The Creation Engine first debuted as the game engine powering the incredibly-popular The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. Later, the same engine was also used to develop Fallout 4 and Fallout 76. The development of Starfield saw updates to the engine, with it being dubbed Creation Engine 2.

“I’m really worried that they’re gonna keep going with the Creation Engine,” said Carter when asked about what new features could show up in Fallout 5. “I understand that it is proprietary. Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of pluses to it. I’m not just someone that’s going to sit there and lie and say it’s a terrible engine. It could be better, yes, but it’s not a bad engine but I do think it started to show its age. It needs to be overhauled somewhat.”

The idea fundamentally comes down to the fact that it might be difficult for Bethesda to add in new features to the engine that support new kinds of gameplay. For example, drivable vehicles would be a major addition that would require quite a bit of development on the Creation Engine.

“If they can overhaul it, then there’s no reason why they couldn’t push its limits and start adding things like drivable cars, maybe even metro systems like what we built in Fallout: London,” Carter continued. “I mean, if we found a way, I’m sure they could bring some of this stuff back into Fallout 5.”

Going into further detail about what kinds of technical issues could be fixed if Bethesda were to move over to a more modern game engine, Carter responded by saying “load screens and optimization, without a doubt,” before going into the painstaking work that the Fallout: London team did in its attempts to reduce load screens.

“That was our biggest complaint, rightly so from the public, that our game wasn’t optimized, and that’s because it was far too late in development to be able to change it, and it was because we as gamers did not want load screens,” he explained. “So we built things like the East Minster, which is in the Trafalgar Square area and is notoriously one of the more unstable areas in the mod, and we were just trying to literally slap down walls on anything to optimize it by the end.”

“That’s just because we didn’t want to have load screens. It would have really taken away from the vibe and we paid the price for it because the engine wasn’t suitable for what we wanted to achieve. If they have to upgrade it, that’s what they need to solve: get rid of the load screens and allow better optimization.”

In the same interview, Carter has also expressed his thoughts on the current state of the Fallout franchise, and how it might be better off if Bethesda were to sell the IP to a new developer.

When asked how Bethesda could potentially freshen the Fallout series up by changing its formula, Carter said that it might just be time for the company to sell the IP to another developer. “With the greatest respect to Bethesda, I feel like they’ve probably gone one game too far, if I’m honest,” he said.

“I feel like it’s time to go off into the sunset and look at selling off your IP because people like the franchise, I’m just honestly not sure it’s in the right hands, and it really hurts me to say that because I love Bethesda.”

Chief among his complaints about Bethesda’s run at the Fallout franchise has been the downward trend of the quality of its writing. He similarly also brings up The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, noting that he doesn’t think it’s the “best game of all time like some people,” and that instead “it’s a very, very good game.”

“I reckon if they could inject in the quality of some good writers, then the next Elder Scrolls game will be great and the next Fallout game will be great but they need better writers, honestly,” said Carter. “Everything has its own pros and cons but the one thing we agreed on with Fallout: London is that we wanted to make it more dark and gritty because that’s what Fallout actually is, and I think Bethesda are taking it in the opposite direction.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Carter also spoke about the Fallout franchise revisiting the settings and atmosphere of the original Fallout. Noting that, while he enjoyed Fallout 4, he prefers the approach that the 1997 classic took to its setting and tone to the more slapstick style that Bethesda has taken since Fallout 4.

“I would love to see the Fallout 1 setting again. I think it would be great because that’s where it all started and to really go back to it would be something,” he said. “I actually like the Fallout TV show. I know a lot of people were saying that the second season isn’t so good or whatever but I feel it’s definitely got a Fallout 4 vibe to it, which is fine.”

“I like Fallout 4 but I would like more of a Fallout 1 vibe and I feel like if you want a Fallout 1 vibe in terms of a show, you should probably watch Silo. I think Silo is a good shout for that. It’s a bit darker and grim,” Carter continued, bringing up comparisons between Prime Video’s adaptation and Apple TV+’s Silo.

“I prefer Fallout to have that sort of tone rather than going all slapstick. It’s a bit more humorous but the humour in the first series was dark humour. The slapstick stuff needs to stop because that’s not what Fallout is.”

