The Fallout series has carved a unique niche in gaming history, blending post-apocalyptic grit with sharp wit and sprawling RPG adventures. With recent buzz around a potential Fallout 3 Remastered utilizing Unreal Engine, it’s time to dream big for Fallout 5. Here’s a vision for what Fallout 5 should be: a triumphant return to the West Coast, doubling down on RPG mechanics, dark humor, the best of Fallout 4’s innovations, and then some, all powered by the stunning capabilities of Unreal Engine. Sit back and relax, since this take on what Fallout 5 should be like is pretty lengthy.
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A Return to the West Coast
The West Coast, home to the original Fallout and Fallout 2, is the heart of the series’ identity. From the dusty wastes of the New California Republic to the ruins of Los Angeles or a reimagined San Francisco, this setting offers a rich tapestry of lore, factions, and conflicts. Fallout 5 should dive deep into the NCR’s struggles—perhaps its overexpansion or internal corruption—while reintroducing iconic groups like the Brotherhood of Steel, or Enclave remnants. New factions, born from the region’s unique history, could add fresh dynamics, like a tech-worshipping cult in Silicon Valley’s ruins or a nomadic raider tribe thriving in the desert.
The West Coast’s aesthetic—barren deserts, crumbling urban sprawls, and retro-futuristic relics—would shine in Unreal Engine’s hands, delivering breathtaking vistas and intricate details that the Creation Engine often struggled to achieve. Imagine exploring a neon-lit, skeletal Los Angeles skyline or a foggy, overgrown San Francisco Bay, all rendered with Unreal’s photorealistic lighting and dynamic environments.
Don't get me wrong; from the Gamebryo engine to the Creation 2 engine, Bethesda has utilized the best of that technology in every title, and the games look beautiful (still do to this day). But for that next step, I believe the Unreal Engine is the right path to continue the journey. Who knows what Starfield would be like if they had transitioned? Fingers crossed we see TES: VI in Unreal Engine. I mean, check the UE5 turtorial trailer below and just imagine what UE6 could be like for Fallout 5..
A True RPG Renaissance and a Good Old Dark Humor
Fallout thrives when it embraces its RPG roots, and Fallout 5 should prioritize player choice, deep storytelling, and meaningful consequences. The game needs a robust skill and perk system, reminiscent of Fallout: New Vegas, where every dialogue choice, skill check, and faction allegiance shapes the world. Want to talk your way out of a raider ambush using high Charisma? Convince a faction leader with a Science skill check? Or sneak past a Deathclaw with Agility? These options should feel impactful and rewarding.
The narrative should be morally gray, forcing players to wrestle with tough decisions. Should you support the NCR’s flawed democracy, a charismatic warlord promising stability, or a radical faction with a utopian vision? Multiple endings, tied to your choices, would ensure replayability. Companions, a staple of the series, should return with rich backstories, personal quests, and reactivity to your actions, akin to New Vegas’s memorable cast.
Fallout’s black comedy—think the one from Fallout 2—is non-negotiable. Fallout 5 should lean into this tone, delivering quests that blend grim stakes with biting satire. Picture a quest where you uncover a Vault designed to test consumerism, its inhabitants brainwashed into worshipping a pre-war soda brand, or a radio DJ whose cheery broadcasts hide a cannibalistic cult. Dialogue should be sharp, with witty one-liners and absurd scenarios that make even the bleakest moments darkly hilarious. And let's not forget all the good things the post-apocalypse has to offer: stealing, gambling, sexual exploits, slavery, and much more that could be depicted with a borderline freakish comedy, which makes for a Game of the Decade and not just a year!
Building on Fallout 4’s Innovations with Unreal Engine
Fallout 4 brought groundbreaking features that Fallout 5 should refine and expand. Settlement building, a divisive but beloved mechanic, deserves a comeback with greater depth. Imagine constructing thriving towns with unique aesthetics (NCR bunkers, raider shantytowns, or high-tech enclaves) that attract faction-specific settlers and influence regional politics. Dynamic settlement attacks, tied to your alliances or enemies, would make these outposts feel alive.
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| Room in Post Apocalypse in UE5 |
Power armor, reimagined in Fallout 4 as hulking, customizable war machines, should return with even more variety. And we should really add drivable vehicles of every kind to the game! I mean, Fallout fans crave this since the Highwayman (car that you could "drive" in Fallout 2), and not to mention Fallout: Tactics, where you had a nice choice of drivable vehicles. I imagine drivable vehicles would be scarce, but it would be very rewarding to repair a one-sitter helicopter (like the one from Mad Max 2) after you dealt with the gang trying to use it to take control of an area or similar. So yeah, I expect this feature in some form.
The Creation Engine, while functional, has long been a bottleneck for Fallout’s ambition. Unreal Engine, as rumored for a Fallout 3 Remastered, would be a game-changer for Fallout 5. Its superior rendering capabilities could deliver sprawling, densely detailed open worlds—think overgrown urban jungles, shimmering desert heatwaves, or irradiated storms with real-time weather effects. Character models and animations, often stiff in Bethesda’s engine, would gain lifelike fluidity, making companions and enemies more expressive and immersive.
Unreal’s performance optimizations would also address longstanding issues like load times, frame rate drops, and bugs, ensuring a smoother experience. Dynamic lighting and particle effects could elevate combat, with plasma rifles casting eerie glows or explosions scattering debris. Combined with Unreal’s support for large-scale environments, Fallout 5 could offer seamless exploration across massive cities and desolate wastes, free from the Creation Engine’s clunky zoning.
Gameplay, World Design, and Atmosphere
Combat should blend Fallout 4’s polished gunplay with deeper RPG mechanics. V.A.T.S. remains a must, but with new perks and skills that enhance tactical options (e.g., targeting weak points or chaining attacks). Enemy variety—mutated creatures, robotic horrors, and human factions—should feel distinct, with unique behaviors and weaknesses.
The open world must balance exploration with purpose. Random encounters, hidden Vaults, and quirky side quests should pepper the map, but the main story and faction arcs need to feel urgent and interconnected. Fast travel could be limited early on, encouraging players to traverse the wastes on foot or via vehicles (a repaired motorcycle or a jury-rigged Vertibird, perhaps), making every journey a story.
Fallout’s retro soundtrack is iconic, and Fallout 5 should mix 1950s classics with new, eerie originals. Imagine exploring a ruined Hollywood studio to the tune of a warped Ink Spots record or fighting raiders as a distorted Rat Pack track blares from a jukebox. Inon Zur’s atmospheric score should return, enhanced by Unreal’s audio capabilities for immersive soundscapes—distant mutant roars, creaking ruins, or the hum of a flickering terminal.
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| Post Apocalyptic Street in UE5 |
Fallout 5 has the chance to be a love letter to the series’ origins while pushing it forward. A West Coast setting, steeped in NCR lore and new conflicts, would ground the game in Fallout’s roots. A focus on RPG depth, dark humor, and player choice would honor its legacy, while Fallout 4’s settlement building, power armor, and crafting would keep it modern. Powered by Unreal Engine, the game could deliver a visually stunning, technically smooth experience that the Creation Engine could never achieve. If Bethesda (or whoever takes the reins) embraces this vision, Fallout 5 could be the ultimate wasteland adventure—a game that captures the series’ soul while redefining its future. In the meantime, Is it possible we get a new Fallout game in 2025?
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