Bethesda games – you either love or hate them. But despite our tastes, hardly anyone hasn’t heard of Fallout or The Elder Scrolls franchise. Both franchises acquired legendary status among players, so knowing them is a must. Skyrim and Fallout 4 are a few years old already, but both games are more than alive, thanks to their ever-growing modding community.

However, Fallout 4 was met with much more criticism upon its release than Skyrim. People complained about inventory management, perk system, simplified dialogue options, and dated graphics. Some of these claims are justified, but others aren’t. 

There are many things Fallout does better than Skyrim, but it’s also the other way around. And it won’t be an overstatement if I say that both games defined the last decade in the gaming industry. So, which one is ultimately a better title? We’ll try to answer this question in this article.

We will split this section into several categories, giving one point to the winner of each. At the bottom, you’ll find the conclusion of who won the competition. Of course, we’re comparing the vanilla version of the games to be as objective as possible. 

We assume that most people play the game as intended by the developers. While plenty of mods further enhance the experience for both games, everyone’s mod list is different. Thus, we will only compare vanilla versions. May the better one win!

The main story is one of the most important factors regarding any open-world RPG. It defines the lore and creates immersion around the world you’ve found yourself in. And when it comes to immersion, both Skyrim and Fallout have nothing to be ashamed of. You’ll be drawn in completely and spend thousands of hours discovering the secrets of both worlds. 

However, when it comes to the main story, Fallout wins by a high margin. It builds suspense throughout the entire quest line for a satisfying, climatic finish using the full potential of its interesting world. Add to that several plot twists and a non-linear approach to some quests, and you’re up for a well-written adventure. It’s not the New Vegas level, sadly, but close enough. There are also several main factions to join, which will affect the course of the story resulting in different endings.

In Skyrim, though, the main storyline simply exists. The story of a mighty Dragonborn setting on a journey to defeat Alduin is cliche inside and out. There are hardly any plot twists, choices, or memorable characters, and the story's ending is predictable. There are some slight changes based on the factions you've previously joined but not worth replaying it all over to see them. It seems like Bethesda learned from its mistakes in Skyrim and provided Fallout 4 players with a much better main story.

Winner: Fallout 4

Despite Skyrim failing miserably with its main story, it rewards you with several side quest lines. The people of Skyrim are not only busy with regular dragon attacks but also have their own problems, motives, and other tasks they need help with. Simple quests like finding a missing dog for a local smith can turn into a multi-layered, intriguing adventure.

Winterhold, Thieves Guild, or Dark Brotherhood, even picking a side in the civil war – this content is purely optional but mandatory in a way. Most players tend to live their own lives in Skyrim and roleplay their character however they see fit. The side quest system makes you believe your story never seems to end. This makes the game compelling and rewarding, even during multiple playthroughs.

Fallout 4 is significantly worse in this regard. The game revolves around the main storyline giving the player much less freedom regarding roleplay. Don’t get me wrong, there are some memorable side quests, but it doesn’t come close to what Skyrim offers.

Winner: Skyrim

This section can go either way. We can focus on the number of factions in each game or their quality. Focusing only on quantity would be unfair since Skyrim has much more factions to join than Fallout. However, the problem with factions in Skyrim is that you can join everyone and be the leader of every guild like a demi-god being.

This isn’t the case with the Fallout game, though. Factions negate each other, so once you pick a side, you pick a side. There are four major factions to join, which might look pale compared to Skyrim’s fifteen. Yet each of the four factions has a major impact on the course of the game, making each playthrough truly unique.

Some players may find it frustrating to start to discover everything the game offers all over. On the flip side, joining everyone without consequences is unrealistic. The only meaningful choice in Skyrim is when you pick a side in a civil war, which isn’t enough.

Therefore, I’m giving Fallout 4 a well-deserved point here since choosing a faction actually affects your playthrough.

Winner: Fallout 4

We could forgive Skyrim its melee and magic combat systems in 2011, but they aged horribly. If you’re used to combat systems from Witcher 3 or Arkham series, you’ll be hugely disappointed in Skyrim. Your attacks don’t have any impact; it feels like you’re attacking a sponge. Not to mention the terrible enemies A.I. that doesn’t react to the environment and attacks you the same way each time.

This isn’t the case with Fallout 4, though. Bethesda learned its lesson making the combat more refined and challenging. It was released four years after Skyrim, so it would be odd if there were no improvements. Whether you use melee or ranged weapons, each hit has an impact, and fighting a group of enemies is more challenging but also satisfying. 

Enemies also actively react to your actions and will change their behavior based on the weapons and tactics you use. Don’t forget about the V.A.T.S. system, where you can attack a certain body part of your enemy, crippling or killing him instantly. That said, if you’re looking for modern and satisfying gameplay mechanics, Fallout 4 is a much better game in this regard.

