5 Things I Want to See in Fallout 5

Earlier today, Bethesda went live on Twitch. The feed is nothing more than a monitor with a Fallout theme on it and a bobblehead sitting on a table, but that hasn’t stopped the internet from freaking out. There are currently 131,000 people watching this stream, and the chatter online is all about Fallout 5. To be clear, I have zero faith we’ll see Fallout 5 any time soon, but as someone who has pumped over 500 hours into Fallout 4, and actively plays Fallout Shelter, I’m perfectly happy to sidestep reality for a moment and consider the things I’d like to see in Fallout 5.

5 - Better Settlement and Building Support

It’s easy for me to look at settlements and building in Fallout 4 and think it’s great, but I must remind myself that I’m a PC player who can go outside Bethesda’s approved mods, and even make use of console commands to improve my building options. In Fallout 5, I’d hope to see more in-depth building options out of the box. The ability to better clean up the clutter in settlements (Spring Cleaning mod), and a big improvement on how items snap together would be a solid start. Adding the ability to build anywhere, or establish settlements anywhere, would also be welcome.

4 - Have Multiple Companions Simultaneously

Like most things on this list, mods have already fixed this (at least on PC), but there’s no reason players shouldn’t be able to take Dogmeat and another companion with them at the same time. Hell, even two human (or a human and a ghoul, or a human and a super mutant) companions. At maximum affinity, companions unlock useful perks that can benefit gameplay. Having to balance the personalities Cait and Piper would be interesting, but it would also be cool to experience various in-game moments with more than one NPC at your side, such as returning to Vault 111.

3 - Expanded Faction and Settlement Integration

I’m a big fan of factions in Fallout 4. They feel meaningful and the conflicting ideologies between the Railroad, Institute, Brotherhood of Steel, and Minutemen have a major impact on the game. It forces the player to make real choices that matter. What I’d like to see added is the ability to gain affinity with each settlement and recruit them to the player’s preferred faction. Imagine seeing the Brotherhood of Steel dominate the Commonwealth, potentially opening new end-game content and changing the tone of the entire experience. Of course, not everybody enjoys settlements, so the option to ignore them must remain.

2 - An Entirely New Setting to Explore

The Fallout series has spent considerable time on the West Coast, and made stops in Washington, D.C. and Boston. I’d like to see the series push the envelope with its next entry and possibly head somewhere people aren’t expecting. What about London or Paris? Tokyo or Beijing could offer unique opportunities, as could Hawaii. At this point I’m just listing random locations around the world, but the point is that I’m not looking to return to California, Washington D.C., or Boston. I’d like to see Fallout 5 go somewhere it hasn’t been. Tell a story that hasn’t been explored yet. The series is all about global annihilation, so the list of possibilities spans the entire world. Just stay out of space; it didn’t work for the Civilization franchise.

1 - Full Co-Op Gameplay Support

As I get older I find myself enjoying single player and co-op experiences more than multiplayer. If there is one feature I could guarantee makes it into Fallout 5, it would be co-op. Building settlements or exploring with a friend would put it over the top. It would open new gameplay opportunities and give me the ability to share one of my favorite franchises with a buddy. Co-op can make a mediocre game tolerable, and it could make a great game incredible.

With the list complete, I must emerge from my daydream and remember that Fallout 5 isn’t going to happen any time soon. What’s more likely is we see Fallout 4 on Switch, or even an Elder Scrolls game (also unlikely). Still, Bethesda appears to be up to something, and their knack for making great games means people are going to hope and speculate, write meaningless lists, and spend their evenings tuned into a live stream that is largely uneventful, but somehow still the most interesting thing happening in video games today.

Bill Lavoy

Managing Editor

Bill, who is also known as Rumpo, is a lifelong gamer and Toronto Maple Leafs fan. He made his mark early in his career through guide writing and a deep understanding of editorial SEO. He enjoys putting in the work to create a great content, be it a wild feature or grinding out an in-depth collectible guide. Tweet him @RumpoPlays if you have a question or comment about one of his articles.