The Fallout franchise is no stranger to compelling mysteries, and the fifth mainline game in the series will hopefully continue this tradition. Right now, there's no telling when the next Fallout game will arrive, but it will be compelling to see how Bethesda chooses to shake up the series.
There is virtually nothing known about Fallout 5 besides the fact that Bethesda has plans to release it after The Elder Scrolls 6. Beyond that, details like the location and the year it's set in are currently being kept in the dark. Traditionally, Fallout has followed a general narrative centered around a post-nuclear America after the Great War, but the games can be enjoyed as standalone experiences. However, if Fallout 5 wanted to experiment with tying up some loose threads, finally closing the case on Fallout 4's Fens Phantom might be a good place to start.
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Years Later, Fallout 4's Fens Phantom Mystery Still Remains Unsolved
What is the Fens Phantom?
Fallout 4's Fens Phantom is an in-game mystery that was discovered in the Fens Street sewers in Boston. When exploring through the sewers, players will eventually stumble upon mysterious Xs that are marked on the walls. These markings may seem random at first, but they actually are evidence of a serial killer: the Fens Phantom. For Fallout 4 players who search even further in the sewers, a series of holotapes can be found that reveal messages left by the Fens Phantom.
The holotapes are titled "Dear Detective" and they hold voice messages directed to an unnamed Detective that the Fens Phantom is antagonizing. There are four holotapes in total, and they tell a brief, but fascinatingly eerie story. Tapes 1, 2, and 3 tease a planned meeting between the two, but Tape 4 reveals that the Detective met an apparently grisly end. In Tape 4, the Fens Phantom says, "I didn't want to hurt you, detective. I didn't want to hurt you, but you hurt me first. Now I know you didn't mean those things you said. And I forgive you, detective. It doesn't matter anymore. Now you are here with me. And we have all the time in the world to get to know each other." Fallout 4 is filled with mysteries, but the Fens Phantom is one of the creepiest.
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Fallout 5 Could Lift the Veil On the Fens Phantom
To this day, the identity of the Fens Phantom remains unknown, and it seems as though Bethesda never really gave players a way to solve the murder mystery. If Fallout 5 wanted to connect itself to another game, continuing the Fens Phantom story could shake things up with a dark, detective-inspired side story. Of course, this may depend greatly on Fallout 5's setting.
The Fallout franchise has embraced showcasing a fresh wasteland with each new entry, and it's likely that Fallout 5 will feature a new location, too. There's always the possibility that the Fens Phantom managed to escape Boston and continue his killing spree in another city, but that may be farfetched.
I didn't want to hurt you, detective. I didn't want to hurt you, but you hurt me first.
Fallout 5 Details Remains Locked Away
The wait for Fallout 5 is bound to be a long one, but it will be thrilling to finally see what plans Bethesda has for the next chapter. There may not be any clear Fallout 5 news on the horizon, but whatever the game has in store for players, it hopefully features its own mysteries that are just as baffling and disturbing as the Fens Phantom.
Fallout 4
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