The Fallout series has seen a few mainline entries and spin-offs, each with distinct styles of combat and exploration. For those seeking a wild time in the wasteland, the best Fallout games will scratch that itch, in which players will use their smarts and their power to navigate through difficult battles against super mutants, irradiated beasts, and other dangerous monsters and people that have made the modern wasteland their home.

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The Fallout games have evolved since the first Vault Dweller entered the wasteland, and whether it’s through V.A.T.S., melee, a gun in hand, or a pretty good dialogue tree, players have plenty of ways to navigate through combat, with some games featuring addictive gameplay loops for players to enjoy.

6 Fallout 2

A Great RPG With Not Much Change To The Combat

Fallout 2 plays almost identical to the original Fallout, and the lack of improvements in the combat system means that the game does not allow for evolution. Whilst there is only a year difference in development time between the two games, the minor adjustments to combat are really not enough to warrant Fallout2 being a superior version based purely on combat, as players are still in for a more turn-based RPG.

Statistics are at the forefront of Fallout 2’s combat, and players are going to need to have an awareness of stats and leveling in order to have a better chance of winning a fight. The unpredictable nature of attacks in terms of damage and turn means that players might end up missing more than a few hits, whilst they themselves suffer the consequence of fighting a gaggle of talking deathclaws.

5 Fallout 3

Ambitious And Welcoming Combat, With A Few Issues To Iron Out

Fallout 3 was the series’ first time an entirely different combat system was available due to the fully 3D environment. Now as a first-person RPG, Fallout3 would have players test their might, as combat was in real-time, and not at all turn-based. With one of Bethesda’s first attempts at a game with guns, Fallout3’s weapons often felt unresponsive, as if a direct shot to the head could somehow be missed.

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The inclusion of the time-stopping V.A.T.S. system allowed players to target individual limbs, and helped to make the combat feel somewhat reminiscent of the original Fallout games, aiding the combat somewhat. Whilst the combat wasn’t bad, it was certainly in need of improvement, and it was often better to just run up to an enemy and spam them with slashes of a machete than to just shoot them from a distance with weapons that often felt no stronger than a BB gun.

4 Fallout: New Vegas

Further Refined Combat For A New Era Of Fallout

Building on Fallout3’s combat system, Fallout: New Vegas does a great job of enhancing what was already there. Whilst most of New Vegas plays identical to Fallout3, there are notable areas of improvement in the combat, like the responsiveness of certain guns hitting enemies, and the inclusion of a decent arsenal of weapons to further flesh out the Mojave Wasteland.

Combat is for everyone, whether they prefer explosives, melee, or guns, and New Vegas proves that with its plethora of useful weapons for every different encounter. Guns feel better, melee weapons hit harder, and V.A.T.S. remains the same, allowing for a versatile way to fight through the wasteland.

3 Fallout 76

Great Gunplay, But Bullet Sponge Enemies and a Lack of Variety

Using Fallout4’s stellar combat as the building block, Fallout76 manages to keep the combat fun, but a little too safe. There isn’t much experimentation or tweaking in the combat for Fallout76, as players still have the same gunplay as Fallout4, but with the addition of V.A.T.S. lacking, and other melee experiences feeling obsolete in the long run.

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The wasteland in Fallout76 is filled with weapons guns and ammunition, so choosing to ignore it for something more melee-focused is not a great idea, The combat within this multiplayer Fallout game is still a lot of fun, but not enough changes were made to make it a better experience than Fallout4, other than the fact that there are beefier enemies to account for more Vault Dwellers working together.

2 Fallout

A Tactical Turn-Based Classic Where Smarts Is Better Than Brutality

Whilst the original combat system of Fallout has since been abandoned in favor of more modern systems, those who enjoy tactical RPGs will cherish the times when combat wasn’t just point-and-shoot. Fallout does a lot of things right for a classic RPG, but the combat system certainly leaves some things to be desired for more modern players.

Players must craft their character’s stats with each level to build an appropriate fighter, and then with their Action Points, they can choose a target to attack, with a random roll of a damage number, or even a miss. This turn-based combat is intricate to the DNA of Fallout, and the original knows how to make it engaging, where even a battle with a rat can spell demise thanks to the unpredictability of each AP move.

1 Fallout 4

Excitingly Modern Gunplay, But V.A.T.S. Suffers From It

Fallout4 is a hard game to beat, where Bethesda really figured out how to craft exciting combat. Upon first impression, the biggest takeaway from Fallout4 is the exciting gunplay, where players will feel responsive triggers from guns that are truly fun to fire. Each bullet can be felt, and the gun crafting makes combat an exciting addition to the game, providing an addictive loop and an eagerness to get into the next fight.

The improvement of power armor can turn players into hulking machines built to bring death to the Commonwealth, but due to the enjoyment of guns, melee combat takes a back seat here, and the addition of V.A.T.S. only slows time instead of stopping it, meaning its use isn’t as essential as it once was.

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