Fans of the post-apocalypse and Dick van Dyke: rejoice! If this had been an official game it would probably have dominated E3 coverage but nevertheless Fallout: London, a huge upcoming mod for Fallout 4, looks like the bees' knees sunshine.
Described by its creators as "a DLC-sized mod", Fallout London takes the series from its usual American wasteland to the big smoke of 2237. The trailer's opening, merrily flicking the Vs at copyright law, incorporates Vera Lynn's 'We'll Meet Again'—a song that, for the Brits, is synonymous with World War 2 and later was seen by some as emblematic of the nation's decline (for example in the work of Pink Floyd). Long-time fans of the Fallout series may also note that it's something of a callback to the Fallout 3 reveal, which was structured around pulling out from a bus.
Fallout: London's trailer details several different factions, shows off locations including Buckingham Palace and Big Ben, and is packed with cockney rhyming slang. The most intriguing faction are probably the daft buggers who dress up as crusade-era knights and swing swords at radiation monsters, which does seem like a very British approach to the post-apocalypse.
The creators write that "Visiting a totally new setting allows for us to explore totally new cultures which have not homogenized with their American counterparts. It also allows us to explore pre-war European history, and the effects the Resource Wars had on the class structured society of pre-war Britain."
The mod's official site contains some more details about what exactly these cultural differences mean, and the series staples it'll be leaving behind. "[The Forced Evolutionary Virus] has not reached London in any way, shape, or form. That means no Super Mutants, no Centaurs, no Deathclaws, and likely a lower amount of Psykers than ever before.
"Vault-Tec is entirely an American company, thus it will have no presence in London. We will have a version of a vault, but it will be entirely different from that of Vault-Tec, except that it is a shelter, beneath the ground. So don’t expect Better Living, Underground. In a similar vein, there will likely be a British Counterpart of Vault Boy, in terms of a popular mascot that will make frequent appearances."
Sign me up for the cockney Vault Boy. The reveal trailer also mentions that 'er majesty hasn't been heard from in years. Ignoring the fact that, in 2237, not many would expect to hear from Queen Elizabeth anyway, the prospect of finding the royal family as ghouls (and then blowing them away in VATs) is definitely another selling point.
In terms of size, Fallout: London is "a condensed version of London that focuses around the main boroughs. The world map is about the size of the vanilla Fallout 4 Commonwealth and will let players experience everything from the heart of Westminster all the way to the rolling hills on the outskirts of Bromley."
Fallout: London doesn't yet have a release date, even though it looks like the business. We'll be keeping our mince pies on this one, and no mistake.