Winner: Fallout 4

Unique apparel and weaponry are present in both games, but Skyrim gets the upper hand in this regard. Fantasy worlds allow for more freedom when designing unique items, while Fallout 4 is limited by its setting and lack of magic. Of course, there are some sci-fi weapons like Alien Blaster or Nuka Nuke Launcher, but you can’t compare them to Wabbajack from Skyrim.

Also, the weapon diversity is much more pronounced in Skyrim, letting you choose between melee and ranged weapons, magic, or bare fists. Such weaponry also translates to more diverse character builds where creativity is the only limiting factor.

Winner: Skyrim

The fantasy land of Skyrim and the post-apocalyptic wasteland in Fallout 4 literally scream survival. Skyrim included a survival mode in the remastered version from 2016, the same year Fallout 4 did. However, Skyrim’s survival is more of an annoyance than a survival experience.

The game's vanilla version includes several needs you need to take care of but without any added benefits.  What’s more, hunger or thirst can suddenly “switch on” mid-battle, making you lose health for no reason. Mods like Campfire, Frostfall, or iNeed are mandatory in this case since vanilla leaves much to be desired.

Fallout 4 is far superior in this regard, with enemies yielding 2x experience in exchange for increased difficulty, actually rewarding your efforts. Additionally, you don’t need any mods for a satisfying survival experience since the best features are already included. 

And that’s why Fallout 4 reigns supreme in this category. I wonder why Bethesda Softworks didn’t do the same with Skyrim, given that the survival update was released the same year as Fallout 4.

Winner: Fallout 4

Having a companion by your side is also an important part of most games with a vast, open world. Skyrim and Fallout 4 are no different in this regard, giving you plenty of followers to choose from. 

You can find 16 companions in Fallout, while Skyrim expands that number to over 50. But once again, it’s quality over quantity that matter. Every companion in Fallout 4 is well-written and fleshed out, but you can’t say the same about Skyrim.

Of course, there’s Cicero and Serana (especially her), but given the in-game map size, only two memorable followers is a huge disappointment. Meanwhile, Fallout 4 includes a special affinity system that gauges their overall affection for you. 

Each follower reacts to your actions throughout the game, and maxing out affinity unlocks companion-specific perks and romance options. Fallout 4 is miles ahead of Skyrim in this regard and gets a well-deserved point.

Winner: Fallout 4

Settlements are an inevitable part of the Fallout series, but Fallout 4 brought it to the next level. Skyrim laid the foundation for this system in Heartfire DLC, where you could construct a home on various plots of land, among other paltry features. However, this feature was limited only to locations designated by developers, while Fallout 4 gives you complete freedom when placing your settlement.

Not only that, but you can construct settlements out of the common materials found during your playthrough. While in Skyrim, you can build houses from special materials used only for that purpose, and you can’t have more than one house in the designated area. Fallout 4 allows you to build entire villages and connect them through trade routes.

Not only that, but you can also share your creations with other players for them to use! It’s a great game in this regard, refreshing the gameplay in a unique way that Skyrim cannot achieve without extensive modding.

Winner: Fallout 4

Which is the better world to explore? Both games set new standards in this regard, and selecting the superior one is a tough choice. The post-apo setting allows for much creative freedom when designing the world, incorporating fantasy and sci-fi elements without worrying they’ll exclude each other. The locations are highly diverse, each one telling different stories left for players to discover. It’s created in such a way that most gamers spend dozens of hours learning more about their surroundings.

Skyrim isn’t behind, though. While the fantasy setting has its own rules and limits developers’ creativity in a way, the land of Skyrim is equally mesmerizing to explore. Snowy mountain peaks, green grasslands, and rustic caves – everything blends in seamlessly, giving the player a lot of variety. Also, The Dawnguard and Dragonborn DLCs expand the game’s environmental offerings even further.

We all wish there were more games with big, meticulously crafted open worlds that we will remember for years to come. Both Fallout 4 and Skyrim did that flawlessly, so I can’t hurt one at the expense of the other. A draw is most fair here.

Winner: Tie

We said at the beginning that we wouldn’t judge both games based on installed mods. And we didn’t; our comparison is based purely on vanilla versions of both games. But which game is the best for a modded playthrough? Skyrim and Fallout 4 are two of the absolute biggest platforms in the modding scene.

The amount of available mods for both games is astounding, ranging from texture upgrades, new armor, and weapon mods to brand new locations with their own questlines. However, Skyrim wins by a high margin when it comes to modding. There are over 50 000 mods for Skyrim Special Edition compared to Fallout 4’s 43 000.

Some Skyrim mods even turned into standalone games, like Enderal or The Forgotten City. Skyrim’s engine is also more stable and forgiving when it comes to modding. Skyrim modders also provide quality-of-life modding tools and scripts for those just starting out, while Fallout 4’s modding tools are scarce. So, if you want to mod the hell out of your game, Skyrim is the way to go.

Winner: Skyrim