Summary
- Fishing in Skyrim has become a beloved feature with unique quests and rewards, likely to stick around for future games.
- Fallout's hostile environment, with radioactive water and mutants, makes fishing an unfitting survival mechanic for the franchise.
- The Elder Scrolls and Fallout should embrace their differences in survival mechanics to provide unique experiences in their respective worlds.
Of all the latest additions that Skyrim’s many releases have brought to the game, fishing has proven to be a welcome addition to the franchise. So much so, that this feature arguably deserves to show up in Bethesda’s future games as well. However, it’s safe to expect that fishing will never show up in the Fallout franchise.
Ultimately, survival mechanics have a justified place in both The Elder Scrolls and Fallout, but in the future, they arguably shouldn’t be two sides of the same coin as they currently are. Ever since fishing was introduced to The Elder Scrolls, it’s become a welcome addition that should stick around for the franchise. However, the Fallout games should consider taking a different approach to immersive survival mechanics that emphasize the franchise’s grim setting.
Why Skyrim Can't Follow in Fallout's Footsteps
Amazon's Fallout has earned a warm reception from critics and fans alike, but Bethesda's Skyrim probably can't follow in its footsteps.
Why Skyrim’s Fishing Wouldn’t be a Good Fit in a Fallout Game
Fishing in Skyrim is much more than an immersive way to gather alchemy ingredients and food. For example, fishing will send players on several quests across Skyrim’s massive open world and it can reward players with a few unique items that are well worth the tracking down. In hindsight, fishing arguably deserves to show up again in future Bethesda games as a base game feature. However, while fishing would be right at home in future The Elder Scrolls franchise games, it arguably wouldn’t be a good fit for the Fallout franchise.
Fallout's Wilderness is Too Hostile for Fishing
The main reason why fishing will most likely never appear in the Fallout franchise is that water in these games is a hazard. Specifically, either the water itself is heavily radioactive, one of the Fallout franchise’s iconic mutants is hiding just below the surface, or more often than not, both.
A prime example of why the Fallout franchise’s waters are unfit for fishing is the Swan’s Pond location in Fallout 4. While the name and initial appearance of this location suggest that it might be a peaceful respite from the surrounding wasteland, this location is far from it. Only when players get within a short distance from the plastic swan decoration floating in the water here, does a Super Mutant Behemoth emerge from the water for a surprise boss fight.
Even if a massive monster wasn’t lurking below the water’s surface, attempting to fish in irradiated water would likely catch more junk resources than it would edible fish or other valuable items. Consequently, it might be best for future games in the Fallout franchise to explore other kinds of immersive survival mechanics besides fishing.
The Elder Scrolls and Fallout Franchises Should Embrace Their Differences
This actually highlights an issue between The Elder Scrolls and Fallout, that the recent games in both of these franchises arguably have more in common than not. This isn’t to say that these franchises haven’t benefited from their shared foundations, though they could stand to benefit from embracing their differences.
Recent Fallout and The Elder Scrolls games similarities stem from these two franchises being developed on Bethesda’s Creation Engine, though they also naturally share many common features as RPGs from the same development studio.
So, speaking of fishing, one area where these franchises could branch out to provide unique experiences is with their survival mechanics. Thus far, these two franchises have had extremely similar survival mechanics, which isn’t very justified given that The Elder Scrolls franchise’s setting is fantasy, while the Fallout franchise is set in a post-apocalypse sci-fi world. Based on this difference, survival mechanics in the Fallout franchise games should be much more hardcore, as the environment itself often poses a constant threat to players, whereas this isn’t the case for The Elder Scrolls games.
Fallout 4
- Released
- November 10, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning creators of Fallout 76 and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, invite you to the ambitious open world of Fallout 4. Do whatever you want in a massive Commonwealth with hundreds of locations, characters and quests.
As the sole survivor of Vault 111, only you can rebuild and determine the fate of the Wasteland. Join multiple factions vying for power or go it alone - the choices are yours.
From a Power Armor-toting soldier to the charismatic smooth-talker, be whoever you want with the S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Character system and develop your own playstyle from hundreds of Perks.
Experience exciting first- or third-person combat with the dynamic Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System, or V.A.T.S., targeting enemies for maximum tactical advantage (and cinematic carnage!) Collect, upgrade and build thousands of items with Fallout 4's crafting system. Weapons, armor, food and with the right materials, even entire settlements are possible. Welcome home.
- ESRB
- M FOR MATURE: BLOOD AND GORE, INTENSE VIOLENCE, STRONG LANGUAGE, USE OF DRUGS
- Developer(s)
- Bethesda
- Publisher(s)
- Bethesda
- Engine
- Creation
- Franchise
- Fallout
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- How Long To Beat
- 27 Hours
- File Size Xbox Series
- 51 GB (December 2023)
- Metascore
- 87
- PS Plus Availability
- Extra & Premium
