SinceFallout 4also dodged the question of how serious the series is about its alien canon, an eventualFallout 5could finally be the game to either make or break Bethesda’s commitment to visitors from another world within the franchise.Aliens have always existed inFallout, from its very first game which had an encounter with a flying saucer to as recent asFallout 76with its “Invaders from Beyond” update in 2022. But the franchise has always played it fast and loose about whether these various alien encounters have any significance in games, regardless of how developed its aliens have become.
Given thatFallouttakes much of its inspiration from American society and culture in the 1950s, it’s no surprise that aliens would have wound up being referenced somewhere within the series due to the UFO craze that swept the nation at the time. But while there’s plenty of potential on hand with the likes of the Roswell incident or the Battle of Los Angeles,Fallouthas gone much further than just references and environmental storytelling. For instance, whenFallout 3added DLCthat directly engages with and expands its alien lore, it sets certain expectations that now rest in a futureFallout 5.
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Fallout’s Aliens Can No Longer Be Ignored
Prior toFallout 3, Bethesda had at least some plausible deniability when it came to blending genres betweenFallout’snuclear post-apocalypse and its extraterrestrial escapades, but the “Mothership Zeta” add-on was just the first of many nails in that coffin. While Mothership Zeta did explicitly confirm that aliens were much more than just fun Easter eggs to come across throughout the wasteland, Bethesda still could have used a little more caution when adding aliens toFalloutgames. Even thoughFallout 4seemed more reserved with its aliens,Fallout 76’sInvaders from Beyond updatemeant there could be no going back.
As a result, it can no longer be claimed thatFallout’saliens are little more than a fun reference. At this point in the series they’ve not only named this alien species as Zetans, but they have a consistent design and a recurring presence in mostFalloutgames. So while it might be unlikely thatFallout 5or other future games will have a story that explicitly revolves around the Zetans, it will be increasingly difficult to skirt around the franchise’s alien canon. With expectations already set by the likes ofFallout 3andFallout 76, it will be down toFallout 5to determine how much further the series is prepared to develop the Zetans.
Fallout 5 Could Take XCOM’s Approach To Aliens
One possible meansFallout 5could have of finally addressing how significant the Zetans are withinFalloutcanon is to take a page out ofXCOM’sbook. SinceFallout’sstories have typically revolved around the player character emerging from one of the series' many vaults,Fallout 5could take the opportunity to factor alien technology into one oftheFalloutvaults' secret experiments. AsFalloutalready explores ideas of genetic mutation and experimentation as seen with its Ghouls and the Forced Evolutionary Virus, it’s only a small step to Vault-Tec dabbling in possible human-Zetan hybridization.
With this in mind,Fallout 5could adopt the same approachXCOMtakes where humans can research and assimilate alien technology and science for their own use. WithFallout’sworld already ruined by a nuclear apocalypse and the limited potential of ever returning to “normal,“Fallout 5could literally shoot for the moonby using Zetans' space-faring technology to inspire a story about humanity’s second chance among the stars. By drawing attention away fromFallout’saliens themselves and focusing instead on their science,Fallout 5could effectively resolve the Zetan canon once and for all and spare future games the same dilemma.
Fallout 4is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
