During a recent interview with Jason Schreier, Todd Howard revealed that Obsidian Entertainment’s mysterious Fallout project is happening because the “timing is right,” but confessed that he couldn’t reveal why the timing was so ideal because “that would be spoiler-ish.” Obsidian’s only Fallout game so far has been New Vegas, and since it’s one of the most popular in the series, fans are eager to see how the developer approaches a new story within the post-apocalyptic universe. Since Bethesda and Obsidian have agreed now is the right time to collaborate again, it has me suspicious that this game is far more important than it’s being let on.
There are a lot of new Fallout games in the works now. Bethesda has revealed that Fallout 3 and New Vegas remasters are happening, and beyond Obsidian’s project, Fallout 5 has officially entered pre-production. As a die-hard Fallout fan, I’ve been over the moon about Bethesda’s recent announcements. I was beginning to believe that Fallout 5 was merely a pipe dream at this point, but Obsidian joining the ranks for a fresh spin-off has actually grabbed my attention more than the mainline chapter, especially after Todd Howard’s conversation with Jason Schreier.
Fallout 5 and Two Remasters Are Great and All, But Obsidian’s Fallout Project Might Be the Most Important One of All
In usual Todd Howard fashion, Bethesda’s longtime leader was incredibly tight-lipped about the new Obsidian Fallout game. Admitting that explaining the reasoning behind the timing being right would be “spoiler-ish” is intriguing, though. There has been a general assumption that this mysterious project is a smaller spin-off compared to Fallout 5‘s mainline status, but it’s possible that the former is just as important to the franchise as the latter.
Guess the games from the emojis.
Guess the games from the emojis.
Easy (120s)Medium (90s)Hard (60s)
The Fallout games have been lying dormant for a long time. It’s closing in on 11 years since Fallout 4 first came out, and Fallout 76 is only two years away from being a decade old. That’s a wild amount of time to pass between releases, so Fallout fans are ready to find out if the next era is worth the long wait. Thankfully, the live-action Fallout series has ignited fresh interest in the franchise, and it could be the partial answer to the question that Howard’s comments have raised.
Obsidian’s Fallout Game Might Finally Be Capitalizing on the Fallout TV Show
One of the most surprising things about the franchise’s past few years is that it has felt like Bethesda has had no real interest in taking advantage of the Fallout TV show. Fallout 76‘s Burning Springs update added The Ghoul as an NPC who offers bounty quests for players, and Fallout Shelter at least added some of the series’ characters. The show has been incredibly successful, so it’s surprising that Bethesda didn’t at least have some kind of Fallout remaster in the pipeline as another way to ride that popularity wave.
It’s been confirmed by the series creators that the Fallout show’s story has been mapped out to run five to six seasons.
However, Obsidian might be answering the call. This is purely speculation on my part, but it would be interesting if Obsidian’s Fallout game was somehow loosely tied to the TV series. Fallout Season 2 mostly took place in New Vegas, and since Obsidian was responsible for bringing that game and its world to life, there is a lot of potential to expand upon that. It doesn’t even have to be a full-blown New Vegas sequel in order to be compelling, though. Season 2 set up the beginnings of a fascinating storyline that Obsidian could potentially explore with its game.
Obsidian and Fallout Season 3 Can Dive Deeper Into Colorado
Colorado’s role in the official Fallout canon has been confusing over the years, but Season 2’s finale made it clear that the state is going to be one of the central locations in Fallout Season 3. With Colorado now set to be a major player in the larger Fallout lore, Obsidian could dive into ideas that the developer mentioned in New Vegas and the Lonesome Road expansion. In New Vegas, Denver became overrun by feral dogs, and a faction known as the Hangdogs learned to live alongside them and grew to revere them.
The mysterious Hangdog faction was known to have fought Caesar’s Legion when the latter traveled to Denver, so exploring the dog-worshipping group and creating new Denver factions would be fascinating. Caesar’s Legion’s dog trainers in New Vegas are actually former Hangdog members that integrated into their society.
Fallout 5 and Obsidian’s Fallout Project Might Go Hand-In-Hand
If Obsidian’s Fallout project isn’t tied to the TV show in any way, then there is also a chance that it could be the first chapter in Fallout 5‘s story. Even though every Fallout game takes place in the same universe, each can be experienced separately without players getting lost. It would be interesting for Obsidian and Bethesda to bring games to life that were deeply tied together for once. Obsidian’s story could serve as a prologue, while Fallout 5 presented the main storyline.
Another interesting direction would be for whatever Obsidian is cooking up to serve as a bridge between New Vegas and Fallout 5. The next Obsidian game could actually be a kind of New Vegas sequel that sets up a return to the West Coast. Since the franchise started in New California, a full-circle moment that brought everything back to this specific wasteland has the potential to be a compelling storyline. Getting to see New California showcased in 3D for the first time could be something special.
Since Bethesda and Obsidian have agreed now is the right time to collaborate again, it has me suspicious that this game is far more important than it’s being let on.
The recent Fallout news has been well worth celebrating, but it might be a while before Bethesda or Obsidian reveal any finer details. Patiently waiting for more Obsidian and Fallout 5 news is going to be tough. On the bright side, this is the most promising update that the games have gotten in a long time, and it’s going to be even more exciting to see how each project fits into the greater Fallout universe.
- Released
-
November 14, 2018
- ESRB
-
M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol
