Fallout and Elder Scrolls series writer Emil Pagliarulo thinks Fallout 4 is the most replayable game in the series because factions are intertwined.
Speaking to GamesRadar+, Pagliarulo explains: “The interesting thing about Fallout 3 is that there are no faction missions,” while noting Oblivion and Skyrim’s quest lines such as the Thieves Guild, Fighters Guild, and Dark Brotherhood. He continues: “For Fallout 4, it was the first time we said, ‘You play Skyrim and you play these factions, but they’re just connected from the main mission. They’re really standalone. In Fallout 4, let’s merge everything together.’ And it was the first time we did that.
Pagliarulo describes the interwoven mission lines as “probably the hardest thing I think I’ve ever done, or the design team has ever done.” He recalls, “At one point I was giving a talk about that, and the slide for the talk is just a big bowl of spaghetti. Because that’s what it felt like, all these wires and strings just being a mess.”
Despite how difficult it was for the team, Pagliarulo is happy with how things turned out. He explains, “By putting in all that work and making it stand the test of time, I think Fallout 4 is perhaps the most replayable of all the Fallout games, and that’s what I love about it.” And while the 200 people at their 500th New Vegas might not agree, it’s certainly a compelling argument in Fallout 4’s favor.
Bethesda was afraid to make Fallout 3, but with Fallout 4 it cooled down: “we don’t have to be so reverent now.”