The Fallout series may have started over two decades ago–but its lasting popularity is clear, with gamers even now demanding updates and games like Fallout.
Fallout76, the most recent release, continues to get updates inspiring a community of gamers with the latest giving players more options than ever for role-playing and building.
The announcement in January 2021 of upcoming updates included SPECIAL loadouts, complete with options for checking skills, improved dialogue, and enhanced weapons. Role-playing is also getting a polish with punch card machines that can be used at train stations.
For builders, the update also brought excitement with the ability to construct more than one base at a time. While the previous system has permitted building bases within a budget, the new update brings in the ability to easily transfer base type as well–including commercial, home, and military base options.
But even with these extended options, players are yearning for more. As a gamer myself, I understand how even the best updates can lead you to wonder if there are other games that’ll help you further explore a similar type of gameplay.
In this article, I’ll give you my picks for the best games like Fallout–both games already published and upcoming post-apocalyptic role-playing games to look for in 2021. With this guide, you’ll want to have your gaming setup ready for these equally exciting games.
What is Fallout?
Chances are, if you’re into gaming news, you’ve at least heard of Fallout. The post-apocalyptic role playing game series was first released in 1996, with many sequels that followed, released across platforms. With multiple storylines, some renditions, like Fallout 4 has players seeking the best endings.
The newest sequel is Fallout 76, which launched in the Fall of 2018, and is set in 2102.
While each entry is set during a slightly different time period, the theme of the series spans the 21st, 22nd, and 23rd centuries, with what is called a retro-futuristic setting, with punk influences. Inspired by the 1950s, the open-world includes a fusion of technology and impending nuclear warfare.
Fallout76 introduced multiplayer, online gameplay, alongside traditional single-player gameplay. Set in West Virginia, the game includes regional touches and is available for Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
What are role-playing games?
Role-playing games, also known as RPGs, include both tabletop and most commonly, LARP or live action role-playing, involves playing directly through characters and exploring usually open-world settings.
Role-playing often includes some form of dialogue and interacting with others; in the case of Fallout, it’s considered an action role-playing game, with a mix of dialogue, action, and decision making.
In recent years, role-playing has also become multiplayer, reaching into new ways to interact with other players for immersive gameplay. I love role-playing games for how immersive they can become, whether multiplayer or single player–with the ability to impact other characters and your environment.
With games like Fallout, the consequences and challenges feel all that more engaging and potentially devastating.
Action Role Playing
The latest Fallout games also fall under the narrower category of action role playing. Combining character gameplay and heart-pumping action, these games have a huge following for good reason.
Real-time battle and action scenes including shooter and hack and slash games mean you have to react quickly. They are also perfectly suited for online multiplayer, as well as more singular mission adventures.
Perhaps the most popular type of action role-playing games is role-playing shooter games. You’ll recognize titles like Mass Effect, Final Fantasy XV, and Black Rock Shooter.
What are post-apocalyptic games like?
Post-apocalyptic games like Fallout take their inspiration from the science fiction of the same genre and focus on a world happening after a devastating event.
Often centered around threats like nuclear warfare or even mutants like zombies and aliens, these games involve navigating a world that’s been greatly changed, and become hostile to human life in some way.
Fast-paced, these games can also include full survival games like The Forest, with you needing to combine wits and quick reflexes to survive this devastating new world. Typically, a lot of focus is on the settings, present dangers, and nods to our present world dangers.
Because many of these games may have assumed connections to potential nuclear warfare, climate change, and other potential disasters, they tend to touch reality in a way that really hooks you–and almost makes you forget you’re navigating a fictional world.
In other words, post-apocalyptic games like Fallout are that much more eye-catching in that they reflect possible consequences of our current real-world struggles.
Games like Fallout
For the very best games like Fallout, I wanted to focus on the core elements of gameplay, including the post-apocalyptic setting, role-playing, and action that have so popularized the Fallout series.
All of these games provide engaging worlds, a blend of action and character, and a dramatic backdrop sure to keep even the most avid Fallout players engaged.
Also important for me was either overall quality and player experience, or promise. For this list, I’ve included both games there are currently out now, and promising, yet to be released post-apocalyptic role-playing games set for a 2021 release.
