Although Fallout 4 was a fairly big success for Bethesda, in the eyes of many Fallout fans it fell notably short of its predecessors. One of the most common complaints surrounding it was its branching dialogue system that was viewed as limited and dull when compared to the frequent and diverse skill checks in Fallout 3 and New Vegas. Seeing as there has been speculation that the focus on implementing a fully-voiced protagonist is what lead to this problem - at least in part - it seems like Fallout 5 would be better off making a return to silent player characters.
Arguably the most memorable Fallout title in recent years is Fallout: New Vegas, which is often praised for its engaging storyline and unique dialogue. Although the player character is silent, their personality can be extensively fleshed out through their conversations with other in-game characters, and the game's method of adding skill checks into most interactions created a dynamic and changing game experience that has contributed greatly to New Vegas' continued replay value.
In contrast, Fallout 4's dialogue options were limited to only four choices at a time, and these choices tended to be straightforward rather than explorative in nature. The conversation choices in Fallout 4 are generally limited to yes, no, or making a sarcastic joke, and although players are sometimes given the option to investigate further into any given topic, these discussions don't tend to yield much information. As many begin to look ahead to the next potential Fallout release, it's worth asking how Fallout 5 can learn from these shortcomings.
Fallout 4's Dialogue Was A Bad Move For The Fallout Series
Not every game with a voiced protagonist is criticized as highly as Fallout 4 was. The Mass Effect trilogy's dialogue is usually praised in comparison, and Dragon Age 2 as well as Inquisition both introduced fully-voiced player characters even after the series started out with silent protagonists. However, it's worth noting that the Fallout series has traditionally included at least some level of comedy, and many times it makes a point to lean into the wacky nature of its world and characters. In Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas, player dialogue did a lot to reflect that, but the same can't quite be said for Fallout 4.
Player freedom has almost always been a fan-favorite aspect and the primary focus of Bethesda's games, so limiting characters in order to add repetitive voiced dialogue doesn't seem like a worthwhile trade-off. As Bethesda fans look ahead to the potential future release of Fallout 5, the game would benefit from backtracking and returning to the silent protagonist model as used in previous Fallout titles. It would allow more creativity and character customization, as well as make room for more modding opportunities, as content creators wouldn't have to rely on recycling old voice lines and could instead write their own dialogue. As the franchise continues to move forward, it will be interesting to see if Bethesda continues on the pathway paved by Fallout 4 or returns to its roots instead.