In the modern world of gaming it’s not just the developers who get all the sandbox fun. Video games can be enhanced and customised, until they become almost unrecognisable from the release version. You can always rely on a modder to find a new angle for your favourite game. Playable characters might crop up who you never expected to see. Fan-made narrative arcs emerge that take you to new and exciting places.
Take the Fallout London mod, for example – a genius addition to Fallout 4 that reimagines the Resource Wars overseas, far from America’s ravaged cities and nuclear bunkers. In this post-apocalyptic narrative we travel across the pond to experience a fan-made world, untouched by Bethesda’s fingerprints. Fallout fanatics at Team Folon are taking us into the British capital, London, for a mod that is positively DLC-sized and basically seems to have been crafted from the ground up. Rumours say it’s pretty much the same size as the base game and will exist as more of a sequel in its own right. The team have already shared a 20-minute long video that showcases gameplay for their Fallout series expansion.
What We’ve Seen So Far
The gameplay reveal had us immersed in the ‘warm liquid goo phase’ of some mysterious science project. Watched over by scientists (voiced by Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy of Doctor Who fame) we then progress into character creation. It’s a typical Fallout sequence, followed by an escape from the underground lab, chased by gunfire and confronted by whiskered Radshrews. The opening truly kicks off when players burst up into the London Underground at London Bridge Station. Cue the arrival of mysterious ‘Mr Smythe’, who aids your escape onto a train and into the withered heart of dystopian blighty.
Foggy London Town
Set in the year 2237, Fallout London takes place between the first and second games, allowing players to burrow under the city by way of the famous London Underground. You can look forward to exploring the usual sights you’d see from an open top double-decker. Like the borough of Westminster – seat of power for the ye olde British empire – or, the market streets of Bromley and the now super-trendy enclave of Hackney.
The Zombie Royals
The fan mod will place us inside the body of an unnamed character, referred to largely as ‘Wayfarer’. It’s likely you won’t get much of an origin story, but what’s an imagination for?
There’s also been hints at many other surprises as gamers near their first hands-on experience of Fallout London. One of the most notable characters was a zombified version of Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by her undead corgis. Since removed from the game, following her recent death, Her Majesty’s previous inclusion is an example of how unique and daring this mod will be (developers also took out a ghoulish King Charles III). In fact, it’s been in development since 2019, so you can expect fireworks when the mod is finally released some time in 2023.
Currently, the Fallout London mod project is scheduled for a 2023 release. While the entire Fallout modder community awaits its arrival with bated breath…