Without further ado, here are my picks for the best current and upcoming releases for games like Fallout.
Current Releases
Here are the best games like Fallout you can play right now– perfect for hours in your best gaming chair and a fully engaging experience.
Outerworlds
The Outerworlds is a widely fantastic, space-inspired game that takes you on a ship en route to a new galaxy. Your character wakes to find themselves in the Halcyon colony, with adversaries at every turn.
This alternate future game is inspired by the 1901 United States. In this alternate universe, President McKinley was not assassinated, which resulted in Roosevelt never becoming president. Instead, the United States became dominated by wealthy corporations, bent on colonizing other planets.
Now in 2355, the colony of Holycon is haunting, with the discovery of a lost spacecraft. Intense writing, original gameplay, and a fully imagined world in the future will have you questioning those around you and their motives, exploring a dynamic spacy colony, and dramatic choices that will impact everyone’s lives.
It’s a stand out action role-playing game, with a 93 percent positive rating on Steam and praised by game critics. Having sold over 2.5 million copies since its 2019 release date, Outerworlds has been nominated for many awards, and claimed the 2019 Game Critics Orginal Game of the Year; the Role Playing Game of the Year from the 23rd Annual D.I.C.E. Awards; and the 2020 Nebula Award for Game Writing, among others.
It’s available for Playstation 4, Xbox One, Windows, and Nintendo Switch. Buy Here.
Far Cry: New Dawn
I’d be hard-pressed to make a list of best games like Fallout without mentioning Far Cry. Far Cry may be primarily known as a first-person shooter game, but there’s a lot of overlap with a game like Fallout–from being plucked in a fictional city full of strife, to the action-paced sequences intertwined with a well-developed backdrop.
Now into the fifth rendition, with a Far Cry sequel rumored to be announced, Far Cry: New Dawn is set in Montana, in a city that has become engulfed by a cult sowing violence on residents. While lovers of action-adventure games featuring first-person shooter dynamics will find plenty to love, Far Cry also impresses with the ability to explore an open world, embark on quests, and even edit maps.
Far Cry 5 also brings multiplayer, competitive modes as well as single player. Each version highlights role playing gameplay with decisions that can impact the outcome of your game.
Far Cry 5 earned an 8.9 out of 10 rating on IGN, praised for its dynamic mix of a chaotic world, and plenty of gameplay– though some have noted the storyline element is not quite as strong.
Far Cry 5 is available on Xbox One, Playstation 4, and Windows. Buy Here.
Horizon: Zero Dawn
Horizon: Zero Dawn has graphics with a fantastic feel, beautifully rendered settings, and enchanting scenes that will appeal to sci-fi and fantasy fans alike– with that blend of role-playing, action-adventure, and world exploration that many love about Fallout.
One of the fewer action-adventure games of its kind to feature a female protagonist, Horizon: Zero Dawn has you playing as a hunter finding herself in midst of a futuristic, apocalyptic world overtaken by devious machines set in the 31st century.
The world includes diverse, fully imagined landscapes, from lush forests to snow-capped mountains, and even city dwellers in a desert, with different enemies in every region.
From explosives, spears, and even stealth, you’ll have to outwit your enemies to survive. Even lovers of survival games will find something to enjoy, with the need to craft items. Players will enjoy a full skill tree, a mix of direct combat and ambushes, and exploring different tribes.
Quest driven, this post-apocalyptic role-playing game packs in adventure, action, and a storyline that slowly unfolds as you explore an open world.
Praised for its intricate world building, exploration capabilities, and detailed settings, Horizon: Zero Dawn may well also appeal as a game for fans of Skyrim. It’s available for PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Windows; Buy Here.
Borderlands 3
Borderlands, now into its third generation, is another one of my picks for best games like Fallout– but the comic-book-inspired graphics may add new interest and appeal to those who also enjoy indie action-adventure games.
While it does pack in plenty of action-adventure gameplay, it has surprisingly generous bouts of humor too, all set in an open world with role-playing. You begin with your choice of characters and are immediately immersed in Pandora, a planet with raging wildlife, scavengers, and danger at any turn. You’ll go on quest, loot, and as you explore and try to survive.
