The post-apocalyptic world of Fallout has been through many changes since Bethesda acquired the IP. Black Isle Studios originally intended the series to focus more on role-play while Bethesda concentrated on action. They wanted to make the series more accessible to all gamers, and it worked. Fallout has become one of the most popular video game series. With its retro America themes and catchy old world radio stations, gamers have fallen in love with Fallout.
Faithful fans of the series were not so happy with the changes Bethesda made. Though the game has become more accessible by switching isometric gameplay for a first-or-third-person view, the story has suffered. There are several side stories, and even main story plot points, that end up making no difference. We can’t place all the blame on Bethesda, as even Obsidian, which employs some former Black Isle Studios members, also failed players by putting in some pointless quests.
It’s not shocking to see that Bethesda’s games often face several issues, from gameplay and story. Their attitude towards story changes has been dismissive and almost insulting. Long-time Fallout fans don’t forget the lore of their favorite series so quickly. The developer might try hard to make us feel like our decisions matter or will be a reoccurring theme in the series, but have ultimately dropped the ball.
Our spoiler-filled list compiles some of the most pointless decisions and events in the series.
25 Don’t Let Vault 87’s Mutants Fool You
The first Fallout game sets the Vault Dweller out into the post-apocalyptic world alone. The hero must find a water chip to save his or her people from drought. They will eventually run into the frightening Master, a monster who was once human. Meanwhile, the Master was mass producing Super Mutants to serve in his army. These aren’t the cannon fodder you’ll find on the East Coast.
The Master’s Super Mutants are intelligent beings just like most humans.
They’re also quite civilized and have worked together to build safe places to live. Of course, there are some outliers, but the majority of the Master’s creations are intelligent beings. Bethesda changed Super Mutants to all be brutes. An intelligent Super Mutant is so rare on the East Coast we can name them on one hand.
24 Researching A Survival Guide
In Fallout 3, you'll meet Moira Brown. She's the upbeat woman who owns the Craterside Supply in Megaton. She asks the Lone Wanderer to do some research for a book she's writing, The Wasteland Survival Guide. Researching the book is a multi-part side quest. While you can complete each part like the good little Vault Dweller you are, you can also just lie about completing the mission, too.
If you choose to destroy Megaton, Moira will survive, although now as a Ghoul, and the quest can be completed. For all the trouble you go through, the side quest is useless. Convincing Moira not to write the book at all will grant you a more powerful perk "Dream Crusher" which grants higher bonuses than the Survival Expert perk.
23 Trying To Find Love In The Commonwealth
Fallout 4 may have made you feel sad about being a widow, but Bethesda wanted you to keep going. They added the option to flirt and romance most of your companions, along with the "Lover's Embrace" perk. Fallout: New Vegas hinted at Rose of Sharon Cassidy being interested in the Courier, but nothing ever came of the attraction.
Fallout 4 players may have begun playing with hopes of a Bioware-style romance but were let down.
Romancing doesn't help in any way and only adds a few lines of flirtatious dialogue. You can still obtain character perks just by reaching a high enough friendship level. If you've romanced a character, then spend the night with Magnolia of Goodneighbor, your companion won't care. Romance means nothing in the Commonwealth.
22 A Super Mutant’s Long History
Harold is a mutant, though not a Super Mutant or Ghoul, who was changed by the effects of the FEV. He has appeared in the game since Fallout 1. Harold is a friendly, non-feral creature who has interacted with all of the protagonists of the series. He begins to grow vegetation from his head but doesn't seem upset about his circumstances. By the time the Chosen One finds him, Harold is helping rebuild an old nuclear power plant near Vault City. Harold was an inspirational character to many, as he never let his bad luck or age keep him down. Fallout 3 completely changed that. Harold was now a tree trapped in the Oasis. Once a character filled with a sense of adventure, the only thing Harold wants now is an end to his suffering.
21 His Destiny Is Not Helping You
Fawkes is one of the few intelligent Super Mutants living on the East Coast. He's trapped in Vault 87 until the Lone Wanderer frees him on their quest to obtain the Garden of Eden Creation Kit. Fawkes will return the favor by fighting off the Enclave to help you escape Raven Rock. For many, this is the last time you'll see Fawkes.
If your Karma is high enough, Fawkes will offer to join you in your quest to turn on the Water Purifier.
At this point, James is gone for good, thanks to radiation poisoning. You might think this is the perfect opportunity to use Fawkes to turn it on instead. Unfortunately, Fawkes proves himself useless. He won't help you when it matters most.
