Bethesdais a master at creating RPGs, whether it’s set in an ancient, fantastical world with Dragons and Draugrs, or a post-apocalyptic nuclear wasteland with mutated lifeforms. Ironically, the Fallout title that’s considered as the best game in the franchise isn’t actually developed by Bethesda themselves, but the studio has still worked on a few standout entries in the series that have received critical acclaim over the years.
Fallout 4: Every Companion, Ranked
Which of Fallout 4’s companions are the best when you look at what they offer to the game’s story?
These are all the games in the Fallout franchise, with all the mainline titles as well as the weird spin-offs, ranked from worst to the best.
9Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel
A Brotherhood Betrayed
Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel
The Fallout franchise has had its fair share of missteps, but few stumble as hard as Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel. Released in 2004 as a console-exclusiveaction RPG, it aimed to bring the Wasteland experience to the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. Instead, it delivered a clunky, uninspired brawler that barely resembled the series' identity.
Replacing the signature open-ended gameplay with linear corridors and dull combat, the game strips away what made Fallout unique. The story follows a Brotherhood of Steel initiate hunting down a missing paladin, but it’s hard to care when the game leans on juvenile humor and awkward dialogue. Even the Brotherhood, one of Fallout’s most compelling factions, is reduced to a shallow, barely recognizable version of itself. Fans consider this entry the black sheep of the franchise, and Bethesda clearly agrees as it’s the only entry that has never been referenced in later games.
8Fallout 76
From the Ashes of Disaster
Fallout 76
Even the biggest disasters can find redemption, butFallout 76had to crawl through a decade’s worth of nuclear waste to do so. Launched in 2018 as an always-online multiplayer experiment, it suffered from game-breaking bugs, a world devoid of NPCs, and a lack of engaging content. Instead of the rich, choice-driven storytelling that defined the series, players were left with an empty West Virginia filled with holotapes and not much else.
The backlash was immediate, with Fallout 76 quickly becoming one of the most infamous releases in modern gaming. However, Bethesda slowly turned things around, adding NPCs, quests, and the Wastelanders expansion, which brought back the human element. Though it’s still divisive, the game has evolved into a competent survival RPG, carving out a niche among multiplayer fans. But when ranking the Fallout franchise, it remains one of the weakest entries in terms of narrative and design.
7Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel
Tactics, But at What Cost?
Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel
Fallout’s turn-based combat was never known for its speed, but Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel took a different approach. Released in 2001, this squad-basedstrategy gameremoved most of the series' role-playing elements in favor of tactical battles. Players control a squad of Brotherhood of Steel recruits, engaging in XCOM-style combat across the Midwest.
While it offered deep tactical gameplay and even introduced real-time combat as an option, it lacked the branching choices and player agency that defined the mainline games. Its setting also exists in a strange gray area, and Bethesda has never officially declared it canon, leaving it in limbo. As a tactics game, it holds up decently, but as a Fallout game, it feels like a side project rather than a full-fledged entry.
6Fallout Shelter
A Vault in Your Pocket
Fallout Shelter
For a game that started as a free mobile spin-off,Fallout Shelterbecame a surprise hit. Launched in 2015, it puts players in charge of their own Vault, managing resources, expanding rooms, and keeping dwellers happy (or at least alive). It was a departure from the series' traditional RPG roots, but its addictive gameplay loop made it one of the most successful Fallout spin-offs ever.
Its charm lies in its simplicity, with a mix of base-building, survival mechanics, and lighthearted humor that captures the spirit of Fallout. The game eventually expanded to PC and consoles, adding new quests and mechanics, but at its core, it’s still a mobile management game. While it lacks the depth of the mainline entries, it remains one of the better side games in the Fallout series ranked by uniqueness.
Where It All Began
The Wasteland as we know it wouldn’t exist withoutFallout, the 1997 RPG that introduced players to the post-apocalyptic world of Vaults, Super Mutants, and brutal survival. Taking inspiration from classic CRPGs like Wasteland, it combined deep role-playing mechanics with an open-ended world full of meaningful choices.
