Summary
Even amid discussion surrounding Bethesda’s latest release,Starfield,and its next project,The Elder Scrolls 6, fans are still speculating about the nextFalloutgame’s direction. WhileFallout 76is still receiving content, many fans are looking forward to the next mainlineFalloutgame that will pick up the torch left byFallout 4. Looking back at the legacy of previousFalloutgames could help fans predict whereFallout 5’s story will go, given thatFallout 3contains several major hints at the plot ofFallout 4.
Despite the Obsidian-developedFallout: New Vegasreleasing betweenFallout 3andFallout 4, Bethesda successfully connected the dots back to their previous entry with the plot ofFallout 4by building uponstory beats teased inFallout 3. Characters and plot lines that were set up inFallout 3returned in a major way inFallout 4to give the series a better sense of cohesion, coming off the heels of Obsidian’s entry. Given the long development time betweenFallout 4and whenFallout 5eventually comes out, Bethesda may be wise to follow this same pattern again in order to refresh players' memories of the previous title.
Fallout 3 Sets the Stage for Fallout 4’s Synths and the Railroad
The central conflict withinFallout 4’s Commonwealth is the presence of the Institutionand its creation of synthetic humans, or synths, and how they interact with the other factions within the game. As the Sole Survivor searches the Commonwealth for their son, they will encounter these synths created by the Institute, along with residents who believe that the Institute is trying to replace people with synths, and those like the Railroad who believe that synths are just as human as anyone else and deserve equality. However, these plot points were first introduced inFallout 3, before being further fleshed out inFallout 4.
A major character players will encounter inFallout 3’s Rivet City is Madison Li, a scientist who helps the Lone Wanderer in their quest to finish Project Purity. After the game’s main events, she decides to leave the Capital Wasteland and head to the Commonwealth, where she becomes the head of Advanced Systems at the Institute. This new role sets her up to play a key role inFallout 4, connecting her scientific work at Rivet City and on Project Purity with Father’s child synth project at the Institute.
The Outcomes of The Replicated Man Quest Hint at Fallout 4’s Main Conflict
One of the clearest connections betweenFallout 3andFallout 4comes from The Replicated Man side quest, which can be started by talking toDr. Zimmer in Rivet City. This quest involves searching for a synth that has gone rogue at the request of Dr. Zimmer so that he can wipe its memory and return it to the Commonwealth. Along the way, players will encounter representatives from the Railroad and learn that the synth in question is named Harkness, who has had his memories suppressed and believes himself to be human.
Players can choose toside with the Railroadand let Harkness live freely by telling Dr. Zimmer the synth is dead, or reveal his identity to Dr. Zimmer and give him the code to unlock his suppressed memories. Not only does this quest introduce players to the Institute, synths, and the Railroad, but it also gives them a taste of the type of moral and philosophical questions they will have to face throughoutFallout 4’s synth-centric plot. With this precedent set by the series, it’s possibleFallout 5’s plot might have similarly been teased inFallout 4, or will at least build upon elements first introduced in this previous entry.
