First of Its Kind
Finally, perhaps the biggest reason why Fallout 3 is better than Fallout 4 is because it was the first of its kind. Before launch, Fallout 3 had the unenviable goal of translating an isometric, post-apocalyptic wasteland into the first-person shooter/RPG genre, roping in old-school fans while also catering to newcomers. It had to capture that look, that feel and atmosphere, in order to truly succeed. Despite numerous bugs and other issues, it succeeded in spades and felt like a significant step forward for the genre as a whole. Fallout 4 may feel mechanically better and have superior production values but for its time, it didn’t feel nearly as ground-breaking. In terms of advancing the formula, much less revolutionizing the genre like Fallout 3 did, Fallout 4 just couldn’t come close.
