For years, fans of the ultimate post-apocalyptic franchise, Fallout, have been patiently waiting for the next installment in the series. It seems like Fallout 4 was a lifetime ago, launching way back in 2015, and 2018's Fallout 76 was the lowest-rated release in the history of the franchise. In June 2022, a glimmer of hope appeared on the horizon, with Bethesda's Todd Howard confirming that there is a plan to create Fallout 5 following the launch of both Starfield (2023) and Elder Scrolls VI (TBC).
It was a stunning piece of news for the fans who remain hungry for another Fallout title, but there's still a long road ahead at this moment. Unfortunately, Todd Howard suggested that all that existed of Fallout 5 was a "one-pager" document containing the roughest outline possible. As the game hasn't even begun to be sketched out, the development team have a completely blank slate before them. At this point, Fallout 5 could be absolutely anything.
8 Bring Back Karma
As an iconic, core mechanic in the older Fallout titles such as Fallout 3 and New Vegas, the karma system should return in Fallout 5. It would be one of the biggest improvements that the franchise could receive, re-introducing the concept of choice and consequence actually meaning something.
In Fallout 4, the karma system was stripped away, and while some have an impact on the story, many of the player's choices feel watered down and without meaning. When Fallout 5 is finally released, players need that immersive ability to truly shape their character into either a paragon of the wasteland or an evil scourge of the apocalypse.
7 Silence The Protagonist, Or Make Them 'Better'
When the Fallout protagonist was unvoiced, players saw remarkably open-ended conversations simply littered with dialogue choices. In Fallout 4, however, every conversation was dumbed down and players' response options were crammed into one of four choices. This 'streamlining' was the result of having a voiced protagonist for the first time in the series, and it took away a little something from the grandeur of Fallout.
As the series beings to move into the realms of Fallout 5, it either needs to see the return of the silent protagonist or simply provide players with more conversation options. Fallout is one of the oldest and most iconic RPG franchises out there, spanning more than twenty years of gaming history. It should be the king of immersion, not a weak, watered-down experience.
6 Feel Like An Apocalypse
War, war never changes - but it doesn't become more entertaining, according to Bethesda Game Studios. While Fallout 3 felt chilling and raw, Fallout 4 felt more like a more brightly-colored gallop through a wild wasteland studded with comedic one-liners and jaunty characters. It was a fantastic game, but it felt less desperate and, overall, way less threatening.
If BGS approaches the development of Fallout 5 with one key driver in mind, it should be the goal of making the game feel more like an apocalypse. To that end, players need more survival aspects, a more hardcore experience, and the lingering apprehension caused by the potential to find a threat around every corner.
5 Blow Open The Backstory
If there's one part of the timeline that Fallout fans would love to explore, it's close to the Great War itself. In 2077, the bombs fell in the Fallout universe, but the closest that players have ever gotten to that event is in Fallout 76, which is set in 2102. It would be a remarkable thing to explore the very origins of the Fallout wasteland weeks, or even days after the bombs have fallen and civilization has ceased to exist.
If Bethesda Game Studios designed Fallout 5 as the earliest game in the franchise, it would change the formula entirely. While it would strip away many of the features and functions that make Fallout the game that it is, it would truly stand firm as the ultimate post-apocalyptic survival RPG title. It would be one of the biggest improvements to the Fallout franchise as it would rip fans away from what they're already expecting.
4 Let Us Live Anywhere
If there's one thing that Fallout 76 did well, it was opening up the ability to build almost anywhere. When Fallout 4 was introduced, the settlement construction mechanic was welcomed with open arms, even if some players found it to be somewhat arbitrary to the main game. It was a franchise first of sorts, and it gave players the freedom to make their mark in the world that they were attempting to immerse themselves in.
However, Fallout 4's build mode was restricted to specific locations, outside of mods. In Fallout 76, players gained the ability to put down a C.A.M.P. wherever they desired, so long as it wasn't within the boundaries of an established location. If Fallout 5 could improve in one key way, it would be this: allow players to build extensively, wherever they want, and however they see fit. This looks to be the case in Starfield, so it should certainly be a mechanic in Fallout 5.
3 Make Stealth Viable
Fallout has always seemed like a franchise that should accommodate perfect stealth mechanics, but it never really has. There are features, such as the Stealth Boy that directly suggest stealth should be a viable approach to any situation in the game, but aside from some rough-around-the-edge mechanics, stealth doesn't truly exist in the Fallout universe.
While there are suppressed weapons and perks that boost stealth stats, players who desire a sneakier mode of play are often left wanting. In Fallout 5, it would be superb if stealth was made truly viable, introducing silent or non-lethal takedowns, taking advantage of light and sound manipulation, and having the mass and literal build of a player make an impact on movement.
2 Roaming The Wasteland
As Fallout evolves, the open-world environments tend to become larger and more ambitious. In Fallout 76 (2018), players were treated to the largest map in the history of the franchise, but their mode of transport remained fixated solely on their own two feet. In Fallout 5, Bethesda should take a note from Fallout 2's book and introduce vehicles of some kind.
In Fallout 2, players gained access to the Highwayman: a fully functional car. If Fallout 5's map is set to be as open and as expansive as some expect, it would be fantastic to see some kind of vehicle introduced. It isn't an unrealistic expectation, and in terms of the game itself, BGS could write an entire storyline around the creation or discovery and subsequent maintenance of the vehicle.
1 Co-Operative, Not Multiplayer
When Fallout 76 was announced, fans were expecting Fallout 4 with friends, but that isn't what they ended up receiving. If Fallout 5 is going to introduce some kind of multiplayer feature, it should be strictly contained to a cooperative experience. For many players, the ability to play with one or two friends at a time in their own respective game worlds would be much better than a full-blown MMO platform.
Following the relative failure of Fallout 76, there's no way that Bethesda Game Studios will push for another multiplayer title set in the Fallout universe. In any case, the developer reportedly has a multi-year roadmap in place for the live service game. In Fallout 5, BGS should give players the opportunity to enjoy the wasteland with friends, without making it a mandatory requirement.
Fallout 5 has been confirmed by Bethesda Game Studios but is not yet in active development.