An amnesiac protagonist isn’t a new concept, yet it remains a solid enough mechanic to introduce players to the world while allowing them to shape their own story. The lack of a voiced protagonist furthers that goal – for all intents and purposes, you’re one of the people from the labs. Nothing is known about you or the scientists seemingly conducting experiments in a facility beneath The Shard. When a gang known as the Vagabonds breach it on an alleged supply run, you break free.

"It’s amazing and – to employ a cliché – really makes you feel like you’ve awakened in a retrofuturistic London that’s gone to hell and back."

Some tea bags, Radshrews and terminal digging later, and the only relevant name throughout it all is Smythe (Mr. or Mrs., depending on your gender). They don’t seem all that hung up on you leaving – in fact, they subsequently unlock the doors, allowing you to take The Tube and escape. The journey doesn’t last long, as it crashes onto the street, leaving you with afflictions resulting in less damage dealt and more taken. After a brief conversation with the same Vagabonds, it’s time to cut loose.

Join up with the Peaky Blinders rejects and help them with their tasks, perhaps get some sweet weapons and clothes, or venture to the canned goods factory to locate the Thamesfolk. You can also reject both choices and explore, weaving in and out of the main quest as you please.

Compared to Fallout 4 or many other open-world titles, Fallout: London doesn’t immediately douse you in random occurrences and side quests. The overcast skies, incessant rain and minimal music lend a darker mood to it all. The meticulously detailed environment further adds to the immersion. You’ll walk down the street and see wrecks of double-decker buses, maybe venture into the Fesco (clearly based on Tesco) to see what’s available and encounter some Bloatflies. The radio offers a mix of intriguing beats when the soundtrack isn’t offering dour chords during the silent moments and heart-thumping beats during combat.

There are still terminals to investigate and NPCs to converse with, but the world-building relies almost as much, if not more, on the decrepit streets and skeletal remains. It’s amazing and – to employ a cliché – really makes you feel like you’ve awakened in a retrofuturistic London that’s gone to hell and back. This may not vibe with every kind of player out there, especially if they need a constant stream of activities on the map, or random occurrences to keep themselves occupied.

"The fact that certain decisions have proper consequences is another feather in the mod’s cap, to say nothing of all the speech checks for adding some extra flair to your dialogue exchanges."

Sticking to a quest path is beneficial for those who want more consistent narrative beats, and Fallout: London delivers in that department as well. I chose to head to the canned goods factory and got caught up with the owner wanting a rebellious worker taken care of. After robbing the former blind, I did the deed, received some Tickets (the de facto currency), and hightailed it alongside my new dog, Churchill. We ventured to a checkpoint leading to Thameshaven, told that the front was barricaded, and proceeded through a series of irradiated underground tunnels that wouldn’t be out of place in a Metro game.

Helping the mutated Thamesfolk was key towards locating Archie, a boy who knew about the underground laboratories, and where we may potentially find another. First, a former Tommy conscript turned mercenary seeks to destroy some Mittenlurk nests before allowing me entry into the crashed plane to speak with Archie. What ensues is a game of “the floor is lava”, navigating rooftops and makeshift walkways to avoid mega-radiated water, find the nests and destroy them.

Throughout all this, Fallout: London is opening up to you through its characters about the state of its world and the different factions. The Vagabonds’ leader Sebastian Gaunt is an ally of the Thamesfolk but is considered a wanted man by the Tommies. The Thamesfolk are sheltered and seemingly pitiful but also wary and passive-aggressive to outsiders.

Other factions exist, each with dedicated quest chains, and it’s a joy to slowly unravel this brutal world while coming to care about those within it. The fact that certain decisions have proper consequences is another feather in the mod’s cap, to say nothing of all the speech checks for adding some extra flair to your dialogue exchanges. Unfortunately, the voice-acting ranges from decent to forgettable – it gets the job done, but very few performances stand out.

"Even if you can deal with all that, optimization remains one of the biggest hurdles to enjoying Fallout: London."

However, it bears remembering that this is still Fallout 4’s gameplay. The shooting mechanics and crafting are still very serviceable, but melee combat remains somewhat clunky. In a game that pushes for more of the latter, whether it’s reserving ammunition for the harder-hitting foes or relying on knives in relatively close-quarters scenarios, it’s rough.

