Fallout 76endured a rocky launch, and an equally turbulent existence afterwards. EvenBethesda have acknowledged the disappointmentthat the game’s launch caused. However, with no newFallout 5news on the horizon and some new76content revealed at E3, it seems likeFallout 76will represent the franchise for a while longer. At least, it will do so officially. Although Bethesda does not seem to be working on a new single-playerFalloutright now, that has not stopped the series' most ardent fans from crafting their own.
During the E3 period,Fallout Londondropped a brand new trailer. This DLC-size fan mod might not have the backing of Bethesda and Microsoft, but it looks like it has exactly the right kind of tongue-in-cheek tone that underlines the bestFalloutgames. One of the main criticisms fans brought toFallout 76was the initial lack of compelling,Fallout-style content. The deep lore, extensive factions, range of exciting weapons, and incredibly detailed world design on display inFallout London’strailer looks like it could fill that desire for a single player game in theFalloutuniverse.
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This mod forFallout 4could also show the franchise where it needs to go: global. Perhaps some of the problems forFallout 76came from it still being set in the USA, maybe it is time to see that formula taken across the pond.
What is Fallout London?
Fallout Londonis an ambitious mod forFallout 4that takes the post apocalypse over to the jolly shores of Great Britain. Specifically, it focuses on the infamous capital. London has been home to raging infernos, rampant plagues, economic crises, and countless street protests. In short, it is the perfect UK location for aFalloutgame. The mod pays extensive thematic and tonal homage to the original series, but radically alters the actual content. The Forced Evolutionary Virus that created Super Mutants, Centaurs, Deathclaws, and a large amount of Psykers apparently never reached Britain. Furthermore, Vault-Tec is an American company, and its influence has not reached the UK’s capital at the time ofFallout London.
So, all told, the plight of post-apocalyptic Britain inFallout Londonlooks to be radically different to the main series in some ways, but eerily familiar in others. The trailer’s gorgeously over-the-top cockney drawl notes: “Whilst the location might have changed: War, war never changes.” Even though certain parts of the original series do not carry over,Fallout Londonemploys multiple intriguing factions (each with complex and intertwining interests), some retro and improvised weaponry, and an iconic cityscape condensed into a traversable size. All of those elements exist in otherFallouttitles, andLondonlooks to be focussing more on the meaningful interactions between factions than otherrecentFalloutgames.
What was Fallout 76 Missing?
That depends on who is asked. According to fans, the multiplayerFalloutgame was not just disappointing, but also constituted unrepresentative marketing on Bethesda’s part. In fact,ZeniMax admitted to misleading consumers withFallout 76.Specifically, the company acknowledged that it misled some consumers about a right to refund after encountering lag, server issues, and graphical errors.
Alongside various technical issues, the game suffered from a lack of compelling content. The game had no major NPCs, base-creation was not too expansive, and lacked diverse quests and gameplay loops. Of course,Fallout 76has changed admirably since that time. It now enjoys a “Mostly Positive” rating on Steam, which far outstrips what it had at launch. A constant stream of content updates has firmly established the game as a solid multiplayer entry into theFalloutfranchise.
However, that might be part of the problem. One of the things thatFallout Londoncan give long-time fans of the franchise is a single player experience. According to Todd Howard,Fallout 5will be single player. So, if players are looking for a well-produced, singular experience that usesFallout’saesthetics while waiting for the fifth official game, thenFallout Londoncould well be the perfect mod for them.
Style and Substance: What Fallout London Brings Back
One of the issues that the lacking or broken content inFallout 76at launchspoke to was a lack of direction for the title. It did not do much to establish a clear goal or aim. As such, players did not have any solid expectations to compare it to apart from Bethesda’s solid resume of single player RPGs. Unfortunately forFallout 76, this was not a flattering comparison. From the trailer forFallout London,which has accrued a tidy 1.7 million views in a week, a wealth of content does not appear to be a problem.
The huge love for the setting of London is incredibly obvious throughout.Fallout Londonbegins its trailer with a zoom out from the broken corpse of an iconic red bus, with a cockney-laden voice over taking the audience through the various factions of apocalyptic Albion. There are 7 prominent groups in the mod, including the Tommies, the Fifth Column, the Gentry, and the incredibly memorable Camelot. Each of those represent a distinct period or ideology from England’s history, be it a group of utopian King Arthur enthusiasts or neo-fascists adopting contemporary British far-right symbolism.
Essentially, the mod might be small, but seems to focus on a huge wealth and depth of characters and stories within that space. With very little information apart from vagueFallout 5rumors, the future of the series is uncertain. However, it would be very interesting to see if futureFalloutgames take a similar direction toFallout London, or if Bethesda continues with the sprawling multiplayer of76.
War Can Change: What the Series Can Learn From Fallout London
Aside from a pivot to single player,Fallout Londonshows that a return to some wacky but complex factions and questlines are what is needed. With a single player experience, these become much more intense to each player. The mod has been in development for nearly 4 years, and already has content available for fans to download (including some Camelot armor, British firearms, and a full Queen’s guard outfit). These releases are demonstrations that a lot of content will be in the mod at launch. Ultimately, if Bethesda want to win back fans that feltwronged byFallout 76, heaps of engaging content is exactly what it needs.
