10 Things Fallout 5 Should Learn From 1 & 2

Nothing is as iconic of the Fallout franchise as the power armor. Just look at the cover of every game in the series, except the estranged half-brother that is Brotherhood of Steel, and there it is, glaring ominously with the helmet’s eye-slits.

Finding power armor in Fallout 1 and 2 meant a big deal. It was a signal that you’re entering the endgame. You’re up there with the dangerous people now. You’re the powerhouse. You’re no longer afraid of deathclaws.

Fallout 4 hands you a power armor and pits you against a deathclaw not an hour into the game. You don’t even have to look for it, the game insistently leads you to it. A few hours in, you’re the Tony Stark of your own stable of a dozen power armors. You can even paint them like your favourite Iron Man suits. Sure, they also need to be powered, but cells aren't exactly hard to come by.

Throwing franchise icons at the player like that is just plain cheap. It aims for a quick nostalgia kick, which soon wears off and leaves you with a sour aftertaste, sitting on a pile of worthless power armors that you don’t feel like you’ve earned.