I Kind of Feel as though I'm weird...My Favourite Bethesda (developed) Games are.... Options

[ArtemisNoir]

Morrowind and Fallout 4.
I mean, many, if not most, people would consider these two games to be entirely antithetical to another. The thing is, I'm not fully sure why I respond in this way. Maybe because they're perhaps the most focused on narrative, which tends to be my strong preference. Granted, FO4, has its issues, and parts of its story most definitely aren't as well implemented as they could be, but, at the same time, the NPCs, and especially the companions, are the most fully realised of any Bethesda game. So... maybe that's it ??? Plus, given I couldn't make a mod, even if my soul depended on it, I enjoy the building elements of FO4 when I'm feeling creative, and the world is fun to explore.
Don't get me wrong, I genuinely enjoy: Oblivion, Skyrim and FO3, but none have ever grabbed me like Morrowind and FO4.

Any thoughts on the whole subject? I'm always at a loss in figuring out what makes me truly love a game. There's just something indefinable and elusive that simply clicks.

This post has been edited by ArtemisNoir: Feb 19 2023, 10:51 PM

[RaderOfTheLostArk]

Morrowind and Fallout 4.

Is that even allowed?

It's definitely an unusual opinion. But if it's what you enjoy most, it's what you enjoy most. I will say that I love (or at least enjoy) every Bethesda game I have ever played. Skyrim is what started it all for me. In TES—and by the Nine, this might come across as obnoxious like I'm tooting that I'm a "real fan", but I hope that isn't the case—I have Skyrim, Oblivion, Morrowind, Arena, Daggerfall, Redguard, and Online under my belt (with some Battlespire and Blades thrown in). Morrowind and Skyrim are the top two for me, and which one I love most depends on the day and mood, but I love all of the games (well, I enjoy Blades, but love is a stretch). Some of the games that aren't Skyrim or Morrowind also scratch a certain itch that those two don't—for example, I think Oblivion's side quests are far more creative and memorable than Skyrim's or Morrowind's, even though they have a lot of good to great side quests too.

On the Fallout side, I've played 3, 4, New Vegas, and 1 (with some dabbling in 2). I'm not sure which one I truly favor most, but in terms of pure fun, 4 has given me the greatest amount. There are definitely some things I prefer about 3 and New Vegas, though, and the atmosphere of 1 blows all the other Fallout games out of the water.

Maybe it is just the sum of the parts of Morrowind and Fallout 4 that put them at the top for you. Or their exploration is just the most interesting to you. Maybe you played them at key moments of your life. I don't know. But they are both fantastic games and have special places in my heart, too.



@WellTemperedClavier - I want to give Fallout 2 another whirl and beat it, but I've learned a lot about it apart from what I've played and I agree that the pop culture references and silliness are way too much, even for Fallout. And I agree on Fallout 1's atmosphere. It's one of if not the best at portraying its atmosphere in any game I have ever played or seen.

[WellTemperedClavier]

Morrowind and Fallout 4.

Is that even allowed?

It's definitely an unusual opinion. But if it's what you enjoy most, it's what you enjoy most. I will say that I love (or at least enjoy) every Bethesda game I have ever played. Skyrim is what started it all for me. In TES—and by the Nine, this might come across as obnoxious like I'm tooting that I'm a "real fan", but I hope that isn't the case—I have Skyrim, Oblivion, Morrowind, Arena, Daggerfall, Redguard, and Online under my belt (with some Battlespire and Blades thrown in). Morrowind and Skyrim are the top two for me, and which one I love most depends on the day and mood, but I love all of the games (well, I enjoy Blades, but love is a stretch). Some of the games that aren't Skyrim or Morrowind also scratch a certain itch that those two don't—for example, I think Oblivion's side quests are far more creative and memorable than Skyrim's or Morrowind's, even though they have a lot of good to great side quests too.

