Should I Play Fallout 3 and New Vegas Before Fallout 4?

Yes, absolutely. As an ardent Fallout devotee since the initial 1997 release, I strongly recommend playing Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas before jumping into Fallout 4. Experiencing the first games chronologically enriches the later ones, letting you appreciate clever references and pivotal backstory connections.

You also witness the gradual evolution of post-nuclear visuals, RPG mechanics, and dystopian themes across the core series. Several side quests in Fallout 4 even guide you through locales from Fallout 3, now eerily weathered by another decade of radiation storms. Moments like these hit especially hard if you recognize those crumbling ruins from over 50 hours in the Capital Wasteland years ago.

The Fallout Timeline – Events Leading up to Fallout 4

Obsidian Entertainment, comprised of the original Fallout developers, set their acclaimed New Vegas entry four years after Fallout 3 as a direct sequel starring a mysterious Courier. Then Bethesda Game Studios picked up the reins again in Fallout 4, fast forwarding another 10 years with players controlling a desperate parent searching post-nuclear Boston for their missing son Shaun.

Exploring these games chronologically lets pivotal story threads – like what exactly happened to the Brotherhood of Steel airship that crashes near Boston or the consequences of which New Vegas factions seized power – unfold sequentially. Events feel connected across eras through time rather than vague references to disjointed pasts.

Plus you may encounter some familiar faces. Remember doing quests for the scientific organization known as The Institute way back in Fallout 3? The shady tech company plays a critical role in Fallout 4‘s story as well.

Ranking the Fallout Games – Bethesda vs Obsidian Editions

While fans debate which developer creates superior Fallout experiences between Bethesda and Obsidian Entertainment, most agree both studios have pushed the series to new heights.

Fallout: New Vegas earns exceptionally high review scores thanks to its complex reputation system, flexible quest resolutions, dark humor, and emphasis on roleplaying depth:

However Fallout 3 earns credit for revitalizing the dormant franchise with action-focused first person shooting fused with non-linear exploration across a beautifully devastated DC wasteland. Bethesda‘s subsequent take on Boston absolutely nails looter shooter gameplay and pioneering settlement building mechanics as well.

So both studios contribute meaningfully here – the Black Isle/Obsidian old school RPG writing sensibilities skillfully blended with Bethesda Game Studio‘s technical prowess forging living open worlds brimming with stories to uncover.

Defining Traits of a Fallout Game

Aside from the post-apocalyptic premise, the Fallout franchise distinguishes itself through:

• Retro-futuristic aesthetic: Despite the 1950s setting, sci-fi tech like laser weapons and AI assistants abound thanks to key divergent timeline events
• Dark humor: Morbid jokes and ridiculous pun-laden quest names temper heavier moments
• Open world freedom: Loose central narratives let players freely explore devastated wastelands at their own pace
• Choices and consequences: Key decisions drastically alter outcomes with ethical ambiguity
• Black comedy: The crumbling remains of visionary American exceptionalism now mutated into strange irradiated horrors

These core tenants help the series stand apart from other open world action games or post-apocalyptic media across decades.

Speculation on What Fallout 5 Could Hold

While we likely will not see another main series Fallout RPG until the late 2020s based on Bethesda‘s extensive development timelines, speculation already swirls for potential settings and features.

Rumored locations span New Orleans, Houston, Seattle, San Francisco, Detroit, Toronto, and even Alaska or Hawaii. However East Coast settings seem most plausible considering Fallout 3 and 4‘s success in DC and Boston.

A bombed out post-hurricane New Orleans struggling with elevation changes and mutated bayou creatures could be incredible. Or an oil rig settlement/giant floating city arising from flooded parts of half-submerged Houston complete with desperate refugees, bandit raiders, and exclusive enclaves.

We might expect refined settlement building mechanics carrying over from Fallout 4 plus deeper weapon and gear customization options. Co-op gameplay also appears likely based on Fallout 76‘s emphasis on multiplayer adventures. But the core series likely stays single player focused, potentially with an optional online co-op side mode similar to Red Dead Redemption 2‘s approach.

My Take on Fallout 4 Settlements, Survival Mode and More

As someone with over 50 hours building intricate customized Fallout 4 settlements and 30 hours struggling to simply stay fed, hydrated, and infection-free in Survival mode…I believe these two features immensely strengthen Fallout 4‘s value.

Tinkering with creative shelter designs and display cases for rare loot remains addictive long after completing the main quest. Settlement attacks also help the Commonwealth feel more dynamic while I gear up respective Minutemen guards with customized power armor jetpacks and plasma Gatling guns.

Meanwhile activating gritty needs for sleep, warmth, and way more lethal combat completely alters the feel of this world. Choices suddenly matter far more when fast traveling risks sickness or eating uncooked meat might induce lasting penalties. Threat assessment changes dramatically when a stray bullet causes broken ribs or limb crippling effects.

In short, Settlements and Survival mode let us carve even more nuanced personalized stories of life and loss within the Wasteland. I expect Bethesda will expand these successful new features further in future Fallout titles.

So while Fallout 5 likely remains many years away, be sure to play Fallout 3 and New Vegas now if you missed them earlier. New Vegas‘ cerebral quest lines and Fallout 3‘s striking Capital Wasteland vistas still wholly engage, laying pivotal foundation stories that precede the Commonwealth‘s subsequent struggles. This added context across eras thoroughly enhances appreciation for Fallout 4 moments later when stumbling upon familiar collapsed ruins or descendants of certain characters met previously out in the Wastes long ago.