Over the years, the Fallout series has introduced players to a dynamic array of characters from distinct factions and regions. Players have often joined forces with the Brotherhood of Steel, meeting iconic figures like Sarah Lyons, Veronica Santangelo, and Arthur Maxson. Similarly, encounters with the New California Republic have brought characters like President Tandi and Chief Hanlon into the mix. While the majority of non-playable characters (NPCs) are engaged through dialogue and quests, a select few become valuable companions, directly aiding players on their journeys. Looking ahead, Fallout 5 could take a leaf from Fallout 1’s playbook by allowing players to travel with multiple companions, enhancing the experience.
Back in 1997, Fallout 1 was a game quite unlike Bethesda’s modern entries—it offered a top-down, turn-based RPG experience where players could survey both the Vault Dweller and the surrounding landscape. Despite these differences, similarities exist in terms of player interaction with NPCs and prospective companions. In Fallout 1, players could recruit up to four constant companions—Dogmeat, Ian, Katja, and Tycho—who would join and fight alongside them. Beyond these four, other NPCs might temporarily team up for specific quests, departing once those missions wrapped up.
Fallout 2 maintained the original’s RPG mechanics, yet shifted how companions could be utilized, introducing a charisma-based limitation on the number of party members. The higher the charisma, the more companions could join—the Chosen One with a level six charisma could have up to three companions, for instance. Despite these limits, only five companions could accompany the player at any one time due to the game’s restrictions.
When Bethesda took the reins for Fallout 3, they revamped the companion system to align with a first-person, action-oriented gameplay style. Players, as the Lone Wanderer, found the companion roster narrowed to one humanoid and Dogmeat as a bonus, irrespective of charisma. Obsidian Entertainment’s Fallout: New Vegas tweaked this slightly, allowing one humanoid companion alongside app companions like Rex or ED-E. Fallout 4 further tightened this system, permitting only a single companion at a time, be they human, animal, or otherwise.
Only Dogmeat appears consistently across the main Fallout games, albeit as different iterations sharing the iconic name.
Looking to Fallout 5, although its release lies in the future, there’s room for Bethesda to address shortcomings in Fallout 4’s companion system. Despite the ability to craft diverse robot companions, players couldn’t travel with them and humanoid companions simultaneously, unlike the option available in New Vegas. An improvement could see players accompanied by multiple companions at once, though this might be demanding on console hardware, it could greatly enhance player interaction within the post-apocalyptic world.
Imagining Fallout 5 in an environment reminiscent of New Vegas’s war-torn setting presents opportunities for players to amass a team of mighty allies, mirroring mercenaries or samurai. Rather than gradually leading existing factions like the NCR or Caesar’s Legion, players might create an influential third force, decisive in the future of nearby societies. Such a system would allow companions to concurrently reflect on the player’s choices, fostering thought-provoking dialogues and enhancing the game’s morally complex narratives in unprecedented ways.
