What Fallout 5 Needs — and Elder Scrolls, Too
I’ve been a fan of Fallout and Elder Scrolls series for a long time — both the ancient and futuristic theme of both games never cease to amaze me with the similarities and the differences between them.
And like any other avid gamers — I couldn’t help but notice what can be polished, what needs to be removed and added, for the sake of the betterment. Ah yes, all the hundred hours being put in only makes you the better critic of it.
So let’s list what makes the game fun and how we can make it even more fun!
The Legendaries
When you are playing Bethesda’s open world game, there is one thing you always need to keep a lookout after; and that’s the legendary equipment. See, the passion for the hunt is fueled by what is lurking on the next corner of your adventure. For every ounce of time spent scavenging is a time well spent — it’s a time best used for your adventure indeed.
It’s not always about the stats, sometimes it’s the bragging rights, other times it’s the fancy effects, and some other times it’s the cosmetics you’re drawn after. That’s what makes you pumped for what’s next — a shotgun that has quad barrels? a wand that turns the weather? There is satisfaction to be found in every marked and unmarked map markers, and given the diligent searching for every nook and cranny, it will be legen — wait for it — dary!
So what needs to be upgraded from last time?
Legendary weapons mostly came from ultra-hard quests, or came from those unmarked markers on the map — you know, that ominous building lurking on the edge of the map with all the strong enemies inside of it?
Borderlands game franchise has taught me something; more legendary is more fun! Provided it doesn’t flood the game until it actually became useless. What both of Bethesda games needs is more ways to acquire them ( without microtransactions, of course ). From completing minigames to 100%, successfully finished all quest for a certain faction, secret cheat codes — which I would not recommend except for wacky-ass weapons, secret shopkeeper down at the 600th floor at some dungeon, and many more! Make the world a colorful ( but still dull, because you know, fallout ) palette for legendary galore!
The Main Quests
For every sandbox open world game, you will always need a story. Driven by the narrative of your faction(s) of choosing, the compelling story behind it, the characters of all of their own personas, and the main quests should be a story worth pursuing for. For me personally, it is the choice between choosing either red or blue, what drives their motivation and the goals behind it. And a little surprising fact, you’re the protagonist! ( I know, right? ) You’re destined to rule the world and make them bend their knees to you, so you should do it…sometimes the story is even awesome enough to be replayable, to play both sides and get the ultimate satisfaction there is for achieving every ending — or like me, you can just search the YouTube for that. No judgements, please.
So what needs to be upgraded from last time?
You know what a story-driven game needs? A good story. An excellent story, at that. Many RPGs has set the golden standard for such accomplishment so we have a lot of study cases here and there. Characters with a understandable motive and goals always has been the winner ( You’d vouch for the killer too, if the other faction gunned down his wife and dog and car and house ). Excellent storytelling too, is needed. You don’t need to cram the NPCs with hundreds of chat of their hometown if you can just show them visually. Make the character walk through it. Breathe the atmosphere. Feel the cityscape. Be the character itself. It’s called Role-Playing Game for a reason.
The Side Quests
What is an adventure without a little side-strolling every now and then? After all, it’s the detours that make life interesting. The main quests is where the juice is at — they are all gritty and serious and ambitious…unlike one side quest that you need to fetch a frying pan from the next door neighbor. It is non-nuisance, and even if it is, you can choose not to do it. I’d recommend to travel as much as possible and to talk to as many townsfolk as they
So what needs to be upgraded from last time?
Side quests are the intermezzo of every game — casual gamers need it, hardcore gamers need it too. You know what they say, all work and no play makes a game dull. A little fetching quest and a detour of every adventure gives you a unique flavor of the world. All the quirky, fun, weird, no-nonsense side characters are what we encounter in our world — and game worlds too! They gave you a little something to do for 15 minutes worth of fun little task to remind you how much this game has to offer.
Fallout and Elder Scrolls, of course, are one of those serious-y games with less to almost entirely nonexistent quirky characters. I do hope those things change. Make NPCs has fun little dialogues, one settlement that comprises of only stand-up comedians, and add that Wild Wasteland perk from Fallout New Vegas to games ahead ( I still believe New Vegas is the best game, even still now ).
All the Other Stuffs
There are still so many things that can be upgraded — but however, it is an opinion of one mere person against hundreds of game developers. Of course I couldn’t list it all here. But at the very least, I notice one or two or three things that might make the game more fun, more exciting, more replayable, and isn’t that what drives us again and again towards these games? All of the sweat and hard work being poured unto one poetry in motion that is videogame. Fingers crossed we will get another Elder Scrolls: Elsweyr or Fallout 5: New New York or something similar to that! Crossing my fingers now.
