Summary
Spanning over 27 years, theFalloutseries has proved that whilst war never changes, video games certainly do. The post-apocalyptic franchise began with immense popularity thanks to its new concepts, ideas, and mechanics, all of which have evolved into future mainline entries helmed by Bethesda. Yet, the road through the main series hasn’t always been a straight one, and theFalloutseries has helmed more than a fair share of interesting spin-offs.
Like most franchises, it’s not unexpected for spin-offs to occur. Still,Fallouthouses a few oddities because of their unfamiliar territory in terms of gameplay and story elements. Still, the series has also housed some incredible spin-offs that are regarded as some of the best modernFalloutcontent. With the series expanding past the boundaries of games thanks to Amazon Prime’sFalloutseries, it’s time to look into the spin-offs that strengthen the series as a whole.
The odd one out when it comes toFalloutgames,Fallout: Brotherhood of Steelexists as a product that doesn’t actually need to be aFalloutgame, as it doesn’t really try to involve itself in the series in terms of story and world, but more so in the creatures to be defeated in a wasteland. It’s an easier entry and a divisive one due to some story moments that serve as an injustice to olderFallouttitles in terms of characters and aesthetics.
Fallout: Brotherhood of Steelis a unique entry thanks to its top-down gameplay, where action is above all else. The fighting is not turn-based, so players and enemies can fight each other in real-time, albeit with a fast style that can be somewhat disorientating from howlocking on to enemiesworks and how fast players and enemies can move around. ThisFalloutgame is not an RPG, but instead, an action game with theFalloutname and designs.
For fans of the original 2Falloutgames before the modern Bethesda era,Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steelgives the illusion of those games and bears striking resemblance to them in both visual design and the way it feels to play, but don’t be fooled,Fallout Tacticsis more of a tactical game than an RPG, where thecombat takes center stage.
Whilst linear, and not canon,Fallout Tacticshas players form a squad and work as a team with these characters to progress through their goals, which basically involves killing everyone they see. Without the narrative thatFalloutis known for,Fallout Tacticsis often a forgotten spin-off, especially with how difficult it is to get it to run on modern hardware.
It’s well known amongFalloutfans that Vault-Tec is not to be trusted, and perhaps if the player’s morality was involved in thedecision-making for Vaults, things would have gone down differently. That’s whyFallout Shelteris the perfect experiment, as this sim game allows players to build their own Vault and populate it with Dwellers in a 50s cartoon style that compliments Vault-Boy and the general tone of theFalloutseries.
Fallout Shelteris not a traditionalFalloutgame, but it definitely is fun to install for mobile devices and check in on Dwellers every now and then, to assign them jobs and roles in the Vault, and protect them from thehorrors of the Wastelandthat lurk outside. Whether it’s protecting the Vault, exploring the wasteland for loot and caps, or simply building and customizing the perfect Vault,Fallout Shelterbalances an addictive gameplay loop with the tone and familiarity expected from theFalloutseries.
Despite being the most recentFalloutgame on the market,Fallout 76is still a spin-off, as it takes place 25 years after the bombs fell. The story ofFallout 76is not important to the future of the series, and the game takes the series to online multiplayer, in which Vault Dwellers emerge into the beginnings of the wasteland toforge a new post-nuclear war America, together, or alone.
Taking the refined combat fromFallout 4, but integrating MMO-lite elements,Fallout 76continues to service fans of the series with constant updates and DLCs. Whilst the initial launch was a tad rocky, the game has developed strongly into something thatFalloutfans can enjoy together, with additions old and new, thanks to the setting of West Virginia which has more than its fair share of new cryptids and enemies to plague the recent wastelands.
Despite being housed with the main entries,Fallout: New Vegasis technically a spin-off, due to its development outside of Bethesda, and the details of its story.Fallout: New Vegasis not only the bestFalloutspin-off, but easily holds its own in the title fight for the bestFalloutgame. The gameplay fromFallout 3’s engine was further refined, and the characters, setting and narrative threads are so intricate and well-written that it’s hard not to boast about the joys of this game, and even harder still topick a side to fight for New Vegas with.
Fallout: New Vegashas playerstake control of a Courierwho was shot in the head. In search of their would-be killer, the Courier must venture across the Mojave Desert to reach post-war Vegas. The game itself has plenty of exciting RPG elements, with a strong focus on the narrative, as well as its cast of characters. Dialogue is just as important as caps and bullets in New Vegas, and its place in the franchise is welcomed with open arms by fans.
