Although Tim Cain is largely credited as the co-creator of the originalFallout, as a seasoned veteran in the gaming industry, there are many other RPG projects you likely know him by. Many of these, such asArcanumandVampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines, have achieved a cult following, with fans always begging for follow-ups or sequels.
Although Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines isset up for a sequel, its team is nowentirely separatefrom the original’s and has already gone through some development hell. Also, with many of these games being decades old, requesting any substantial follow-up is basically pointless.
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As recentlyreported by PCGamer,Tim Cain has gone on record to explain exactly why these cult classic titles will likely never get sequels, putting the nail in the coffin for all fans constantly begging for more.
Simply put, game development is as much of a business as the movie industry, making it hectic but simultaneously predictable. As usual, the barrier of money and fan interest is usually the silver lining between yourcult classic gamesbecoming a broad, multi-entry series.
The moniker of “cult classic” means that the piece of media gained cult recognition after its initial release, like a cult classicmovie that utterly bombedat the box office and only made its money back through midnight screenings and blockbuster video sales.
As Tim Cain explained it himself: “The problem is the cult part.”
They didn’t sell well enough for a publisher to go, ‘Oh yeah, we definitely gotta jump on a sequel to that.’ So it’s weird to hear people say to me, in some cases decades later, ‘You should have done another one.’ It’s like, ‘You should have bought it.’
It’s obviously a lot easier to theorize a succeeding title than to legitimately create one. For thegames Tim Cain has worked on, massive stories, lore, and world-building need to be created before significant programming can even be done.
We’ve all become pacified with easy follow-ups and sequels. A great example is how big a difference there is betweenFallout 1andFallout 2, as the sequel didn’t only use the original’s lore and worldbuilding but flourished in it to create something entirely its own.
Compare this to many modern sequels, as games likeFallout 3andFallout 4seem similar in both title, story, and gameplay. Overall, many modern follow-ups have less of a massive narrative-based leap than developers like Cain would probably hope them to have.
Cain went on to say, “I just think the only way to get more of what you want is to buy the things you want and not buy the things you don’t want.” So, the massive success of easy-to-make sequels only shows developers that they can keep making the same thing over and over, and barely push the boundary further each time.
The Future Of RPG Sequels And Cult Classics
As noted earlier,Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlinesis getting a sequel, but it feels only by name.Recent showcasesmake the game seem less like an RPG and more like aDishonored-style action game.Combined with Fallout 4-style dialogue options, it strips the entire charm of the original.
As for the original Fallout and other great isometric CRPGs, although Obsidian had worked on some amazing titles likePillars of EternityandTyrannyin the past, some of them even with the help of Tim Cain, it seems like it’ll be a while before they release anything like that again.
Their two upcoming titles,Avowedand the recently revealedOuter Worlds 2, are both 3D first-person RPGs, which look very promising.Nonetheless, time will tell if they are safe sequels that have become the industry standard rather than groundbreaking ones.
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Within all of this, it is important to note that the “cult classic” title has gotten somewhat of a revamp.The PCGamer article explores how many of Tim Cain’s RPGs needed publishers, compared to the modern use of Kickstarter and crowdfunding. When you think about it, this has created a whole new age for unforgettable modern cult classics.
A great example is the indie gemUnderrail, which takes heavy tonal and mechanical inspiration from the original Fallout titles while implementing a lot of its own identity.More importantly, being produced by a small team that benefits from the “cult classic” recognition.
Despite Tim Cain’s saddening statements about cult classic RPG sequels, it’s still nice to know that these games can succeed, given the right hands. With Cain on board tohelp oversee the sequel Outer Worlds 2, hopefully his insight into making solid sequels may benefit the project.
