Starfield is nothing if not an interesting game. It might not have hit all the high points that Bethesda hoped it would have, but it's a bold swing at a new AAA open-world universe, which is tragically rare in today's industry. But all the same, Starfield is generally considered to be less compelling than Bethesda's other leading RPG franchises, and the reasons for this shifted perception should be front-of-mind as Bethesda chips away at Fallout 5.
According to recent reports, Fallout 5 has gotten the greenlight from ZeniMax, Bethesda Game Studios' parent company. This means that the next chapter in the retro-future post-apocalyptic role-playing series could be well on its way, though still likely a few years out. Assuming that Bethesda starts Fallout 5 development in earnest soon, it's inevitable that the developer will incorporate at least some of the feedback it got about Starfield, and while there's plenty to learn from that unfortunately underwhelming space-faring adventure, worldbuilding, tone, and overall style ought to be first up on the sanding block.
Fallout 5’s Rumored Greenlight May Be the Final Nail in the Coffin for Starfield
Starfield has been on the back burner for a while, and it looks like that'll continue to be the case, if recent Fallout 5 rumors are accurate.
Why Worldbuilding and Tone Will Be Paramount for Fallout 5
Starfield's World Has Been Lambasted for Being Immature and Toothless
Starfield has received criticism for a slew of miscellaneous features, but its PG-13 tone is one of the most consistent topics of discussion. Bethesda seemed to take aim at a whimsical science-fiction world, but the result is a sprawling galaxy that lacks danger, grit, and maturity. Nowhere is this clearer than in Neon, the self-proclaimed capital of shady and illegal enterprise, not unlike something like Cyberpunk 2077's Night City. But while Night City is appropriately rough, dirty, and rugged, Neon feels like a playground, with cartoonish villains, overtly silly nightlife, and streets that feel safe enough to walk down alone. In a nutshell, Neon, like the rest of Starfield's purportedly dangerous locales, feels sanitized and risk-averse.
Not every video game world needs to be grimdark, of course—there are plenty of great games that thrive on a sense of childlike wonder or wholesome interactions. But Starfield seemed to be targeting something a bit more adult and sophisticated; it isn't a game made in the mold of Sunset Overdrive or Breath of the Wild, that's for sure. Starfield ostensibly wants to be taken seriously as a mature, fleshed-out fictional universe, but it's unfortunately childish and lacking in venom and realism. This is a knock against the sci-fi RPG, but a similar approach could be a death blow for something like Fallout 5.
Starfield Could Have Used More Grit, but Fallout 5 Needs It
A glossy, smooth, frictionless space opera world is one thing, but a bleak post-apocalyptic dystopia is another. Fallout has always been known for its humor and lightheartedness, but these elements only work because they juxtapose the effective end of humanity. The world of Fallout cannot be represented by colorful club dancers, moralist companions, and outlaws that feel pulled from a Saturday morning cartoon: Fallout's world needs to be darker, and more fraught with peril and discomfort.
It's this sense of darkness and fear that makes games like Fallout 3 so special, and while Fallout 4 and Fallout 76 play it much safer, they still feel cut from the same cloth. It would be a shame if Fallout 5 followed in the footsteps of Starfield, thrusting players into a world that has had all of its edges cushioned, putting them in the shoes of a character that doesn't have the agency to do anything seriously wrong. When Fallout 5 does eventually come out, it should give audiences another look into Bethesda's dark, mature, and sophisticated world-building.
Fallout 76
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 54 /100 Critics Rec: 9%
WHERE TO PLAY
Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning creators of Skyrim and Fallout 4, welcome you to Fallout 76. Twenty-five years after the bombs fell, you and your fellow Vault Dwellers—chosen from the nation’s best and brightest – emerge into post-nuclear America on Reclamation Day, 2102. Play solo or join together as you explore, quest, build, and triumph against the wasteland’s greatest threats. Explore a vast wasteland, devastated by nuclear war, in this open-world multiplayer addition to the Fallout story. Experience the largest, most dynamic world ever created in the legendary Fallout universe. Expand southward to Skyline Valley – a brand-new region of Appalachia. Investigate the cause of the electric storm circling overhead and unveil the mystery around Vault 63 and its dwellers, including a shocking new Ghoul type – The Lost.
