The Fallout series has come a long way since its first title was released in 1997. Today, most players are familiar with the 3D games released in the 2000s and 2010s such as Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas, and Fallout 4. These three Fallout titles are known for being open-world with many side quests and the main plot.
Along with the 3D games came a sort of tradition in the Fallout narrative. For many gamers, it is a tradition that has gotten old. Thanks to this tradition, every main plot begins with finding a certain person in the vast wasteland, be that the player character's father, killer, or missing son. Fallout 5 would do better with a fresh plot device rather than this one that has now been used three times in a row.
The "Find This Person" MacGuffin In Fallout
MacGuffins are plot devices that drive the story. Examples of this include The Amulet of Kings in Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, the GECK in Fallout 2, and Kingdom Hearts in the Kingdom Hearts series. However, Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas, and Fallout 4 all have very similar MacGuffins, as they all ask the player to find a certain someone. This means following their trail in the main quest until they are found.
In Fallout 3, the person that needs to be found is James, the player character's father. He leaves the Vault and the player character leaves as well to go find him and find out why he left. One main quest is literally called "Following in his Footsteps" and the search takes the player to the main settlements such as Megaton and Rivet City. The player is past the halfway point of the main story once they finally reunite with James in Tranquility Lane.
Fallout: New Vegas is a little unique because the main character is a courier rather than a Vault Dweller. Additionally, the person they are seeking is not a family member, but rather the man who shot them in the head, Benny. The player has to seek him out by visiting a bunch of settlement such as Primm, Nipton, Novac, and Boulder City. It is only after Benny is found that the story picks up and splits into arcs depending on the player's choices.
Lastly, Fallout 4 was very like Fallout 3 in that a family member was missing. Rather than a child looking for their father, though, the player is a parent looking for their son. Once again, they visit all the main settlements such as Diamond City, the Railroad HQ, Sanctuary Hills, and Goodneighbor. Most of the main story is already done when the player finally reunites with Shaun.
Why And How Fallout 5 Should Change
Fallout did not always have this plot device which was dependent on finding people. The original game had the protagonist leave Vault 13 to seek a Water Chip rather than a person. Fallout 2 was also different from the latest releases, as the main plot was about retrieving a GECK. Fallout 5 may want to get the series back to these more original roots and take a break from going on wild goose chases with NPCs. This would keep the games fresh in terms of story and the main quest.
With how extensive Fallout's lore is, there is a lot of room for different plot devices. A player could live in a Vault that gets cracked open by Raiders, and they have to find a safe place to live in the Wasteland for themselves and any survivors. They could simply be a mercenary that follows a rumor about great Pre-War treasure, or the plot device could be that the main character or a loved one is sick and needs a cure. The plot device can be revenge, but not against a single person, and rather be against an entire organization that is easy to find but too powerful to attack without a plan and allies.
Players themselves have mentioned on forums that they are tired of the "look for this person" plot device. Fallout 4 was particularly oversaturated with such quests. Outside of finding Shaun, the player had to search all over the Commonwealth to find Kellogg. Even the Far Harbor DLC's MacGuffin was a missing girl that the player had to find. Players really want bigger RPG choices in the franchise, and in Fallout 3, New Vegas, and Fallout 4, main story RPG choices did not really begin until after finding the MacGuffin, and by then the game was already at least near half over.
Why Finding NPCs Became A Fallout Tradition
No one but the developers can truly answer why the last three big Fallout games had the same plot device, however, there are some reasons that can be guessed. A big reason could be that the developers can hit two birds with one stone in terms of storytelling. With finding an NPC, they have both a drive for the plot and a character connection for the player to care about. Getting players to care about characters without making them a plot device can be more work. Characters that are not plot devices typically need more fleshing out and memorable traits to get players to like or dislike them.
Another reason could be about themes the developers want to touch on. A huge theme in the series is tragic loss, whether that be loss of life or loss of humanity. Fallout 3 and Fallout 4 really hit this theme through Fallout characters like James and Shaun, family members who ultimately die in the end. To add to the tragedy, these deaths occur not long after the protagonist finally reunites with these characters. While this is good tragic storytelling, though, Fallout 5 should find a fresh plot. A new plot device would not mean abandoning these themes, but rather, looking at them in new ways.
Fallout 4 is available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.