November 10th saw the 9th anniversary of Fallout 4. The game that killed my fandom for the series.
The majority of my life was consumed by fandom for Fallout. I thrifted a copy of Interplay’s Fallout 2 as a child, and enjoyed some truly age-inappropriate moments as I made my way across the early titles. As a teenager I voraciously consumed Fallout 3 and Fallout New Vegas. I proudly boasted about Fallout being one of my favorite franchises.
Then the release of Fallout 4 happened.
It was a massive disappointment for me. Be it the voice-acted protagonist with a predefined goal, the simplification of RPG mechanics, or the bland exploration as every location is fodder for the settlement system, Fallout 4 is the antithesis of what I like about the series.
It was a wakeup call to see that I was in the minority. Fallout 4 was a commercial and critical success, selling around 25 million copies, nearly double the sales of Fallout 3. Sitting at a respectable 87 on Metacritic, nominated for Game of the Year at The Game Awards, and winning at the D.I.C.E. Awards, it is safe to say Fallout 4 was a smash hit.
Outside the realm of professional reviews, the game is beloved. Fans who grew up with Fallout 4 are reaching adulthood, and remember the game as fondly as we remember our childhood games. Social media posts reflecting on the anniversary are overwhelmingly positive. Fallout 4 is liked by fans and critics alike.
Those of us slighted by the change in direction are left in a frustrating spot. This isn’t a case of a series deviating direction and being punished for it, Bethesda has every reason to look at the results of Fallout 4 and consider it a positive move.
The series at large is doing well, too. Fallout Shelter is a well-liked mobile game, 2024’s Fallout on Amazon Video is another critical and commercial success, and even Fallout 76 managed to have a No Man’s Sky-esque redemption after a legendarily bad launch. It would be crazier for Bethesda to look at the current trajectory of the series, and think they were doing anything wrong.
And perhaps they aren’t! I am simply a fan left in the dust of change. When Bethesda purchased the series and released Fallout 3, it created a legion of classic fans who thought the series died the day it was sold by Interplay. At the time, as a huge fan of Fallout 3, I thought they were merely curmudgeonly old fans afraid of change. The exact same thing happened to me with Fallout 4, and now I understand how they felt.
War never changes, but franchises sure do.
What do you think? Do you have any strong memories about Fallout 4? How do you feel about the series in the 9 years since? Let me know in the comments down below!
Featured Image: Bethesda Softworks
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