Fallout 4's next-gen update is just around the corner, and it's a great opportunity for Bethesda to hone in on some of the best parts of the series that fans love, namely the worldbuilding. Bethesda has already announced it has plans to include some new content from the Creators' Club. While that's exciting news, there's hope that the developer uses the opportunity to refine some of its own content to make the player's experience in the Commonwealth even better, and maybe even rival the popularity of the Capital Wasteland from Fallout 3.
Part of the appeal of Fallout is the opportunity to explore a post-nuclear wasteland from a society that was aesthetically time-locked in the 1950s. Usually recovering hundreds of years after nuclear war, the worlds in Fallout tell unique stories through visual and interactive elements. This works particularly well with open-world gameplay, and said gameplay could be improved upon with Fallout 4's upcoming next-gen update.
What is Fallout 4's Commonwealth?
Where the dialogue and RPG elements in Fallout 4 are considered a bit of a let-down by some players, the worldbuilding has always been a massive draw for the franchise, and the Commonwealth delivers. Set in the (once) beautiful state of Massachusetts, the state and its capital, Boston, were decimated during the war and became a nuclear wasteland along with the rest of the USA. The player character exits their vault 200 years after the war, and while The Commonwealth is a nuclear wasteland, it is showing signs of recovery.
The Commonwealth is any history-lover's dream, and one of the first quests in the main storyline of the game is fighting through a derelict museum depicting the American Revolution. This is at times jarring due to the question of why this exhibition is functional at all after 200 years and a nuclear explosion, but it also serves to drive home exactly where the Lone Survivor is in the context of this crossroads: a new nation that has the potential to take any path ahead of it.
Worldbuilding in Fallout 4's Commonwealth
Like previous games, the Commonwealth has a number of landmarks and locales that make it interesting. One of the most notable examples of this is the Glowing Sea, which was Ground Zero for the nuclear detonation that took out Boston in the war. The Glowing Sea is a completely inhospitable space, with the exception of a faction called the Children of the Atom, a group of fanatics who worship the nuclear bomb and are largely immune to the radiation of the Sea.
This is an example of worldbuilding that players enjoy in post-apocalyptic games, and it is a concrete example of the effect events have on the world of the game. Factions that rise up in response to their environments are one of the core characteristics that make a fictional world feel lived in. This is especially true of video games that exist in worlds that are able to respond and change according to the player's choices and behaviors. It's also an element of storytelling that Bethesda does particularly well, and is something it should hone in on when it remasters Fallout 4.
Fallout 4's Commonwealth Isn't Fallout 3's Capital Wasteland... Yet
The Capital Wasteland in Fallout 3 became an iconic setting in itself. The Commonwealth hasn't been able to reach the same level of depth, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have the potential to take the spotlight in the next-gen update, especially in a game where the dialogue and RPG elements have been criticized. With all the inspiration from history, the ability to build settlements, the different factions to join, and the range of environments the Commonwealth has to offer, Bethesda has the opportunity to really focus on the worldbuilding in Fallout 4's next-gen update and give players a setting that rivals the Capital Wasteland.
Players being able to build dozens of settlements that are entirely lore-friendly was met with overwhelming positivity, and shows the extent that players care about the details in lore. When given the opportunity to use any material they want to build their Commonwealth settlements, many players chose to build only with lore-friendly building materials, with some even forgoing material like concrete for lore reasons.
Why Worldbuilding Matters in Fallout
It's not just the environment that benefits from good worldbuilding, as the storytelling levels up too. The small stories the Commonwealth provides through the worldbuilding and lore has been met with enthusiasm from players. One notable example of this are the iconic vaults, which almost always uses environmental storytelling and enriches the lore of the Commonwealth. Each vault serves as something of a time capsule from before the Great War and has its own unique story to tell, from the people who were sealed inside to the conditions they were subjected to.
It's the details that make the world feel alive, and indication that there's been thought put into it beyond being functional for gameplay. More meaningful action that Bethesda could do to recreate the success of the Capital Wasteland is remove the things that don't make sense, or adjust them so that they do. One notorious example is the power armor in the first major settlement the Sole Survivor encounters. Power armor is the most powerful weapon and armor combo in the game and requires fusion cores to fuel, yet there's a working set just lying in the middle of the street despite the presence of the Minutemen and a rival gang.
The power armor was clearly placed there to give the player a moment to feel powerful, but a full set of working power armor lying in the street for no reason broke immersion for a lot of players, especially those who were long-time fans of the series, specifically because it broke Fallout's lore. This would be something that could be fixed through a line of dialogue, or changing the placement of the power armor from the middle of the street to the inside of a building. Focusing on consistent worldbuilding and lore through details is something that will make the Commonwealth feel like a living world rather than a set in a studio.
Fallout 4 is available on PC, Xbox One, and PS4. It will be released on PS5 and Xbox Series X in 2023.
