Fallouthas been a popular franchise in the gaming community for decades, with fans agreeing thatFallout: New Vegasis one of the series' best entries. Featuring a compelling story, classic RPG elements, and impactful choices that matter,Fallout: New Vegasset a high bar forFallout: New Vegas 2that many players feel wasn’t entirely met with the latestFalloutentry,Fallout 4. While there have been no confirmations onFallout: New Vegas2, there are ways thatFallout 4could affect a possible sequel if announced.
First announced in 2009,Fallout: New Vegaswas released in 2010 with positive reviews from fans and critics. Bethesda Game Studios bought the license toFalloutin 2004, with the IP purchased in 2007, releasingFallout 3in 2008, and Bethesda changed the formula by making theirFalloutgames 3D with real-time combat. With a sequel commissioned, they reached out to Obsidian Entertainment, as most of their developers were busy withSkyrim,and Obsidian releasedFallout: New Vegasin 2009 to commercial success. WhileFallout: New Vegaswas intended as a DLC forFallout 3, it eventually became a full-fledged game.
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Why Fallout 5 and New Vegas 2 Could Use Synths
Synths are synthetic humans, called androids inFallout 3and known by their common name inFallout 4, where terminals highlight the need for the name change in part due to their dangerous evolution. Manufactured by the Institute in the Commonwealth for decades, Generation 1 and 2 synths were naturally mechanical, whereas Generation 3s were bio-organic, nearly identical to human beings.Fallout’s Gen 3 Synths, despite denials from their creators, maintain distinct levels of sentience and try to escape the Institute.
Different groups inFallout 4view them in other lights, though. The Brotherhood of Steel, for example, views them as existential threats to the survivors of humanity, whereas The Railroad views their treatment as akin to slavery. Nonetheless, the Synth Retention Bureau hunts down any that successfully escaped, even though many Synths are sent to abduct and replace humans in the Commonwealth.
While these androids orSynths are referenced inFallout 3, back when Bethesda Game Studios bought the series, their presence isn’t mentioned inFallout: New Vegasor earlier entries. This could indicate that they’re entirely based in the East or hadn’t been invented by the timeline ofFallout: New Vegas. However,Fallout: New Vegas 2could use Synths as antagonists, mainly focusing on the possible threat to humanity the Brotherhood of Steel sees them as.
ByFallout 4,many are indistinguishable from humans, have replaced citizens for espionage purposes, and, depending on the player’s activities with the Institute, can become more hostile. If the Institute is destroyed, Synths embrace hostile methods toward the player character, meaning that they could eventually view more humans in that light and pose significant future threats depending on the state of the Institute in aFallout: New Vegassequel.
The Brotherhood of Steel’s Future in Fallout: New Vegas 2
The Brotherhood of Steel is an organization that has appeared in nearly everyFalloutgame as a group of people preserving pre-war technology and human knowledge. They believe that this technology will be used for future generations' betterment. However, their focus on combat technology calls this motive into question in many circumstances, as they could focus on another pacifist tech to plant seeds or enhance civil engineering, which is rarely done, if at all.
The Mojave chapter features inFallout: New Vegas, founded by Elijah after being sent east by the Elder due to his ethically questionable use of their technology and plans. The new chapter becomes located in the Hidden Valley bunkers, where Elijah works to enhance and create new technology rather than preserve it. Many years in the desert and Las Vegas area allowed the obtainment of different pre-war technology almost unhindered until the involvement of and subsequent war withFallout’s New California Republic.
The war with NCR leaves the Mojave chapter in dire straits, where half their members are killed. Their headquarters embrace a strict isolationist mentality, killing anyone who approaches except Hidden Valley patrols. WithinFallout 4, the Brotherhood in the Commonwealth is led by Arthur Maxson, a more comprehensive representation of the Brotherhood and a chapter formed collectively from the wastelands in the east.
IfFallout: New Vegas 2were to be released, seeing the revitalization of the Mojave chapter and the technology it accrued and built would be worthwhile to explore. Especially by the timeline ofFallout 4, the Brotherhood of Steel could have accepted the Mojave chapter, or if it maintained its isolationist front, it could lead to possible conflicts with the remnants of the Brotherhood on the East and west coasts.
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Fallout: New Vegas 2 Should Feature Choices That Matter
One of the criticisms ofFallout 4was its weak points on classical RPG elements. This was first seen because the player character is voice-acted and provided with a detailed background. While this fleshes out the character’s motives and story inFallout 4, essentialRPG elements likeFallout: New Vegas' leave most of these conditions blank, allowing players to role-play their own story and background into the character’s narrative. This helps play out the character players want to be in the game.
Other aspects that were called into question were the consequences of choices. For example, inFallout: New Vegas' choicesseemingly mattered more (which earned Obsidian many compliments) where players couldn’t make every faction happy, and choices they made were discerning and negatively played out for others. InFallout 4, many players felt their intentions were limited or shallow, able to balance the factions even if some choices reflected their actions and shut out options.
The consensus forFallout 4was choices didn’t carry as much weight.Fallout: New Vegas 2should take risksin order to avoid the same mistakes, seeing as the playerbase preferred how options and factions were portrayed in the originalFallout: New Vegasgame. This is an essential lesson because though Bethesda Game Studios was playing with a new idea, it didn’t pan out the way they most likely expected. Instead, players preferred the more significant elements found inFallout: New Vegas.
Fallout: New Vegas 2is reportedly in early talks.
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