There are a lot of things thatFallout 5can do with its story, but it shouldn’t be a surprise if Synths don’t play much of a role. Considering thatFallout 4is where Synths first became a truly notable part of the story, dropping them so soon might seem like an odd course of action to take. However, there are some perfectly good reasons whyFallout 5’s story doesn’t need to rely on Synths so heavily twice in a row. In fact, the next game’s story could leave Synths on the sidelines, if they show up at all.
There are a lot ofquestions one can ask aboutFallout’s Synths, especially followingFallout 4’s story. Synths are synthetic humans created by the Institute, and they have evolved steadily over the course ofFallout’s timeline.Fallout 4’s Nick Valentine is an older model of Synth, and his obviously robotic nature, with glowing eyes and exposed machinery behind worn-away fake flash shows that. However, by the time ofFallout 4, Synths have become almost impossible to discern from humans in the Commonwealth. In fact, several characters that the player can meet are Synths, and the player likely wouldn’t know without the game telling them.
RELATED:One Fallout 4 Quest Proves There’s More it Could Teach Future Bethesda Games
Fallout 4’s Synths Are So Important, But May Not Be Viable For Fallout 5
Synths ended up playing a big role in themain story ofFallout 4. In addition to being created by the Institute, other factions explicitly include Synths in their goals as well. The Railroad seeks to protect Synths at all costs, while theFallout 4version of the Brotherhood of Steel desires to eradicate all Synths in the wasteland. It also doesn’t help that in some places, people feud and betray each other over suspicion of one or more people being Synths. Since many Synths are unaware of their existence as Synths, that makes their status particularly fraught inFallout 4’s wasteland.
The prominence of Synths inFallout 4actually provides a reason forFallout 5to not follow traditionand leave Synths on the sidelines. While Synths were highly important inFallout 4, that had the side effect of making them a core part of that game’s identity. It’s more or less impossible to discussFallout 4’s plot without bringing Synths into the conversation unless only the bare minimum is talked about, especially since one of the player’s potential followers is revealed to unknowingly be a Synth. By focusing on Synths,Fallout 5could end up seeming too similar to the last game
In general, theFalloutgames have a tendency to all have their own focuses. For example, in theRPG classicFallout 3, the protagonist’s search for their father drives most of the game. When it came toNew Vegas, the clash between the NCR and Caesar’s Legion dominated the story. The way that Synths were interwoven withFallout 4’s plot is arguably the main prominent aspect of that game.Fallout 5is going to need its own niche to drive the story rather than repeating old ground. For that reason,Fallout 5’s story would need to focus on something new rather than returning to Synths.
Synths are an established part of theFalloutuniverse now, but they may not be necessary for the next game’s story. WhileFallout 5is inheriting a legacyfrom the rest of the series, it also needs to stand on its own.Fallout 5is already destined to be compared to the rest of the series, so it doesn’t need to provide even more reasons for scrutiny. Synths being so core toFallout 4means thatFallout 5could potentially suffer from featuring them prominently. For that reason, Synths may fade into the background whenFallout 5takes place.
