Over the years, the Fallout franchise has grown into a video game juggernaut, and the series has produced some of the best exploration-based first person shooters of all time. By immersing the player in a post-apocalyptic world, the possibilities for adventure are endless.
Despite its dominance of the video game industry, Fallout isn't the only game of its kind; there are many similar FPS games for fans to enjoy. From movie tie-ins like Mad Max to zombie shooters like Dying Light, there is a plethora of great FPS games that Fallout devotees will want to play.
Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018)
Few sequels have improved on their original games quite like Red Dead Redemption 2. Set in the unforgiving world of the American Old West near the turn of the 20th century, the player is tasked with staking out a life in an open world environment.
While Fallout's world is post-apocalyptic, Red Dead Redemption 2 offers players a chance to explore the West before it was largely settled. Like Fallout's more recent games, Red Dead Redemption also features many crafting options to build out a character. Most importantly, the action elements of RDR 2 are as exciting as any classic western films.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow Of Chernobyl (2007)
the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series of games draw from many real and fictional sources for its inspiration. The game Shadow of Chernobyl puts the player in the role of an amnesiac who is tasked with going into the fallout zone of a second Chernobyl disaster in order to kill a mysterious being.
Though the game relies heavily on its first person shooter elements, there is also a few RPG aspects to the game as well. Similar to Fallout, the nuclear disaster zone features a wide variety of dangerous irradiated creatures. There is a generally post-apocalyptic feel to S.T.A.L.K.E.R., even if the scale is smaller than Fallout's.
Bioshock (2007)
Fallout is known for its retro-futuristic aesthetic, and Bioshock is a game that came along with its own twisted vision of the past and future. The game is set in 1960 and the player finds themselves trapped in a strange underwater city that was meant to be a refuge for society's elites.
Playing like a weird amalgamation of the 1940s mixed with a steam-punk look, Bioshock is as visually exciting as it is fun to play. The storyline is much tighter than Fallout's open world style, but the same themes of societal decay are present in both games. Bioshock is also an incredibly clever, and morally challenging game series that offers fans a wide variety of fun quotes.
Dying Light (2015)
While has its fair share of terrifying quests, Dying Light ratchets up the terror for the entire game. The game puts the player in the role of an undercover agent who infiltrates a quarantine zone in the Middle East that is infested with zombies.
Dying Light allows the player to perform parkour maneuvers which can come in handy if the decides to run instead of fight. Though the first person action is more intense than most scenarios in Fallout, Dying Light also has the same end-of-the-world feel as things begin to fall apart. One of the most terrifying aspects of the game is the zombie's night and day cycle which makes them more aggressive after dark.
Borderlands 3 (2019)
Fallout and the Borderlands 3 puts the in control of a bounty hunter who explores the planet of Pandora in search of the mysterious vaults that hold the planet's riches.
With a bright and shiny art style, Borderlands has carved a unique niche for itself in the video game market, and much of the imagery from the game is instantly recognizable. In of gameplay, Borderlands 3 features RPG elements that are reminiscent of Fallout, as well as the concept of vaults and exploring an apocalyptic world. On top of that, the FPS aspects of the game are top-notch.
Mad Max (2015)
While Fallout was an influential game in the post-apocalyptic sub-genre, the Mad Max film series established a lot of what fans have come to love about post-apocalyptic media. Mad Max the game allows the to take control of Max Rockatansky as he scours the wasteland looking for parts to build out his vehicle, the Magnum Opus.
Mad Max allows players to further explore the fictional world of the films and it features a unique combination of gameplay elements. While it still has the RPG and FPS elements familiar to fans of Fallout, it also features an extensive vehicle combat system. Though it wasn't as well received upon release, many fans believe that the game was criminally underrated.
Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011)
Aside from the Fallout franchise, few games have been as well received as that of Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim casts the player in the role of a Dragonborn who is tasked with doing battle with the evil dragon Alduin to stop him from destroying the world.
Infinitely re-playable, Skyrim's world of Tamriel is filled with a seemingly endless amount of nooks and crannies to explore. Drawing on elements of classic fantasy, the player not only does battle with dragons but also explores caves and ancient structure from long lost ages. Like Fallout, s will find as much fun exploring the world as they do following the storylines, and Skyrim's RPG elements are very similar to Fallout's.
Metro: Last Light (2013)
The Metro series of games has a somewhat less rosy view of the near future, and is even more dour than Fallout's post-apocalyptic vision. Metro: Last Light follows a soldier who lives in the Moscow Metro tunnels after a nuclear war has destroyed the surface world. Tasked with finding the mysterious "Dark Ones", the soldier must contend with human factions and a plethora of irradiated monsters.
The biggest addition to Metro: Last Light was its weapon customization features which brought it into the RPG style of gameplay, somewhat. The game finds ways to ratchet up the tension by introducing stealth aspects as the player stalks the tunnels. Unlike Fallout though, Metro's world building takes a backseat to the FPS gameplay.
Horizon Zero Dawn (2017)
While games like Fallout allow players to explore the post-apocalypse of Earth, Horizon Zero Dawn allows s to explore another world entirely. The game casts the player as a young huntress named Aloy who traverses a world overrun by robotic creatures in search of her mysterious past.
Giving players multiple options of attack, Aloy is capable of using ranged weapons, traps, as well as more traditional melee weapons against enemies. Similar to Fallout, the player isn't locked into one storyline and is capable of exploring the world and taking on side quests. The RPG elements of the game are also one of its strengths, as each of Aloy's skills grows over time.
The Outer Worlds (2019)
Few games could rival Fallout in its world building creativity, but The Outer Worlds certainly gave it a run for its money. Set in an alternate future that diverged in 1901 when President William McKinley wasn't assassinated, the game takes place in a hyper-corporatized series of Earth colonies.
The player takes control of a mysterious figure who makes decisions which effect the future of the Earth colonists. There are essentially two story branches which allow the player to go into every scenario with guns blazing, or choose the pacifist approach to conflict. Similar to Fallout's V.A.T.S. system, The Outer Worlds has a feature known as "tactical time dilation" which also allows the player to slow down time to do more effective damage.