On the Fallout side, I've played 3, 4, New Vegas, and 1 (with some dabbling in 2). I'm not sure which one I truly favor most, but in terms of pure fun, 4 has given me the greatest amount. There are definitely some things I prefer about 3 and New Vegas, though, and the atmosphere of 1 blows all the other Fallout games out of the water.

Maybe it is just the sum of the parts of Morrowind and Fallout 4 that put them at the top for you. Or their exploration is just the most interesting to you. Maybe you played them at key moments of your life. I don't know. But they are both fantastic games and have special places in my heart, too.



@WellTemperedClavier - I want to give Fallout 2 another whirl and beat it, but I've learned a lot about it apart from what I've played and I agree that the pop culture references and silliness are way too much, even for Fallout. And I agree on Fallout 1's atmosphere. It's one of if not the best at portraying its atmosphere in any game I have ever played or seen.

Another issue with Fallout 2 is that its sheer scope becomes daunting. Don't get me wrong; it's impressive as well. But I was getting tired of the game toward the end (which isn't helped by some of the later areas feeling half-baked, as I said earlier).

One element that also bugged me is that the PC's tribal background isn't very well-realized. Hardly anyone acknowledges past a handful of NPCs. It's also odd to me that you can invest in the science skill. Yes, your tribe is descended from Vault Dwellers, but it doesn't seem like they maintained any computers or labs. So where did you learn all that? I know this is an insanely minor detail, but it is one that jumped out at me and is one of the reasons I don't consider 2 to be on the same level as 1 and NV.

But yeah, the first Fallout game was something else. My first playthrough had two experiences that'll always stick with me:

1) Rescuing Tandi from the raiders. I did this more or less on a whim, and found my skinny wimp of a character facing off against a ton of heavily armed raiders. No way I was going to shoot my way out of this one. So instead, I claimed that I represented a greater power than the raiders could imagine, and that they'd best do what I say.

This was total BS. But I had a high charisma score, so they took it hook, line, and sinker. The fact that I'd BS'ed my way to victory blew my 14-year old mind.

2) The Glow. Just surviving this felt like an accomplishment. Not to mention the psychological effect of creeping through this seemingly endless sprawl of irradiated ruins and malfunctioning machines.

It's kind of funny how much Fallout 3 changed the setting by adding the radio. Putting a feel-good nostalgic gloss on the ruins diluted the impact a bit (not that I'm entirely complaining--I genuinely love a lot of the music). It's surprising to revisit the first two games and see how scant the '50s references actually are. They're mostly window dressing in the first game, and barely present at all in the second.

In a weird way, NV does a better job of incorporating these elements. It makes some sense for the NCR to push them so heavily, since all these old cultural artifacts act as a way to establish continuity with the Old USA and justify the NCR as the rightful successor. Mr. House does the same thing in trying so hard to re-create the Vegas of his youth. Caesar does it as well, just with a different set of (far more absurd) cultural artifacts.

Of course, none of this changes the fact that the world has changed in a big way, and that there's an underlying sense of futility in trying to double down on the past. The USA of Fallout fell apart for a reason, so maybe the NCR shouldn't imitate it so studiously. The Vegas of Mr. House's youth is gone forever and any attempt he makes will just be an imitation (and honestly, I have to give the three tribes some credit: they do a damn good job of imitating it, considering their own backgrounds). And Caesar's the silliest of the bunch, since even he acknowledges his legion is kind of of a shoddy imitation (but it'll be totally different once we grab Vegas you guys!).

Incidentally, Obsidian wanted to use spiffier assets for the Strip so as to make it look more pristine. They ran out of time/resources though, so they had to use the same old rundown stuff you see elsewhere. Honestly, I think it's better this way. It puts the lie to House's claims.

You can learn from the past. You can take inspiration from it. But you can never turn back the clock. Change happens, and you have to deal.

So yeah, Obsidian was actually quite clever in how they wove the retrofuturism into the setting.