Fallout: New Vegas director Josh Sawyer has shared why he believes the best role-playing games shouldn’t allow players to solve every problem or save every character. Speaking about his design philosophy, Sawyer said RPGs become more meaningful when players are forced to make imperfect decisions instead of being all-powerful heroes.
His comments come during an appearance on The Examined Game podcast, where he discussed why difficult moral choices have become a defining feature of many of the games he has directed, including Fallout: New Vegas, Pentiment, and Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire.
Josh Sawyer believes difficult decisions make RPGs more memorable
During the interview, Sawyer explained that games lose much of their emotional impact when players are allowed to create a perfect outcome for every character.
“I save everyone, I kill everyone. I don’t think that’s particularly interesting.”
Instead, he prefers stories that encourage players to reflect on their own values by presenting situations where every choice comes with consequences.
“You’re going to do your best, and your best is worth trying to do, but it’s not going to fix everything, because you just can’t. No person can fix everything.”
According to Sawyer, those moments make players think more deeply about the character they are role-playing rather than simply pursuing the most rewarding ending.
Sawyer pointed to several examples from his own games. In Fallout: New Vegas, players supporting Mr. House cannot negotiate peace with the Brotherhood of Steel, forcing them to destroy the faction if they choose that path. The decision removed the possibility of a perfect ending and required players to accept the consequences of their allegiance.
He also referenced Pentiment, where players never receive complete certainty about the central murder mystery, and Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire, where the god Eothas remains beyond the player’s ability to defeat despite expectations built by other RPGs.
Sawyer believes these limitations create more authentic stories because, as he explained:
“So many problems are just human problems… even in a fantastic world, there are going to be powers that are beyond you and things that you can’t overwhelm.”
With reports suggesting Sawyer is involved in another Fallout project, his latest comments offer insight into the type of morally complex storytelling fans may hope to see in future entries.
