Fallout is Sitting On a Gold Mine Without a Small-Scale Spin-Off

Fallout has experienced a bump in popularity since the premier of the fan-approved and critically acclaimed Amazon TV series earlier this Spring. Although Bethesda’s iconic post-apocalyptic franchise has never really faded from the limelight, Fallout has seen its share of controversies over the years, and prior to the live-action adaptation, expectations were fluid as to how the project would turn out. Its success, though, gave the series an injection of goodwill and attention from fans new and old, driving conversations about how it will continue to advance and adapt into the future.

As it’s been nine years since Fallout 4, Bethesda could now consider taking the franchise in a different direction from the massive open-world RPG design that the mainline games have employed. And the TV version might already have provided a good framework for how it could experiment further in this way. Based on a significant subplot from the show, the studio could potentially attempt a less ambitious but no less interesting possibility for a Fallout side project— one that resembles the works of developer Telltale Games in genre and scope.

Fallout Could Strike Gold With a Smaller, Telltale-Styled Spin-Off

The Fallout TV Series Provides a Perfect Blueprint for the Franchise to Try a Narrative-Driven Spin-Off

While the “main quest” in the show revolves largely around the trio of plucky Vault Dweller Lucy, The Ghoul, and Brother of Steel initiate Maximus, the “side quest” involving Lucy’s younger brother, Norman MacLean, forms a major revelation that affects many other characters. Fallout‘s Vaults are infamous for containing dark secrets, often involving unethical experiments conducted on its unsuspecting citizens, and Vault 33 was no different. Norm’s digging into the true workings of the Vault and its council of Overseers uncovered the depth of deceit that underpinned its function and operations. Despite being perceived as cowardly and unqualified, by simply asking questions no one else thought to, and using his specific set of skills, Norm was able to get at the truth; and this shows the potential for a Fallout game designed around a similar setup.

How a Scaled Down, Narrative-Focused Fallout Game Could Work

Given that Fallout 5 is not likely to release any time soon, Bethesda could still give players a fresh experience in the interim, and offer a change of pace from the established formula. The developer has previously shown a willingness to experiment outside usual conventions. Fallout Shelter, the mobile base-building title, contained some intriguing ideas and mechanics, even if it wasn’t precisely what some fans were hoping for in a spin-off. Taking inspiration from Norm’s storyline and the template that Telltale popularized, a narrative-driven Fallout title set entirely within a Vault, with the vibe and feel of a detective game, could be a great switch.

A theoretical Telltale-like Fallout title based around character choices and dialogue could provide fans with compelling content while alleviating the wait for FO5, perhaps hinting at its elements along the way. There is plenty of leeway to pull from existing lore, for example, by going back in time to a previously seen Vault and learning more about its history, or conversely, introducing a completely new one. Expanding into a genre space that Fallout hasn’t tried yet via a narrative investigation centered around players uncovering a Vault conspiracy in the vein of Norm’s plot, and utilizing aspects of Telltale’s design, would provide fans with a unique take while keeping the momentum going ahead of the fifth full length title.