Fallout 5 Already Has a Big Advantage Over Starfield

Highlights Fallout 5 will likely include the popular VATS system, giving it a unique combat experience that sets it apart from Starfield. Starfield’s combat feels more realistic but lacks the strategic gameplay provided by VATS in Fallout. The inclusion of VATS in Fallout 5 has the potential to create one of the best RPG combat systems ever, taking the franchise to new heights.

Starfield may have just hit store shelves this week, but Bethesda fans are already looking toward what the studio does next. While it has announced that The Elder Scrolls 6 is its next project, Fallout 5 will likely follow. Nothing has been announced yet, nor will anything be officially announced for a while. However, that has not stopped fans from theorizing and making wish lists for this next chapter, and even though it will not be coming out for a long time, it may already have beaten Starfield in one key area.

It is way too early to decide if Starfield or Fallout 5 is better since one game has not even been announced yet. However, Fallout 5 will likely follow in the footsteps of its predecessors and give players a unique form of combat. While it will presumably have the first-person combat that every modern Bethesda game has, it will also bring with it the popular VATS system. This mechanic is a staple of the Fallout series, so it would make sense it would crop up in the sequel, and its inclusion may lead to a much stronger combat system overall.

Fallout’s Combat Sets it Apart From Starfield

Unlike The Elder Scrolls, the focus of Starfield and Fallout’s combat is gunplay. Both games see players collect an assortment of guns along their journey that they use to decimate their opponents. While there may be melee weapons, players will be using these wild guns the majority of the time. As they level up, the gunplay only gets crazier, which leads to a very satisfying combat loop that keeps players coming back for more.

Starfield’s combat may feel like one of the best systems that Bethesda has crafted, but it also seems to be missing something. Not only does the combat feel more realistic and tamer than Fallout’s, but players are also unable to slow it down with the VATS system. This unique mechanic helps give Fallout’s combat a ton of life while also setting it apart from other RPGs. That is something that Starfield does not benefit from, which may hold it back a bit.

Since Starfield is not melee-based, the combat can often feel frantic and overwhelming when players take on massive hordes of enemies. A system like VATS helps slow down that combat and lets players be more selective in what they target. The game’s FPS combat may feel better than Fallout 4’s, but the absence of VATS definitely makes things a bit harder, and sometimes clunkier. This is especially noticeable inside hallways and tight corridors where players must defend themselves against large groups of enemies without the help of a slow-motion feature.

Fallout 5 will likely build upon the strong foundations of Starfield for an even more engaging combat system. Once Bethesda tosses VATS on top of it, Fallout 5 may be unbeatable. Since the game is years away, the studio has the chance to craft one of the best RPG combat systems ever. While Starfield may be a fantastic experience, there is a strong chance Fallout 5 will take the entire concept to new heights.

While nothing has been revealed yet, Fallout 5 will likely include VATS since it is a staple of the franchise. It would be strange if the studio left it out because every single entry including Fallout 76 has it. Its inclusion will help make a strong combat system even stronger. It may be everything that Starfield is missing plus more, and that potential alone seems very exciting.

Starfield is available now on PC and Xbox Series X/S.