With the excitement built around the Fallout London project, the recent tv show and being a major Fallout fan, I knew I needed to return to the wastes to see what this “mod-spansion” was all about. Team FOLON did not disappoint.
Beyond the few technical issues, the Fallout London DLC-sized expansion mod is a delightful experience, melding pieces of Bethesda’s Fallout 4 Far Harbor and the older Fallout 3. After several hours in, I can confidently say It’s a familiar return but in a brand-new wasteland, and one worth experiencing for yourself right now.
Rewarding You with Freedom
Straight out of the gates, Fallout London presents you with freedom reminiscent of the now famed Fallout New Vegas. Just a few short steps outside of the intro location called The Shard, you are met by three bantering gang members. Within a few lines of some very well written dialogue, you are told about your options; join them in their gang life, combat their rival gang “The Dogs”, journey to a doctor in the nearby town of Thamesfolk, or just wander off in literally any direction! I greatly appreciate this level of freedom I was given so soon and of course I ran off in the direction of a random smoke stack in the sky. That being said, the level design feels a bit more narrow in some of the dense cityscape areas, reminding me of some of my time in Fallout 3’s Washington D.C.
Skill checks also make a much needed and prevalent return, testing the player’s character build and stats as a true RPG should. Charisma checks mid-conversation and strength checks on certain doorways just to name a couple of relevant situations. It’s all here to reward or restrict you based on your choices for your character. In my time playing, I put most of my SPECIAL skill points into charisma, never wanting to miss a conversation skill check. Having access to persuade people into divulging more information or some special reward was a smoother-talker’s joy!
Variety is the Spice of Life
Although I have yet to see all 20 factions, 35 side quests and 7 companions, there is more than enough to fill out all of London’s metro and beyond. According to the lore, the FEV (Forced Evolutionary Virus) has not reached the continent therefore the variety of enemies is vastly different compared to the traditional American experience. There’s a true swath of variety here that makes entering each location that much more exciting. Every corner I took I was greeted with a new quest or uniquely modeled location to sink my irradiated teeth into.
Less Stable Than a Post-Nuclear Economy
At this point in my several hour playthrough, I have experienced a handful of immediate crashes as well as some smaller visual bugs. None of which has been enough to stop me from continuing my journey through post-nuclear London, but it has significantly hindered my enjoyment of the otherwise well-crafted full package.
With all of that being said, I do recognize that Fallout London is entirely free and is a fan-made passion project! So I am more than willing to give some leniency on performance benchmarks.
The Good. The Not So Bad. And The Ugly.
So far I have had an absolute blast with Fallout London. I plan on continuing my playthrough in search of more answers. The mod is a testament to the vigor of the Fallout fandom and a shining beacon standing alongside some of the best fan-made expansions ever made. The variety, freedom and attention to detail is commendable to say the least. Even with the occasional crash and texture pop-ins, it is an enjoyable experience constantly providing engaging storylines and unique areas to explore. Hopefully, stability and quality of life updates will be arriving periodically as the FOLON team continues to work diligently to support their new release, but even with that in mind, it doesn’t ruin the experience.
Give Fallout London a playthrough. You won’t regret it! We’ll be seeing you Wayfarer… Mind the gap.
You can learn more about Fallout London and the team here!
