Fallout 5 Can Wait, Fallout: Wasteland Warfare Is Officially Changing Genres

The news that Bethesda had officially started development on Fallout 5 was genuinely quite exciting, but it quickly came with the sobering realization that the game was still likely years away from release. We do have remasters of both Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas on the way before then, but the timeline isn't going to come as much consolation to fans who have been waiting in the wings for years.

It is understandable that getting The Elder Scrolls VI releases as soon as possible remains the priority, and though it's important to acknowledge that there is plenty of crossover between the two fan bases, there are plenty who are much more interested in the post-apocalypse than the high fantasy of Tamriel.

Happily, one of the best adaptations of the IP is barreling towards a new release, and it could easily keep us going while we wait for the next video game to drop.

Fallout: Wasteland Warfare Is Back, But It's Very Different

Any of you who stay closely in contact with the Fallout franchise as a whole will almost certainly know about Wasteland Warfare, the miniatures game from Modiphius Entertainment. Many of you who have tried to play games like these in the past will know that the worst thing about it as an adult is finding time to play as a group, when everyone is free.

That has led to an increase in games of this ilk having a solo-first design philosophy, where it becomes not only possible, but fun, to play without others joining you. That's the central pillar that Modiphius Entertainment has used to design the second edition of the game (as reported by Minis For War), and there are a lot of changes that could easily make it one of the best examples of the genre anywhere.

Procedural encounters and modular terrain are the main methods of keeping replayability as high as possible, while your core gameplay look will be a heady combination of combat and exploration. Very interestingly, it also features non-combat encounters, where you can meet friendly NPCs, share in a campfire or buy rare items, preparing you for your next foe.

There are also plans in place for all named characters to receive side quests, so you can expect figures like Preston Garvey to send you out to save some settlers at some point. It really is one of the most impressively broad RPGs in the miniatures format, and a fitting tribute to the world that was created all those years ago.

Season 3 of the excellent Prime Video is also on the way next year, taking us to all new locations that could potentially serve as the setting for the unrevealed Fallout 5. With both of those in play, the wait for the next game shouldn't feel quite as long, though it would be nice if we could see at least one of those projects in the next year or two.