FALLOUT LONDON: GREAT HOPE OF THE WASTELAND
Impact
The Fallout series has captivated players with immersive gameplay, rich storytelling, and vast open worlds. With the release of Fallout 4 in 2015, fans were introduced to a new installment in the franchise that took them to the ruins of Boston, Massachusetts. However, as the gaming community eagerly awaits the upcoming Fallout London mod, it is important to understand the key differences between Fallout London and its predecessor, Fallout 4 & why FOL will be not only a superior experience but
Fallout 5’s stand-in.
Fallout 4, developed by BGS [ Bathsheba Game Studios ] , is set in a post-nuclear war world where players navigate the wasteland as the sole survivor of Vault 111. The game offered a blend of first-person shooter and role-playing elements, allowing players to explore the vast Commonwealth while encountering various factions, creatures, and challenges. With its detailed world, Unique storyline, and extensive customization options, Fallout 4 became a cult favorite.
However in my mind, there’s the FO4 that we got in reality & the FO4 that would’ve aged better & that we probably would’ve been better off having in my personal opinion. During my playthroughs of FO4 I found myself fantasizing alot about what the potential the game had & what it could’ve been had Bathesda taken more care & thoughtful actions during development.
I realized how much of the world and story were missing and how unfinished everything felt. For instance, Boston as you know is a state with enormous historical importance to the United States, and yet this wasn’t explored nearly as much as it should’ve been. Perhaps one of the best things that Fallout 4 could’ve done was lean more into American colonial Roots giving the wasteland the feel, eye candy, & historical drip of a game like Ubisoft of AC 3 and films like The Patriot.
Using Assassin’s Creed 3 as an inspiration what we could’ve ended up with was a minute-man faction wearing the outfits of the 18th century Longhunters & The Buckskin of the Frontiers men? Where were the colonial-inspired food/beverage recipes? Why didn’t we have the option to unlock 18th-century log cabin settlement builds? Why could we craft 18th-century equipment and gear for wilderness survival? Why couldn’t foraging & old world herbalism be essential for braving the wasteland? Where were the mutated horses? Why couldn’t we get a Boston State Troopers faction full of crooked individuals inspired by Martin Scorsese’s Departed?
Why didn’t the Italian or Irish Mafia have factions? Where was the brutal Old-Timey Bare-knuckle Boxing & Old-Timey Baseball? Why couldn’t we have an old-fashioned 18th-century Ball to celebrate the remaking of the CPG (common wealth provincial government) at the castle after completing all available minute-men faction quests toward the end of the game? Why couldn’t there be a witch hunters faction dedicated to vanquishing the children of Atom? Why couldn’t we get public Witch Trials / witch executions by pyre? Why wasn’t there more large cities aside from good neighbor & Diamond city? Where were the powdered wigs? WHY COULDN’T FO4 BE A TWIST ON OLD COLONIAL AMERICA???
At present, we’re about to transition into 2024 and after damn near 10 years post release I’m still infuriated by the fact that we couldn’t get this version of FO4 & I’m even more depressed by the poor decision-making & soulless approach to game development Bathsheba seems to be taking these days .
On the other hand, Team Folons Fallout London is hands down the most ambitious mod project I’ve ever seen & it aims to bring the Fallout experience to a new location - the city of London. Fallout London will offer players a fresh take on the Fallout universe by transporting them to a post-apocalyptic version of the iconic British capital. This mod promises to deliver an extraordinary and immersive experience, filled with new quests, characters, and locations.
One of the standout features of Fallout London is its visual and gameplay enhancements. The modders have painstakingly recreated the city of London, complete with iconic landmarks such as the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, means if travel via horse, bicycle, boat, & train, and the Houses of Parliament. The attention to detail in the mod’s design is truly remarkable, as players will be able to explore a post-apocalyptic version of London that will end up feeling both familiar and hauntingly different.
In addition to the visual enhancements, Fallout London also introduces new gameplay mechanics and features. incorporating a dynamic weather system, bringing the unpredictable nature of London’s climate to the game. Players will have to contend with rain, fog, and other atmospheric conditions, adding an extra layer of immersion to their gameplay experience. Furthermore, the mod introduces new weapons, armor, and enemies, ensuring that players have proper British tools & gear to take on new challenges when facing the wasteland.
Aside from the visual and gameplay enhancements, Fallout London also promises a compelling storyline and character development. The modders have crafted a unique narrative set in the aftermath of a devastating nuclear event, where players will uncover the secrets of London’s past and shape its future. The mod introduces new factions ( personal favorites the pistols , the tommies, & Camelot ) , each with their own motivations and agendas, creating a dynamic and evolving world for players to explore.
The 2024 release of Fallout London has generated significant excitement within the Fallout community. Modding has long been a cherished aspect of the Fallout series, allowing players to extend the life of the game and create their own unique experiences. Fallout London represents a culmination of the modding community’s creativity and decades of dedication.
The Last Straw
With Bethesda’s Starfield being bland and for the most part a flop many long time fans of the Fallout franchise are becoming increasingly worried about what Starfield’s failure and Bathsheda’s refusal to evolve will mean for Fallout 5. Well anyone who takes an honest look at the studio and their games since 2015 will understand that this means that the Fallout 5 we end up getting will be a lifeless husk of a product. Alternatively, I am choosing to officially herald Fallout London as my Fallout 5 because I fiercely believe that this mod will bring about the end of an era and will not be replicable or imitated no matter how hard Bathsheba may try.
Moreover due to Todd Howard’s Vanity project Starfield fallout 5 has unjustly been put on the back burner with many fans of the series estimating a release time toward the end of the 2020’s — early 2030’s which is long enough for people to transition into and out of major phases of their lives and depending on their age and life circumstances that chunk of time is in fact long enough for someone to die & be buried. With that being said fallout London is the greatest gift players are likely to receive for a decade or longer and it’s quite frankly the last & brightest hope of the Fallout franchise before we inevitably see BGS armed with their hellacious incompetence, greed, & stubbornness Run the Fallout IP into the grave.