The story follows the Vault Dweller, sent into the wasteland to find a water chip before their vault runs out of clean drinking water. What unfolds is a journey that sets the standard for the franchise’s branching narratives, offering multiple ways to complete objectives and shape the world. While it’s turn-based combat and isometric perspective may feel dated, the game remains a masterclass in storytelling.
4Fallout 2
A Worthy Successor
If Fallout built the foundation, Fallout 2 expanded it into something far more ambitious. Released in 1998, it took everything great about its predecessor and made it bigger; more locations, more choices, and a world teeming with life. The game follows the Chosen One, a descendant of the first game’s protagonist, on a quest to save their village by recovering a Garden of Eden Creation Kit (GECK).
What set Fallout 2 apart was its sheer freedom. Players could side with crime families, become boxing champions, or even engage in morally ambiguous activities, all while dealing with the Enclave, a remnant of the pre-war U.S. government. Its humor, references, and branching paths made it one of the best Fallout games, and while it shares the same aging combat as its predecessor, its world is unmatched in scope.
3Fallout 4
War Never Changes, And Neither Does the Game Engine
WhenFallout 4launched in 2015, it was Bethesda’s most ambitious entry yet. It took the core mechanics of Fallout 3 and expanded them, introducing a fully-voiced protagonist, settlement building, and a more dynamic combat system. The Commonwealth felt alive, with factions like the Minutemen, the Brotherhood of Steel, and the Institute offering vastly different approaches to shaping the wasteland’s future.
Fallout 4: 10 Best Weapons, Ranked
Whether you prefer stealth, brute force or pure chaos in battles, there’s a weapon that fits your style of play in Fallout 4.
However, some longtime fans felt Fallout 4 streamlined too much, replacing deep dialogue trees with a simplified conversation system and putting more emphasis on action over role-playing. And then there was the fact that Bethesda opted to develop Fallout 4 on the same game engine that created Fallout 3, a 7-year-old game, which made the game feel graphically inferior to many other games released in 2015. Even so, its gameplay refinements and expansive world make it one of the top Fallout games in terms of sheer scale.
2Fallout 3
A Vault With a View
For many players,Fallout 3was their first step into the Wasteland. Bethesda’s 2008 revival of the series introduced the Capital Wasteland, a sprawling, irradiated world full of memorable locations and characters. The Lone Wanderer’s journey to find their father takes players through iconic set pieces, from the Brotherhood of Steel’s Citadel to the bomb-worshipping town of Megaton.
The game’s introduction of the V.A.T.S. system blended turn-based combat withfirst-person shooting, creating a unique hybrid of action and strategy. It also laid the groundwork for Bethesda’s open-world RPG formula, setting the stage for future games. While later entries refined its mechanics, Fallout 3 remains one of the best Fallout games ranked in terms of sheer impact on the industry.
1Fallout: New Vegas
The King of the Wasteland
Fallout: New Vegas
No Fallout tier list is complete withoutFallout: New Vegassitting at the top. Developed by Obsidian Entertainment and released in 2010, it took the framework of Fallout 3 and injected it with some of the deepest role-playing mechanics in the series. The Mojave Wasteland was a complex web of factions, moral dilemmas, and choices that carried real consequences.
The Courier’s journey wasn’t just about survival; it was about shaping the future of New Vegas, deciding whether the city would fall under NCR rule, the iron fist of Caesar’s Legion, or an independent rule under Mr. House. Its writing, world-building, and sheer freedom of choice make it the pinnacle of the series. Even with its rough launch, Fallout: New Vegas is still ranked as the definitive Fallout experience.
Fallout: New Vegas - 10 Best Mods
The Wasteland is already an intense and unforgiving landscape in Fallout: New Vegas, but with these creative mods, you’re able to spice it up even more.