20 Maybe We Won’t Help That Next Settlement
Radiant quests have been part of most Fallout games. These quests are well-known in Fallout 4 thanks to the sheer amount of them. Preston Garvey turns out to be a deep character, but most players can't get past his settlement quests. Preston isn't the one person who has radiant quests. The Brotherhood of Steel's Scribe Haylen will ask you to fetch flux sensors. The Railroad's Tinker Tom won't stop asking you to place weather manes throughout the remains of Boston. Bethesda placed these in the game to give the Sole Survivor one more pointless thing to do. You'll receive some caps or even a new settlement, but in the end, it doesn't make any difference to your ultimate goal.
19 One Challenge You Can Skip
Nuka-Cola is one of the Fallout series' most well-known products. Sierra Petrovita in Fallout 3's Girdershade is one of Nuka-Cola's biggest fans. She owns several rare collectibles and is happy to give the Lone Wanderer a tour.
As with any RPG, Sierra doesn't want to do the hard work and asks the Lone Wanderer for help.
She wants you to retrieve Nuka-Cola Quantums for her. If you can't craft them, you'll have to find them throughout the Captial Wasteland. The search will take you all over, and in the end, it's a waste of time. Sierra will give you the Nuka-grenade schematics. Don't be impressed. You can just buy the schematics from a caravan merchant, Doc Hoff, or find them in Cliffside Cavern for free.
18 The Illusion Of Choice
Every Fallout game has different factions your character can join. Fallout: New Vegas contains a wide variety of factions, along with minor factions, and groups along The Strip. There are always new people to meet on your journey.
In Fallout 4, your Faction choices are severely limited to: The Railroad, Institute, Brotherhood of Steel, or the Minutemen. The Sole Survivor has the choice to join all four with no consequences. The factions also immediately take you in with no question. If you decide you don't like any of them, you'll still get to take out the other groups. In the end, it might be worth being a Sole Survivor and not worrying about the petty squabbles of the Commonwealth. Your main priority is supposed to be finding your son, Shaun, right?
17 An Honest Heart Leads To The Same Result
Salt-Upon-Wounds is the cruel leader in charge of the White Legs tribe. The Courier is forced to take him in Fallout: New Vegas' Honest Hearts DLC. The Courier works together with Joshua Graham to take down the ruthless man. Salt-Upon-Wounds won't go down without a fight.
Graham can get his hands dirty by himself, or the Courier can take Salt-Upon-Wounds' fate in their hands.
The Courier and Graham will take out all of the tribe. Another option is to let Salt-Upon-Wounds go free. Fate isn't so kind to him after leaving his tribe. He wanders the Mojave in a daze. Fate is even worse for the White Legs tribe as they're wiped out after leaving Zion Valley. The result is the same, no matter which option you choose.
16 Words Don’t Matter
Conrad Kellogg's is burned into the Sole Survivor's memory. Nate or Nora can recall everything about his appearances while talking to Nick Valentine about watching him steal Shaun. Though it becomes a terrible memory, after experiencing the Commonwealth, you can see how it changes people. These people didn't have the opportunity to live in peace like Nate or Nora. When you find Kellogg, you'll get several dialogue options to learn more about the man. He might not seem that bad. It was just a job to him, and he once had a son, too. To Bethesda, words don't matter here. They force you to fight and destroy Kellogg. You could have easily found out that the Institute uses teleportation by fighting any Synths during your journey.
15 Just Press The Button Already
The people of the Capital Wasteland have been drinking dirty, irradiated water for decades. There’s been no other option until James and his late wife develop Project Purity. The Enclave finds out about this project and is determined to take over the project. If they win, they can control the flow of water. If the Brotherhood of Steel wins, everyone gets water.
Overall, the Capital Wasteland will gain access to clean water.
Ideally, the BoS will turn on the purifier, but does it matter which human presses the button? If Sarah Lyons or the Courier turns it on, they will both suffer radiation poisoning and wake up a few weeks later, almost completely recovered. The result is still the same: clean water will flow through the Capital Wasteland once again.
14 Wait, I Was Married?
In the previous Fallout games, role-play was highly encouraged and part of the fun. Fallout 4 is the first game where you start off as a married character. There was little opportunity to role-play because your character would talk about their predetermined background. Marriage and children seem to have a major part of the fame when you first start Fallout 4.
During character creation, you have the option to customize your spouse. There are also a few dialogue options to make it feel like you're married. Overall, any interaction with your spouse and even your child are meaningless. Your spouse takes out within the first few minutes of the game. Lovingly care for Shaun, and he doesn't feel the same after reuniting. Your real family becomes the bonds you forge with your companions over the course of the game.
13 It Was Going To Explode Eventually
One of the first settlements you'll enter is Megaton. Sheriff Lucas Simms is a friendly leader who welcomes you with open arms. Most of the settlers try to avoid the giant undetonated atomic bomb in the middle of the settlement. Allistair Tenpenny of Tenpenny Tower can't stand the sight of the fort. He will request the Lone Wanderer to detonate the bomb. In exchange for the evil act, you'll get a beautiful suite inside the tower.
