Fallout 4’s Sole Survivor was a mistake, but it doesn’t have to be a waste

One of the most common points of criticism around Fallout 4 Effect it concerned its protagonist, the Sole Survivor. Unlike others Precipitation player characters, Sole Survivor never felt like a player avatar. Instead, with the character’s established traits and backstory, players often felt forced into certain choices and events.

The Sole Survivor stands in direct contrast to the protagonist of Fallout: New Vegasthe Courier, who is essentially a blank slate at the start of the game. Many players enjoyed the freedom this gave them while roleplaying, but that doesn’t mean one Precipitation the protagonist needs to be like this for a game to be successful. There are many examples of role-playing games that feature something similar to what Fallout 4 Effect was looking for, and looking at all these games, you can see how the Sole Survivor concept could be improved in the future Precipitation projects.

Fallout 4’s Sole Survivor is a step below the Courier

Too much pre-established story makes the game feel less like an RPG

Unlike the other games in the main series, Fallout 4 Effect begins before the nuclear war that destroyed the world. As such, it establishes the Sole Survivor as someone who existed in the “normal” world and makes him a fish out of water in the post-apocalypse, which helps him become a replacement player. But it does a little more than that. The time players have to explore the Survivor’s home lets them learn about their connection to the military, family life, and the partner they were married to. taking much of the character’s narrative out of the player’s hands.

Precipitation 3 also established relatives and a place of origin, but allows the player to see their character grow from childhood and make essential choices throughout their development. In the case of something like the Courier in New Vegasthe player has little to no idea of ​​who they are or what they are like until they start making decisions. In both cases, the game sacrifices the simplified narrative Fallout 4 Effect opt in exchange for more player options and control over your own story, something that has traditionally defined the series.

The Sole Survivor Could Still Help Fallout’s Future

Taking what works for the Sole Survivor

But, of course, an RPG can work with a protagonist like the Sole Survivor. Audiences have seen this same formula work well in games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Red Dead Redemption 2. The difference here is that Precipitation has always given players more options in terms of actions and backstory. It is an essential part of the franchise’s identity, and parts of Fallout 4 Effect I still feel like they should offer more options, but it doesn’t feel as natural or open as previous games in the series.

It could definitely work if Fallout 5’s protagonist started out with some pre-established backstory, but should not control a central part of the narrative as it does in Fallout 4 Effect. The game can even take a page out of Cyberpunkbook, offering some detailed starting points for characters that help shape their identities. The Sole Survivor may have hurt Fallout 4 performance, but it was an important experiment to see what works in Precipitation universe that could serve as a basis to improve the protagonists in the future.