Most Bittersweet Endings In Fallout Games, Ranked

There are few franchises built in such depressing worlds as that of the Fallout series. Despite being in a post-apocalyptic wasteland that was once America before a devastating nuclear fallout, the franchise has usually had a fairly upbeat demeanor about the gameplay, helped by classic soundtracks and exciting missions.

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However, the generally upbeat style of the Fallout games doesn’t extend to most of the endings that can be achieved in the series. Multiple choices in some of the games lead players to believe there is a more hopeful world out there at the end of the rainbow, but this isn’t really the case most of the time. The endings in Fallout games are usually bittersweet at best, here are several of the worst endings ranked by how depressing they end up being in terms of consequences.

8

Fallout 2

So Many Places To Try & Protect

Systems

Released

October 29, 1998

ESRB

M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Strong Language

Developer(s)

Black Isle Studios

The difficulty with a game like Fallout 2 is that many things that may not seem important enough to bother with can come back to haunt the player at the end of the game. Similarly to the first Fallout, this sequel was a CRPG with a top-down view which was much less advanced than the later entries in the series. However, the number of places and characters which feature in the ending was quite large.

Though the main ending of the game focuses on the Chosen One becoming Elder to a flourishing settlement, many other places factor into the ending and it is difficult not to have some bittersweet elements included. For example, Modoc can either be abandoned or razed to the ground, The Den can be abandoned or become host to slavers. Vault City’s population can end up driven away by radiation, Gecko can be destroyed, Redding can be abandoned and Vault 13’s population can be massacred. It is so difficult to avoid any bad elements that players are almost always twinged with sadness across the many ending cards given to them at the conclusion of Fallout 2.

7

Fallout 4 – Brotherhood Of Steel Ending

A Protected Commonwealth, But Not A Free One

Released

November 10, 2015

ESRB

M FOR MATURE: BLOOD AND GORE, INTENSE VIOLENCE, STRONG LANGUAGE, USE OF DRUGS

OpenCritic Rating

Mighty

There are several different endings in Fallout 4 based on which of the factions the Sole Survivor chooses to side with. The Brotherhood of Steel ending is certainly the most action-packed, involving turning up at the Institute headquarters with a huge anti-communist robot and smashing through their defenses to take the evil corporation down. However, it also involves murdering all members of the Railroad.

This alone is a fairly depressing result, but the Brotherhood of Steel also isn’t what it once was, the dictatorial leadership under Elder Maxson goes on to give protection to everyone, but it is a forced protection that involves paying tribute and leaves the people of the Wasteland arguably worse off than they were before. This alone is a slightly nasty feeling to be left with, despite it being one of the better results for the Wasteland in this case.

6

Fallout 3

Death Like Your Father Before You

Released

October 28, 2008

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs

Developer(s)

Bethesda Game Studios

The ending of Fallout 3 can be changed in some ways based on player actions throughout their adventure, as with any of the games. However, the element of self-sacrifice is an ending that is final and cannot be avoided unless the player installs the additional DLC content to continue the story after that point.

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The ending of the main game involves the Lone Wanderer having to recover a water purifier designed to help humanity recover from an apocalyptic event. The player can either sacrifice themselves in order to get the purifier through all the radiation, or send somebody else to do it and be called a coward in the final credits. Either way, this ending glorifies the father of the Lone Wanderer for sacrificing himself and makes little attempt to recognize the other contributions of the player character unless they sacrifice themselves. Worst of all, the sacrifice isn’t necessarily needed, as the player can send in radiation-resistant companions such as Fawkes, but they will still be called a coward for such a move.

5

Fallout: New Vegas – Caesar’s Legion Ending

Enslavement And A Savage Mojave Civilization

Released

October 19, 2010

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs

There are a number of endings based on various criteria available in New Vegas, the darling of die-hard Fallout fans. Generally, it is considered better to side with the NCR over Caesar’s Legion at Hoover Dam, because the Legion doesn’t end well for the Mojave Wasteland. There are two ending card possibilities with the Legion. The first involves Caesar marching through New Vegas and ridding it of the NCR before enslaving much of the population and lording over the rest.

Somehow, the other option manages to be even worse than that. If Caesar was previously killed, then the Legate will take charge, and that man was even more brutal and unforgiving. Killing anyone who even vaguely opposed him, the Legate became a brutal dictator over the Mojave Wasteland and its population, making for a very poor ending.

4

Fallout 4 – Railroad Ending

Freedom For Synths At What Cost?

The Railroad is an unusual faction in Fallout 4. The other factions want to rule over the Wasteland or “safeguard the future of humanity”, but the Railroad is essentially a violent Synth rights group. The problem with this is that after they get their way, destroying the Institute and the Brotherhood of Steel. The problem is that after doing this, no plan for the future is really left.

The Railroad achieving its goal seems to have never been considered a real option by them. They simply blow up the Institute, cripple the Brotherhood, and give no solutions or ideas as to what may come next. The uncertainty over the future makes this ending feel pretty empty and sad after all the talk of a better tomorrow by so many of the different groups in this entry. The Railroad has neither the numbers nor resources to actually lead the Commonwealth, making them a bit of a nothing option as an ending.

3

Fallout: New Vegas – Bad Karma Courier

So Many Potential Atrocities Committed

Players can commit in New Vegas above any of the other Fallout games to just being evil and cruel to everyone. If they end their playthrough with bad karma, it likely means they have done at least a few of the many horrible things that a player can achieve in the Mojave Wasteland, and their ending will consequently feel much worse than just bittersweet.

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The card itself for bad karma will just refuse to condone the methods of The Courier. Words like “brutal” and “merciless” will be used, and it will be clear that this hero is no real hero to the Wasteland. Additionally, through cards about other places, the player will learn the consequences of whatever atrocities they committed to ending up with negative karma. It is possible to only do bad things instead of really bad things to end up this way, but that isn’t the style of most Fallout players.

2

Fallout 4 – Institute Ending

Clearly Evil Cult Corporation Wins

The debate over the Institute ending of Fallout 4 will rage on among fans. However, there are only a few who will try to say it isn’t the worst possible result in the game for the Wasteland. The Institute begins with what seem to be positive intentions for humanity, but their morals quickly dissolve under further inspection. Their methods do not justify the means, which include murdering your spouse, kidnapping, and brainwashing your child into becoming a dictator, who wakes you up from cryo sleep “just to see what happens”.

The horrors of the Institute mean it simply isn’t worth staying by your son’s side. Their control of the Commonwealth becomes absolute and synths essentially rule over humans in a violent manner. Given this, and the desire of almost everybody else to destroy the Institute, it becomes quickly clear that this is a bad ending for everybody.

1

Fallout 1

Banishment As A Hero

The ultimate surprising bittersweet ending in any game came with the main ending in the original Fallout. This game saw many choices made by the player character as they left their vault bravely to find a new water chip that would literally save the entire vault. Players were initially surprised when they returned with the chip and were sent out again, this time to stop the formation of a super mutant army.

It seems crazy to go from an, albeit dangerous, fetch quest to save the vault to a potential world-saving task that requires the player to be a one-person army. But the worst part is that the player accomplishes this and returns home only to be labeled a hero and then cast out of the Vault forever. Accomplishing everything just to protect their home, only to be thrown out, is the ultimate heartbreak. It only gets worse in Fallout 2 when the consequences of this decision are revealed to lead to this vault’s destruction.

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