Summary
- Fallout 5 needs to have strong weapon variety, and bringing back iconic weapons like the Anti-Material Rifle from Fallout: New Vegas can help with that.
- Fallout 76's underwhelming weapon variety and balancing issues highlight the need for Fallout 5 to ensure that the Anti-Material Rifle is as strong as ever if it returns.
- The Anti-Material Rifle is a powerful weapon that can hold its own against tough enemies in Fallout: New Vegas, making it both a great weapon for players and a useful tool for NPC allies.
While many fans are focused on how the next entry in the franchise can do justice to power armor, Fallout 5 also needs to shake up the weapon variety. After Fallout 76’s weapon balancing took the franchise in an unpopular new direction, Fallout 5 shouldn’t be afraid to pull out some of the iconic weapons from Fallout: New Vegas and other past games to steer things back on track.
Bethesda is no stranger to having weird weapons in the Fallout games, like a neon billboard as a melee weapon or a portable naval cannon, but it also has its share of standard weapons that are equally powerful. While the Anti-Material Rifle borders the line between realistic fiction and fantasy, it proves that ballistic weaponry is still a reliable option in the franchise, and it arguably deserves the spotlight within another Fallout game. Naturally, Fallout 5 is the perfect opportunity for that, but that doesn’t mean that future Fallout games - including the unofficial ones like Fallout Miami and Fallout London - shouldn’t experiment with the gun as well.
Why Fallout 5 Needs the Anti-Material Rifle and Other Returning Weapons
The weapon variety in Fallout 76 is underwhelming compared to the earlier Fallout games. There are technically plenty of weapons in Fallout 76, but most of them aren’t necessarily viable options for the endgame. It may be a result of the game being an online multiplayer title in a family of single-player games, but the weapon balancing in Fallout 76 still leaves numerous weapons in an undesirable state. Specifically, most shotguns and pistols in Fallout 76 can’t compete with the other weapon types. Even with serious investment into related perks and Legendary weapon traits, these weapons can be easily outclassed by heavy weapons, rifles, and melee weapons. Though the Anti-Material Rifle isn’t a shotgun or a pistol, Fallout 5 still needs to make sure it is strong and that Fallout 76’s weapon balancing is not replicated.
The Anti-Material Rifle is an unstoppable force in the hands of players who invest in a gunslinger build in Fallout: New Vegas. Even without a proper build, this weapon can still hold its ground against some of the toughest enemies in Fallout: New Vegas, including the deathclaws, radscorpions, and cazadors. Players can beat Fallout: New Vegas while leaving many optional areas unexplored, but with weapons as strong as the Anti-Material Rifle, there’s no reason not to venture into even the most dangerous corners of the Mojave Wasteland. Not only is the Anti-Material Rifle a great weapon in the hands of players, but it being featured in the opening cutscene for Fallout: New Vegas also makes it iconic, as an NCR Ranger uses the weapon to shoot a Fiend.
Another way for players to put this weapon to good use without using it themselves is to give it, along with some ammo, to a compatible companion. As an incredibly powerful companion in Fallout: New Vegas who happens to be proficient with sniper rifles, this weapon can be extremely deadly in the hands of Craig Boone. Many players consider Boone to be broken in a good way since he has the power to turn the tides of some of the hardest fights in Fallout: New Vegas, so the Anti-Material rifle is overkill in his hands.
There are plenty of features that Fallout 5 should continue and expand upon from the older games, but it should remember not to leave some of the strongest weapons behind. Many fans are eager to see numerous other weapons return for future titles in the franchise, like the Junk Jet from Fallout 4, but Fallout 5 should prioritize the Anti-Material rifle for sure.