Fallout 5seems inevitable at this point, with the enormous success of the TV show and the continued legacy of the franchise - even despiteFallout 76’sfailings - likely seeing Bethesda already begin preparations for the next game. It will be great to see a new entry in the franchise if only to get a glimpse into how the various next-gen upgrades can benefit the gloriously bleak world of theFalloutseries. However,Fallout 5needs to be careful not to replicate a lot of the series' staple features, as it runs the risk of feeling stale.
There is a lot that the series should learn from other games, including manyfeaturesFalloutneeds fromStarfield, as it has somewhat stagnated with recent entries outside the inclusion of cooperative multiplayer. Fortunately, there is such a rich selection of games forFallout 5to take inspiration from when it comes to its worldbuilding, combat, exploration, and even visuals. Importantly,one of 2025’s biggest games offers the perfect blueprint from whichFallout 5should build,as it shares a lot of the same DNA asFallout, but is taking it in a fresh new direction.
Fallout’s Setting Is Getting Old
Bleak Wastelands Can Be Interesting For Only So Long
Fallout’sapocalyptic setting, or, more specifically, its trademark brown and beige barren wastelands and shack-riddled cities, is getting old. While it felt novel in the first few entries, as no other game offered something quite as comprehensively designed,Fallout’s setting now feels tired, a dull location that can offer nothing beyond what players have been seeing for decades. That’s not to say that it can’t work at all, but rather, Bethesda’s continued approach to it, and by extension,Obsidian Entertainment’s withNew Vegas, has stagnated.
The limitations of the mid-2000s, coupled with the rising trend of sepia-toned video games likeRage,Gears of War, andCall of Duty, excuse the bleak and somewhat boring appearance ofFallout 3andNew Vegas.
Of course, the limitations of the mid-2000s, coupled with the rising trend of sepia-toned video games likeRage,Gears of War, andCall of Duty, excuse the bleak and somewhatboring appearance ofFallout 3andNew Vegas. They’re not without detail, as each environment is filled to the brim with excellent environmental storytelling and horrific sights, but they were nevertheless monotone in their approach to world design.Fallout 4, however, didn’t really share the same excuse, as its change of setting and improved technical capabilities should have seen it offer something a tad more lively.
Unfortunately, while there is more variety inFallout 4, there isn’t enough to move it significantly away from the series' trademark bleak wasteland. EvenFallout 76failed to move the franchise on in any meaningful way, as it stuck to the same visual template it’s had since the first game, albeit with a few more colors and trees thrown into the mix.A lot of this has to do with Bethesda’s limited Creation engine, as well as the fact thatFallout 3andNew Vegasshare a lot of the same assets, as doFallout 4and76.
Pros & Cons Of Fallout 5 Being A Direct Sequel To Fallout 4
Fallout 5 is a chance for the franchise to return to what made it great, but it could also change pace and continue the story it started in Boston.
It is one of the manyfeaturesFallout 5should abandonfrom the main franchise. This issue also extends beyond the visual similarities between each game as, while every location does have its own unique factions, they’re often stuffed with the same assortment of raiders, Brotherhood of Steel, and Enclave. While it offers a cohesive feeling to the series' worldbuilding, it becomes harder to separate each entry as a result. However,that might be easier to stomach were the location to offer something new, but when it’s all the same each time, it quickly becomes boring.
Fallout 5 Should Take Inspiration From Atomfall
It Has A More Vibrant And Immersive Setting
Of course, it’s easy to defendFallout’sbleak and bland wastelands due to the fact that they’ve been eviscerated by nuclear bombs in a devastating war. While that is certainly true, and would apply to several locations within America,it’s not hard to imagine a pocket of the world that has perhaps gone untouched or, has, in some way, been uniquely affected by the aftermath. This is whyRebellion’sFallout-esqueAtomfallis such an appealing prospect, as it takes the concept of nuclear fallout and showcases how it affects the still luscious English countryside.
Rather than being set in a gray city or brown wasteland,Atomfalltakes players on a journey across the rolling green hills of the Lake District in England. Players will venture to idyllic British villages, come across vibrant forests with sparkling rivers, and, occasionally, stumble across bizarre, twisted, and colorful areas that have been mysteriously affected by the radioactive fallout. It is a gorgeous-looking game, one that takes everything Rebellion has learned from its globe-trottingSniper Eliteseries, and applies it to a unique take on theFalloutformula.
Fallout 5should absolutely take inspiration fromAtomfall, a game that has, ironically, quite liberally, taken inspiration from it, by offering a completely new location that will surprise veteran players and appeal to those who have grown tired of, or simply never enjoyed, its barren wastelands. It could still capitalize on the core tenets of its worldbuilding, such as thecompellingly mysterious vaults, deeply radioactive areas, and ruined cities while showing how nature has overtaken it all, or how it has become mysteriously corrupted by seemingly otherworldly elements.
Fallout Could Change Countries Like Fallout: London
It Would Be A Refreshing Change
If theFalloutseries wanted to keep its trademark monotone setting to maintain its somber worldbuilding, then it could always shift countries. ThephenomenalFallout Londonconversion modshowcased just how this could work, as it, in many ways, executed theFalloutformula better than Bethesda itself, despite being made by a group of volunteers. Boasting a number of unique factions, all new lore ideas, and, of course, an entirely new setting that’s both fantastical and believable,Fallout Londonis evidence of how well aFalloutgame can work when taken out of the confines of the series' traditional setting.
As interesting as America is as a backdrop for theFalloutseries, it does feel like it’s been mined for everything it has to offer. Getting to see how other countries are dealing with the fallout, as well as how their unique landscapes have been affected by it, is an inherently appealing prospect. That’s whyAtomfallworks so well, asit showcases an entirely different and frankly ridiculously underused location with plenty of untapped potential. Changing countries also means the potential fornew factions inFalloutas well as entirely new enemy types.
A Horrifying Fallout Legend Could Be The Perfect Type Of Enemy For Fallout 5
A horrifying classic enemy could be one of the best enemies for an upcoming Fallout game. His influence, creepiness, and powers make him legendary.
There are plenty of options when it comes to diversifyingFallout’ssetting, whether that’s by making it visually more vibrant and fantastical, or simply more diverse, or by shifting countries to offer it entirely different landscapes and cultures. It is interesting thatFallouthas never ventured beyond the visual and geographical template set out in the very first game, especially when there’s so much more to its world that could be explored. Hopefully,Fallout 5will break this trend and finally do something new with the franchise.