Word of your misdeed will quickly spread throughout the Capital Wasteland.
Once you reunite with James, he will be disappointed. Overall, he's just happy to see you. He won't care about what you've done in the past. Moving forward is all that matters to the Lone Wanderer's father.
12 Amusement Park Offers Little Fun
Nuka World was the last expansion pack of Fallout 4 and finally allowed players to be in charge of Fallout’s Raiders. If you want to be a raider, kiss all of your progress in the Commonwealth goodbye. Any friendships you made will be lost, and companions will become aggressive. Helping the three Raider factions also means you’ll have to fight them. Trying to keep the peace is a pointless task.
Luckily, there is an alternate solution. The Sole Survivor can take out every single raider in Nuka World and free the slaves. By taking this action, it makes the entire EP pointless and just one more settlement to clear out. It's up to you if you would clear them all out from the start or befriend them first. Either way, two of the groups have the same grisly fate.
11 Either Way, You Get Some Shiny New Firepower
Fallout 3 contains a few virtual reality moments that you're forced into participating. One of the most important moments is helping your father, James, break out of a dog's body. Another simulation the Lone Wanderer will have to enter is during the Operation Anchorage DLC.
The Brotherhood of Steel Outcasts wants to get into the Virtual Strategic Solutions, Inc. Armory and demand the Lone Wanderer's assistance.
They believe it will contain arms and armor that will help them in the Capital Wasteland. The Lone Wanderer has to complete the simulation to unlock the door. When it's open, a civil war will occur between the Outcasts. You can either help them or take them all out. Either way, you'll still have access to the full contents of the armory.
10 The Hydra Of The Mojave
Caesar's Legion is a scary group of men. They take children and treat women like property. If you choose to get close to this faction in Fallout: New Vegas, you'll learn their leader is ill. The Courier can enslave Doctor Arcade Gannon to heal Caesar or choose to let him suffer and pass away. The Legion doesn't change once Caesar passes. Legate Lanius will take over command. He and Caesar share similar views and will move forward as if nothing happened. Seeing Caesar pass away may seem sad at first, but all of the men under his command are almost the same, ideology-wise. No matter what your choice is, Caesar's Legion will live on unless you take out the entire group.
9 Who Knew Lawyers Could Also Be Architects
The settlers of the Commonwealth worship the Sole Survivor. Apparently, over the course of 200 years, the Sole Survivor is the only person who could help them rebuild their cities. Except for the Great Green Jewel of Diamond City, most people are living in the broken remains of cities while those on the West Coast have rebuilt entire cities from the rubble. Preston Garvey knows you’re skilled and will keep asking for your help to rebuild settlements. He loves progress, especially when you do all the work.
While Bethesda has given your character a predetermined background, they also want your character to be the ultimate problem solver.
Ultimately, you working on these settlements doesn’t mean much. Settlers have been building shacks for years and will keep moving on, with or without your help.
8 Little Consequence For Bad Choices
The karma system in Fallout is meant to make you think twice about any of your actions. In Fallout 3, you may believe that destroying Megaton will be hilarious, but it will lower your karma. Other obvious choices, such as enslaving people, hurting passive NPCs, or stealing items, will also hurt your karma score. Three Dog, DJ of Galaxy News Radio, will also attempt to shame you on-air.
Karma doesn't mean much because it can be raised immediately after. Keep giving the settler in front of Rivet City a Nuka-Cola, and you'll gain good karma in little time. Any bad karma choice can immediately be evened out with a good choice. It's easy to see why Bethesda would choose to remove the Karma system in Fallout 4.
7 Who Knew It Would Be This Easy?
One of the first missions in Fallout 4 has the Sole Survivor climbing into Power Armor. There’s no training or no information about using it. Nate may have had some training during his military days, but Nora the lawyer shouldn’t have had previous knowledge. How would she even know how to insert a power cell into the armor in the first place? Bethesda doesn’t want you to ask questions.
In past games, the protagonist had to have special training before they set foot into any Power Armor.
Wielding this much firepower was a special treat and not something any settler could do. Fallout 4 wants you to forget this was ever a requirement. They want you to believe you’re an incredibly skilled, intelligent fighter who can take on the world.
6 His Fate Was Already Rigged From The Start
Fallout: New Vegas' Benny is one of the last faces the Courier sees before being buried. This man has also stolen your precious cargo: the platinum chip. Your primary goal is to seek out this thief and possibly get your revenge. Benny has the same fate, no matter what you do. Either you can end his thieving days on the Strip for good, or Caesar will take care of it first. If you choose to give Benny love instead of harm, he will end up captured by Caesar's men. Benny can be destroyed in various ways. If you refuse, the entire Legion will turn against you. Benny will also be in their sights, and he won't leave their property alive. Though you might forgive the thief, the game has already sealed his fate.