Even Fallout’s creator is worried about Fallout 5
The Doomsday clock is nowhere near midnight, as we know Bethesda's next Fallout game is a long way off. Firstly, the gaming giant has to get Starfield out of the way, then turn its attention to The Elder Scrolls 6. Only after that can we really get excited about the potential of Fallout 5.
The radiation of the Wasteland has evolved Fallout into an almost unrecognisable beast compared to Interplay's original RPG of 1997. Fallout 4 was released as a fully-formed action RPG in 2015, and while we know a fifth mainline game is coming, there's little to go on so far.
Fallout creator is worried about Fallout 5
These days, Fallout comes under the steam of Bethesda, however, that hasn't stopped original creator Tim Cain from having his own thoughts on where things are heading. Despite Fallout having moved with the times and largely having improved from its Interplay days, Cain is worried about what else will be changed.
"I'm concerned about Fallout 5 directly," explained Cain. "Yes, I watch all the Fallouts and I see what they do. Fallout 3 got rid of traits, and I really like traits. I think they're wonderful things you balance in character creation. Then Fallout 4 got rid of skills. They're just gone. Which really made Fallout 4 just S.P.E.C.I.A.L. and perks."
Losing the S.P.E.C.I.A.L. system from Fallout would be a complete overhaul of what we know, and according to Cain, he thinks that's where it's heading. "I'm really concerned that maybe Fallout 5 is just going to be perks, maybe no SPECIAL."
He concluded, "I don't know what's going on there, but there certainly is a trend to eliminate choice at character creation." While we're guessing Fallout 5 will be a very different experience to Fallout 4, axing the S.P.E.C.I.A.L. system would be a real shame. Of course, Cain is just sharing his thoughts instead of having any evidence.
What do we know about Fallout 5?
By the looks of it, Fallout 5 could be the franchise's first Xbox exclusive. Leaked emails from the FTC (via IGN) hearing have confirmed that all future Bethesda releases are planned as Xbox exclusives, while others suggest that Fallout 5 isn't locked out of PS5 - although a decision hasn't been made yet.
There's been talk about a New Orleans setting, which has also been backed up by one Bethesda artist. With the games having never left the United States, we'd imagine a foreign excursion will be left to the ambitious Fallout: London fan mod.
Bethesda's Todd Howard said there was a "one-pager" for Fallout 5 back in 2021, but in case you haven't noticed, the studio is pretty busy with other projects right now. All signs point to Fallout being a long way off, and to be honest, we wouldn't be surprised if it misses this generation of consoles.