There is a debate that has been latent in the Fallout community for more than a decade, more specifically since Fallout 3 from 2008, and which Bethesda has tried very hard to ignore. All players have thought about it at some point and some have even materialized the idea with concepts and mods.
I want to open this melon one more time. The Fallout video game saga should leave the United States. The idea is so old that even Tim Cain, co-creator of Fallout, had plans to bring it to China and Russia. I wanted to show what the two remaining superpowers of this universe were like in this post-apocalyptic nuclear fantasy, frozen in the 50s with futuristic touches.
“Think of all the beautiful cities I could bomb,” Cain said. And that’s what many players in the community have been doing for more than a decade. Unfortunately, Todd Howard and Bethesda have already spoken out repeatedly on the matter and made it clear that there were no plans to move Fallout from the United States.
The numbers say Fallout should leave the United States
We want to see how the rest of the world in this universe has turned out after the bombs fell. What has happened to Europe? What about Russia? What about the entire Pacific region? Has anything been saved? Is there any part of the world not irradiated? Fallout 3Fallout 4 and Fallout 76 have audios and writings that shed some light, but little is palpable.
Few projects have made it as clear that players want to see what the rest of the world is like after the bombs fall as Fallout: London. Its launch left it crystal clear, but now much more than ever: the mod has reached one million downloads, according to informed the GOG platform. And this only on PC. We would have to see the figures if it were available on consoles through the Bethesda Creations system.
In case you don’t know, Fallout: London It is set in the iconic British city. Not only does it add a new mapping that recreates the main locations and new stories (main and secondary), it also adapts the London style of the time, adds characteristic weapons in Europe and mechanics. Although it is a mod, it can almost be considered a spin-off. Team FOLON has done a superb job.
A problem of essence: Fallout culture
Fallout: London dissolves any hint of doubt, although that doesn’t mean that making a Fallout set somewhere other than the United States is easy. I understand Bethesda’s refusal to remove Fallout from its current ecosystem. I’m sure they inherited Tim Cain’s concerns:
We were like, “we don’t know enough about this,” so we would have had to find and hire someone. “We need someone who really knows the day-to-day life of Russian.” His life and that he could tell us what Russia thought in the 50s. And what China thought in the 50s.
I have to break a spear in favor of Bethesda. Taking Fallout out of the United States is something I wouldn’t want. It involves creating a new world within the universe with a totally different style. Several European locations I would like to see through the Fallout filter are Berlin, Paris, Rome, and Amsterdam. Even these western ones would be a great change from the American style we are used to. And I add one more option outside of Europe: entire Australia as a single map.
Let’s not talk about the three favorites of the community (in which I include myself), which are: Moscow, Beijing and Tokyo, especially the first two. Russia and China were the two remaining powers that caused the nuclear apocalypse along with the United States. That’s why they were Cain’s first options to expand Fallout and are currently the community’s. So I understand why Bethesda hasn’t quite made the leap.
Over the years, I have come to the conclusion that a Fallout 5 Taking place entirely in Moscow, for example, would be a terrible idea. And not because of a lack of desire or trust in Bethesda, but because it is too risky. The harsh reality is that people don’t like change, even when they insist on it. The foundation of Fallout is American culture, and it’s so absurdly strong that changing it suddenly is unwise.
“So, you want Fallout to leave the United States?”
I want Fallout to come out of the United States, but not like most fans ask for. Fallout 5 (or whatever it ends up being called) should be set in New York, Detroit, Chicago or Los Angeles, iconic places that represent North American culture. They are safe values. If something works, don’t touch it.
The potential to explore the world of Fallout lies in the DLCs. I’m talking about DLCs with capital letters, like Far Harbor y Nuka-World of Fallout 4. beastly things like Blood and Wine of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt for which you gladly pay 20-40 dollars. Experiences capable of contributing several dozen hours to the gaming experience.
Maps of Far Harbor and Nuka-World
I am convinced that a solid and classic base experience in Fallout 5 It would be the perfect platform to launch ourselves into exploring cities like Moscow, Beijing, Berlin, London and Paris, among others. They are much more restrained, controlled and optional content. Bethesda could make smaller environments than expected in a complete game, but much more focused on detail, both graphically and artistically and in everything related to culture and everything that it implies.
Remember that creating these worlds involves a process of research and development. The American culture that underlies Fallout has been building and settling for decades, to the point that it has become the basis of the experience. Still, Bethesda has fooled around with this idea in locations like Camp Liberty in Skyline Valley of Fallout 76where a microcosm of Russian communism is recreated. And it has become one of the favorite locations in the new area.
In short, should Fallout leave the borders of the United States? Yes, totally. Bethesda should not turn a deaf ear to Fallout: London. However, I also think it is a mistake to ignore what we have all assumed (consciously or unconsciously) as the essence of Fallout. I am very clear: DLCs are the key to exploring the Fallout universe.
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