Among the many video games that exist out there, some have shared a rivalry with each other even when they’re owned by the same company. Some examples include Nintendo’s Mario and Legend of Zelda games, along with with the Fallout and Elder Scrolls franchises that Bethesda owns.
But, following the release of the mind-blowing Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim game back in 2011, several memes spawned on the Internet comparing it to Fallout games as recently as Fallout 76. Through these comparisons, some interesting similarities have arisen. In turn, these have led to hilarity as the memes in this article demonstrate.
Fus Ro Dah
Despite being almost 10 years old, Skyrim is still praised to this day due to its vast open-world setting and intriguingly complex in-game lore. The same elements can arguably be seen in the Fallout games, though Elder Scrolls loyalists will claim Skyrim utilizes these elements better.
So, when there was a lot of hype over Fallout 4, which partially led to its success in 2015, we got memes such as this one. It’s not only hilarious due having the superimposed figures, but also the end result. Particularly when Skyrim’s main character uses the famous “Fus Ro Dah” shout to send Fallout 4’s protagonist flying out the window since it’s a magic word that has the power to fling perceived enemies backward.
Torso
Though both the Elder Scrolls and Fallout series are essentially role-playing games, how they approach the genre is different. For instance, while Skyrim involves using medieval weapons and magic in combat Fallout uses a variety of guns, which makes it seem like a typical shooter game. But where the RPG element comes into play in Fallout is the Targeting System.
This allows the player to see the opponent’s different body parts outlined and how much damage could be done to each one. By contrast, Skyrim just uses hit-boxes that shows the opponent’s health which seems more primitive compared to the former system. Hence, this meme where VATS is being used on Skyrim’s protagonist.
Take My Money
Originating from the sixth season Futurama episode “Attack of the Killer App,” the phrase that the series’ protagonist Fry says has become a popular meme to use for many subjects. Typically, though, it’s used to comment on the popularity of certain products whether they’re actually good or not.
Case in point: the Fallout and Skyrim figurines shown in this meme. While they serve no functional purpose, fans of these games like to collect such figurines as a sign of loyalty. So, the joke here is not only the bluntness of Fry’s phrase, but also the insignificance of the figurines which makes the meme hilarious.
After Months
Because games like Skyrim require hours of gameplay in order to make progress, players will typically spend months on one game at a time. Though if the player decides to switch between a Fallout or Elder Scrolls game, it may take a while to adjust due to the different settings and game-styles.
It is this feeling that’s perfectly illustrated in this meme, which is made hilarious by the images themselves. On the one hand, we see Gandalf from the Lord of the Rings movies holding a gun instead of his magic staff. Then the other is a screenshot from The Unidentified Flying Oddball, a 70s Disney movie where an astronaut gets sent back to the time of King Arthur.
Lockpicking
Prior to the recent Area 51 raid, which wasn’t as bad as the media thought it would be according to Time magazine, a number of memes were generated in response. This one, in particular, speculates on how participating nerds would consider breaking into Area 51 by referencing Skyrim and Fallout 4’s lock-picking abilities.
Though what makes the meme more hilarious is not just the references to the games, but also the VeggieTales image. It depicts three reoccurring characters called the Scallions, who typically play as bandits in the various stories told on the show. So it’s funny seeing their image being superimposed by Fallout 4 and Skyrim characters’ heads followed by screenshots of lock-picking being achieved in both games.
Where’s My Elder Scrolls?
For as long as it’s been on the air, The Simpsons have been used for memes on many different subjects including video games. Here, for instance, the meme uses screenshots from the famous “Where’s my burrito” clip and replaces the word ‘burrito’ with ‘Elder Scrolls’. Additionally, the sign that falls on Homer’s head has the title Fallout 76 on it which is hilarious if one is familiar with the situation it’s referencing.
While Skyrim was successful, Bethesda has yet to develop another sequel in the Elder Scrolls series. On the other hand, there have been two Fallout games since Skyrim’s release including Fallout 76. So, the meme pokes fun at Bethesda’s sense of priority and the fans’ reaction.
Bethesda
Despite having created two successful video game franchises, people’s opinions about Bethesda as a developer has leaned towards the negative lately. This especially came to light following the release of Fallout 76 last year, yet there were prior signs it wasn’t going to do well.
For instance, it uses the same buggy engine that Skyrim and Fallout 4 use, which this meme not-so-subtly points out. This is then followed by Timmy from The Fairly OddParents saying the “What could possibly go wrong” phrase that was often used on the show. Thus, the meme becomes funny in an ironic sense and is therefore hilarious.
Todd Howard
Much like the company, the executive producer of Bethesda’s Game Studios division, Todd Howard, has been criticized for his incompetence in wake of Fallout 76’s lackluster performance. But, even before that, fans weren’t happy with his decision to create a multiplayer game to begin with since most of the Fallout games are catered to single-player mode.
Hence, this meme which uses screenshots from the confrontation between Obi-Wan and Anakin in Revenge of the Sith which replaces Anakin’s face with that of Todd’s. Then what makes it more hilarious is the dialogue, with Obi-Wan voicing the frustrations of the Fallout fans while Todd simply insists that people buy Skyrim.
Paid Mods
Mods are a term used to describe alternate versions of a video game that are created by fans. The purpose of them is to either fix the game-in-question or do something unique with it using the game’s pre-existing assets.
However, this meme claims that a lot of Bethesda’s games including Skyrim and Fallout 4 basically used modified versions of the same engine. So, in a sense, they are Mods, only one has to pay for them instead of downloading them for free. Yet the meme is particularly hilarious by superimposing Todd Howard’s face over the character Benny from Fallout: New Vegas, who’s a crook that swindles the game’s main character from the get-go.
Wants You Dead
Among the popular memes associated with games in the Fallout and Elder Scrolls series, the most hilarious ones arguably deal with game elements that are unintentionally funny. For instance, despite these games allowing the player to theoretically do whatever they want, there are certain actions that have negative consequences despite their triviality.
Examples of this are present in the above meme, which references Skyrim and Fallout: New Vegas. In the former game, killing a town’s resident chicken makes the townspeople want to kill the player’s character. Then in the latter, stealing a fork in a settlement will cause a similar reaction.