Fallout 2 designer calls Bethesda's Fallout games a "shallow theme park"

Fallout veteran stated that Bethesda doesn't understand the series' roots and turns the games into a shallow theme park

Chris Avellone, designer of Fallout 2 and director of Fallout: New Vegas, shared his thoughts on Bethesda's approach to the legendary post-apocalyptic franchise. According to him, the studio doesn't understand the origins of the series and doesn't strive to explore the roots.

Bethesda genuinely elevated Fallout to a new level of popularity after the third installment's release. The studio's success ultimately led to the creation of the popular TV series. Interplay was forced to sell the franchise due to financial troubles, and without Bethesda, the series might have disappeared entirely. However, a clear distinction exists between the eras – the original isometric games possessed a darker atmosphere that devoted fans still remember with nostalgia.

Avellone worked on Fallout 2, Interplay's canceled version of Fallout 3 called Van Buren, as well as New Vegas and its expansions. On Twitter, someone asked him about rumors that Bethesda hates Obsidian or the Fallout franchise itself. Avellone responded:

I don’t think Bethesda hates Fallout, they just don’t fully understand its roots and arguably, don’t care – they own the franchise, and they just want to do their spin on Fallout and make that the norm.

In his opinion, approach by Bethesda "usually translates into a colorful, shallow theme park." However, the developer added:

...theme parks are fun for some folks, so if people enjoy it, that’s fine with me.

Avellone also highlighted several successful Bethesda projects. He singled out the Far Harbor, Point Lookout, and The Pitt expansions, calling them interesting experiments with the franchise.

Despite the criticism, Avellone noted that he harbors no negative feelings toward Bethesda:

I don’t hate Bethesda, there are things they do well (open world exploration), and there are things they do badly (telling linear stories in open world games and their inability to understand how to use the Speech skill). But every developer has their pros and cons.