Five Lessons Fallout 4 Can Learn From Skyrim

IGN has penned an editorial in which they list five lessons they believe the as-of-yet unannounced Fallout 4 could learn from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and considering how pretty much every Bethesda PR campaign starts with the company pointing out the improvements made since their latest game, I’m not going to be surprised if at least some of them actually end up becoming bullet points for the post-apocalyptic retro-sci-fi sequel. Here’s a bit on morality:

Fallout 3 is one of those games that keeps you firmly tethered to the choices you’ve made. And there’s certainly a place for that, especially in those titles that place a distinct emphasis on exploration and non-linearity. The thing is, when you compare Fallout 3 to Skyrim, you realize that Skyrim’s lack of a cohesive morality system gives you more options while removing the need to play a certain way just to keep up the guise of consistency.

Skyrim makes you pay for doing the wrong thing by putting bounties out for you if you get caught wantonly stealing or murdering. But you’re never locked out of parts of the game just because you went on an ill-fated killing spree or stole some potions when a shopkeeper has his back turned. It’s not to say that a morality system shouldn’t be in Fallout 4, but rather that it should be grayer, more nebulous, and a little more open-ended. Heck, Bethesda doesn’t even have to look to its own work with Skyrim for help on that. Obsidian took the gray morality route with New Vegas, and it worked out wonderfully.