The Best Part Of Every Mainline Fallout Game

Summary

• The Fallout series started as a classic turn-based isometric RPG before transforming into the 3D action RPG it’s known as today.
• Fallout: New Vegas is often the fan-favorite, and for good reason, shown in its impactful writing and freedom in player-driven choices.
• The original Fallout games have more niche gameplay, but provide fantastic writing and worldbuilding that is hard to beat.

Fallout has come a long way since the series’ original debut in 1997. From humble beginnings as the turn-based, isometric CRPG from Interplay Productions, to its evolution into a fully-3D action RPG by Bethesda Softworks.

Garnering both critical acclaim and high praise for its unique retro-futuristic atmosphere, interesting lore, and, of course, its incredibly fun gameplay. It solidified its name in the RPG genre alongside Bethesda’s Elder Scrolls series of games. Naturally, throughout its over 25-year lifespan, it has given fans tons of great experiences across each title, so many that it may seem hard to narrow it down. Alas, there is always one part of each game that stands above the rest to provide the best moment of all.

Spoiler Warning: This article will delve into some of the more important parts of each game’s main or side questlines and will contain spoilers.

1

Fallout 76

The Mistresses Of Mystery

Fallout 76 may have been a bit divisive upon its release back in 2018. Being the series’ first foray into being an online experience with some MMORPG elements, it did have its initial “growing pains,” to say the least.

But Bethesda kept with it, working to improve and expand the game with many large updates over the years, to the point where its community has grown to enjoy its ever-evolving, post-apocalyptic rendition of West Virginia.

While the game contains a growing plethora of content at this point, the Order of Mysteries Faction quest line is widely regarded as some of the best the game has to offer thus far. It follows the player as they collect various holotapes that reveal information about a secretive, all-female spy organization. The quests are engaging, putting the player in a sort of “detective” role as they work to discover the various clues along the way, eventually uncovering the truth about the faction’s downfall. What’s more is the exclusive weapons and armor that can be found along the way, like the unique and powerful “Voice of Set” revolver.

The whole questline is engaging to play through and is often regarded as being one of the more well-written plot lines in the game. Of course, made all the more worthwhile by the rewards obtained, making it a part of Fallout 76 that’s definitely worth checking out.

2

Fallout 4

Building Your Own Settlement

Fallout 4 is the most recent true-to-form singleplayer game for the franchise, and it’s hard to believe it’s been close to a decade since its release in 2015. This time around, it brought fans a different, much brighter tone with the new Commonwealth location, a reinvented version of Boston in all its post-apocalyptic glory.

While its story wasn’t regarded as the greatest the series had to offer, Fallout 4 made up for it with tons of weapon and armor customization, as well as gameplay that felt much more fluid than the previous releases.

One of its newest features that provided hours of fun to play around with was the new settlement building system, allowing players to construct their very own settlement and recruit people from across the wasteland as residents. The possibilities were nearly endless, from structures like houses, guard towers, and various decorations, to the necessary resources like crops, water sources, and even stores that could have settlers appointed to run them for buying and selling items.

The system was unique for the series, and seeing all the creative constructions made by the community online even to this day shows that this system provides a ton to do, as players continue to gather resources to upgrade and expand their safe havens even further.

3

Fallout: New Vegas

Player Freedom

Fallout: New Vegas is the fan favorite entry in the series without a doubt, with writing and worldbuilding concepts that seemed to align more with the original games.

Picking the single best part for New Vegas is a tough choice given how much it does well. But the one thing that can’t be denied is how well it conveys its choices and freedom to the player throughout. Player-driven choices are practically a given element in any RPG, but New Vegas stands out for a good reason. Offering choices that are not only interesting but also add weight to the outcome of each decision.

Each of the four main paths leading to the game’s finale is varied not only in outcome but also in beliefs and values. The NCR’s rigid bureaucracy is hardly desirable, but it could seem like a fair option for the Mojave, whereas the brutality of The Legion could obviously seem like the worst option. But the “right choice” is made unclear through the way each faction NPC is written, where even Caesar’s unhinged rambling about archaic ideologies could make a point for his side’s cause.

Overall, giving the player an actual choice in what may be best (or worst) for the future of the Mojave, instead of being based on the value of a simple reward.

4

Fallout 3

A Giant, Nuke-Launching Robot, You Say?

Fallout 3 was Bethesda’s first release in the series, and a very large turning point for Fallout, entirely switching the series’ familiar gameplay systems and perspective. While some long-time fans had mixed opinions at launch, the third mainline installment was still widely loved by many. Providing an approachable introduction for those new to the franchise that certainly had many of its own noteworthy moments.

The most memorable by far has to be the mainline quest “Take it Back!”, where the player advances with several Brotherhood Knights and Liberty Prime to the Jefferson Memorial for the game’s finale. An unsurprising choice, but the idea of fighting off the Enclave alongside a gigantic, nuke-firing robot? Absolute genius. Along the way, the monstrous Liberty Prime continuously hurls mini-nukes at Enclave soldiers as it shrugs off any incoming projectiles.

The Enclave can still put up a slight challenge for the Lone Wanderer, but they’re no match for the monolithic nuke-slinging robot. Regardless, it’s still easily one of the most entertaining and memorable parts of Fallout 3 across the board.

5

Fallout 2

Destroying The Enclave

Fallout 2 seemed like it had all the odds stacked against it. The crunch time for a quick release coupled with the major financial issues for publishing company Interplay, the highly regarded sequel seemed like it was destined for failure. Thankfully, the sequel succeeded by expanding and improving on the formula set out by the first game, while at the same time keeping it true to form.

Along with keeping the gameplay mechanics nearly identical, it also stuck to the fantastic quest and character writing from the original. This certainly becomes apparent in one of the best parts of the game nearing its finale. The “Stop the Enclave” quest sees the player saving the residents of Vault 13 and ending the Enclave once and for all by destroying their main base of operations, an offshore oil rig. Once the Chosen One damages the reactor, they are faced with the final battle against a terrifyingly grotesque Super Mutant experiment, Frank Horrigan. While it proves to be a challenging encounter, not even good old Frankie can sustain multiple crippled limbs, allowing the player to flee as they witness the rig explode in a nuclear blast, ending the Enclaves’ reign in New California. A great and memorable send-off to a great and memorable sequel.

6

Fallout

Unmatched Worldbuilding

It may be easy for some to simply overlook the original Fallout for showing its age. It certainly doesn’t welcome new players with open arms when it comes to its challenging tactical combat and older isometric perspective, but it can’t be forgotten for all that it brought to the table. Taking inspiration from the classic 1988 CRPG Wasteland, and bringing its unique spin on the niche post-apocalypse theme in gaming, ushering in a whole new era for the RPG genre.

While brimming with fun quests and unique characters, perhaps the best part about the original game was its world-building altogether. While newer entries became a bit more lighthearted in some regards, Fallout showed a different side of the apocalypse, providing an interesting, but very bleak atmosphere all around, while still having some comedic relief along the journey. Right from the start, the game wastes no time in putting the fate of an entire colony in the players’ hands, thrusting them into the wasteland to find a replacement water purification chip for the Vault.

Even just traveling through its eerie locations, like Necropolis, a city whose inhabitants were unknowingly subject to one of Vault-Tec’s many evil experiments, subsequently transforming them into ghouls, doomed to live out their days skulking about in the desolate streets of what was once Bakersfield, California. Just one of the many examples of what the original Fallout did so well, bringing on a unique world that balances satire with the horrifying nature of a post-nuclear world.