas
A figure in NCR Ranger armor holding a gun and standing in front of an NCR flag from Fallout: New Vegas
Despite being one of the highest-rated games in the franchise, with by far the most demand for a sequel or even a simple remaster, the chances of a Fallout: New Vegas remaster seem to be growing slimmer as time goes by. Made under a tight deadline from an external studio, New Vegas has always been in a strange place within Bethesda's ecosystem.
While the new lore surrounding the NCR in the Fallout show seems like the perfect time to have announced any new project surrounding Fallout: New Vegas, all we got so far is an announcement for a New Vegas Collector's Edition. Even if hopes for a New Vegas follow-up are still at an all-time high, it seems much more likely that the previously rumored Fallout 3 remaster will come long before anything else.
Fallout
Created by
Tim Cain, Leonard Boyarsky
First TV Show
Fallout
First Episode Air Date
April 10, 2024
Cast
Ella Purnell, Aaron Moten, Kyle MacLachlan, Moises Arias, Xelia Mendes-Jones, Walton Goggins
Where to watch
Amazon Prime Video
TV Show(s)
Fallout
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Fallout
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PC Games
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