Like other games in its genre, players will work with a skill tree, gain experience, and more options as they explore the world, with different maps and waypoint stations. Borderlands 3 tags onto past storylines, but adds on new Vault Hunter characters, and a new challenge to thwart the Calypso Twins from overtaking the Pandora planet.
Borderlands 3 sold an impressive 5 million copies within its first week and enjoys fairly high reviews among players. It’s available for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and even the new PlayStation 5. Buy Here.
Werewolf: The Apocalypse- Earthblood
The name says it all: this just-released February 2021 game brings together an apocalyptic world, a bit of the supernatural, and an action-packed adventure that’ll have you glued to your console controller or your gaming keyboard.
While initial ratings are more mixed than some other games on this list, I chose this game for the unique features it brings to the post-apocalyptic/apocalyptic action-adventure genre. Inspired by the Northwestern region of the United States, this apocalyptic world, known as the World of Darkness, plunges into role-playing a werewolf who’s been isolated from others.
You can shapeshift from wolf to human form as you explore different regions through a series of missions, alongside additional supplemental challenges are mini quests. You’ll explore both a typical and a spirit-based world, all the while spying, sneaking, tracking and combatting enemies.
The tie with real-world issues caused by humans – such as pollution – make this game connect in a way it might not as cleverly otherwise. For an interesting twist, you’ll have to manage your rage, or risk losing control.
This new release by Bacon was developed using Unreal Engine 4 and is available for Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PlayStation 4 and 5. Buy Here.
Upcoming 2021 Releases
Already know the options out there for games like Fallout and are still looking? If you’re like me, you enjoy having something to watch out for– and these games, scheduled for a release sometime in 2021, promise an equally riveting and exciting playing experience.
Vampire: The Masquerade– Swan Song
Developed by Big Bad Wolf, this upcoming action-adventure role-playing game blends vampires, the supernatural, and the city of a future Boston on the brink of disaster.
As a vampire, you must wisely use your supernatural powers, but also avoid showcasing them to the human population. Action paced, your decisions will impact the city and those around you, with challenging choices that not only bring excitement but also lead to moral dilemmas.
More heavily narrative-driven, this promising game will allow you to control three vampires with unique abilities, all of which can be tweaked to your liking. I like the ability to choose disciplines and different skills for a more unique gameplay experience.
While not classified as a horror game, it does bring in thrilling sequences and promise a bit of a scare, uniquely entwined with devastating consequences and an evolving storyline. It is set to be released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and is even available for the Nintendo Switch. Learn More Here.
Biomutant
Biomutant may seem like a wild card, but it’s an upcoming release to look out for if you love Fallout. I was immediately drawn by the colorful graphics, imaginative creatures, and promise of dynamic, third-person combat. But most of all, Biomutant feels unique.
The upcoming action role-playing game still allows you to explore an open world, but this futuristic world is filled with mutant animals. You play as a mutant yourself, collecting, and finding weapons for your own survival.
The ability to combine weapons makes combat more advanced, with a crafting system to please lovers of survival games. You’ll also have the ability to level up skills, form new abilities, and even change your form by adding assets like mechanical arms.
Still, it won’t all be about weapons. Biomutant will also feature a storyline, with unique characters, both in personality and physical appearance. You’ll go on a mission and be met with an increasingly expanded narrative. There will even be a unique Karma system. Overall, it’s a game to watch for.
Biomutant is set to be released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One at the end of May 2021. Learn More Here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: Is Far Cry Like fallout?
Answer: Far Cry is like Fallout in a few ways. Both are situated in futuristic worlds, connected to our current world, with action and combat. Fallout games tend to be more enhanced in terms of building, with better workshop features and greater levels of customization.
Question: Is Skyrim better than Fallout?
Answer: Skyrim is not better than Fallout, so much as different. Fallout packs in a bit more action and is a bit more focused on a post-apocalyptic world, but Skyrim excels in its characters, role-playing, and deep world exploration. Even when comparing Skyrim vs Dark Souls vs Fallout, there are pros and cons to each.
Final Thoughts
No matter what excites you about FallOut, the good news is that there are many great games already released, or to-be-released, like it. And to make sure you make the most out of your action packed, role playing experience, it’s not a bad idea to invest in the best gaming audio.
