Ranking All Games Published By Bethesda Softworks From Worst To Best
1. Fallout 3 (2008)
Back in mid noughties, Bethesda were known just as the Elder Scrolls guys. Fallout 3 changed that.
They took this neglected IP, a forgotten isometric RPG, and rebooted it into something that shot the western RPGs up as THE genre to play on your PS3/360 console, evolving the (formerly) niche game style into brand-new limelight.
They managed to retain the strengths of the Black Isle originals - the grimy post-apocalyptic setting, the vast character choices, and the distinct black humor - while giving it an essential fresh coat of paint.
VATS made old-school strategic RTS combat accessible to a modern audience, plus vastly upped the excitement factor. Stuck in a scenario with three Death Claws impending? Let's pause the game, toss down some mines, bust out the Fat Man, and you might just have a chance.
It's an element that has made the battles superior to Elder Scrolls' usual combat button mash. But of course, the action isn't really the main attraction here.
Fallout took Bethesda's penchant for massive, rich open-worlds and gave us a very different (and vastly more interesting) experience. Instead of po-faced Tolkien-lite, we got a dangerous environment filled with twisted sidequests, terrifying monsters, and tough choices.
Sure, you had a main quest to find your father (voiced by Liam Neeson), but gamers will likely remember the handful of moments they etched for themselves as a scavenger on the road accompanied by their trusty hound.
The game has a respectable amount of jank, and New Vegas holds the superior campaign, but this title set the precedent for the modern action/RPG. Any games that attempt to dip a toe in a post-apocalyptic setting since, has Fallout 3's shadow looming immediately over them - and will do, for many years to come.