Not enough to make the game unplayable or outright annoying, but I lost count of all the times I tried to swing my knife again while my character was seemingly trapped in molasses, finishing the first attack. On the bright side, the selection of quirks at the beginning, allowing for further build specialization or just wacky fun, helped feed more into the role-playing.

The Fallout 4 base also means that despite excellent attention to detail, well-realized environments, and much more, the visuals remain several years behind some of today’s best (or second-best). Even if you can deal with all that, optimization remains one of the biggest hurdles to enjoying Fallout: London. GOG is the best way to go, but even with a relatively smooth installation process, there are crashes galore. It starts when emerging from the Tube crash and continues, seemingly at random, regardless of what you do.

Installing another mod, Buffout 4, alongside some dependencies and a High FPS Physics Fix, resulted in a much more stable performance. However, the busier areas, whether it was the Thameshaven market or nighttime with lots of shadows and rain, resulted in severe FPS drops. Note that your mileage may vary and not in a good way – there are plenty who followed all the steps and tried other fixes, but still face crashes. Furthermore, the experience isn’t bug-free, whether it’s hands clipping through models, Churchill floating in the air when he’s not blocking my path, etc.

"I feel excited to explore buildings, streets and locked doors – not for the XP, the loot or the materials, but to immerse myself further in this world and learn more about it."

At the end of the day, Fallout: London is a free mod with a scale rivaling many full-priced games. It offers tons of content, a compelling narrative with interesting characters and factions, and a stunningly realized world rife with detail. If Team FOLON can fix the various crashes and deliver more consistent performance, it’s a worthy experience for any Fallout 4 fan (even if it doesn’t revolutionize the well-worn gameplay). How long that may take and what it could break in the process is unknown.

Nevertheless, the current product is an enjoyable, solidly built experience. I feel excited to explore buildings, streets and locked doors – not for the XP, the loot or the materials, but to immerse myself further in this world and learn more about it.

This game was reviewed on PC.

The fervor may have died down, and each title has dropped back down to more conservative player numbers – though Fallout 4 continues to see enthusiasm following its Next-Gen Update – but there’s a new Fallout experience in town. In development since 2019, Fallout: London is a mod for Fallout 4 that’s more like a total conversion. Though it seemed like it wouldn’t arrive on Steam due to the Next-Gen Update breaking several things, it’s finally available for PC players.

There are some very mixed results with the installation (long story short: Use the GOG version), and performance leaves a lot to be desired. Nevertheless, it’s an experience that’s proven delightfully surprising to the extent that fans of the franchise owe it to themselves to play, if not try it out.

The name indicates the basic premise. What if players ventured out into the post-apocalyptic nuclear wasteland of London? The series has predominantly focused on the United States of America, allowing for pop culture references and commentary on consumerism. It’s the first time players can see how another part of the world has been affected by the bombs dropping, unofficial as it is.

There’s no Vault-Tec – no Super Mutants, Deathclaws or other elements that will be familiar to longtime fans because, well, the Forced Evolutionary Virus never made its way across the ocean. While that may sound disappointing, it also means you have to adapt to new threats. Furthermore, it unfolds in 2237 between Fallout 1 and 2. The vibe is also completely different from Fallout 4 – goodbye Sole Survivor seeking revenge for their partner and looking for Shaun. Hello silent, amnesiac protagonist who’s the subject of an unknown experiment.

You awaken in a containment tube with two scientists commenting on your progress under the mysterious individual named Mr. Smythe. When the Vagabonds, one of the many factions roaming post-nuclear London, break in and start firing, you’re set free. You have time to try and process what this strange facility is about, fighting off Ratshrews (a substitute for Molerats) and scrounging for supplies. As you escape, Mr. Smythe is seemingly pleased with your choice, encouraging you to venture forth. A hop, skip, and jump onto the Tube – which subsequently crashes, a fitting metaphor for this mod – and the world opens up.

It really can’t be understated just how different London feels from the Commonwealth. Propaganda posts against the Brotherhood of Steel abound. Nameplates indicating where historical figures once resided are visible on the buildings. Nuka Cola is in short supply compared to tea. The Reliant Robin, or its remains, can be discovered alongside other vehicles. The attention to detail is on another level and goes a long way towards making the experience feel like more than a reskinned Fallout 4.

The fundamental gameplay is also very different. Guns aren’t as commonplace, with the team focusing more on melee combat and getting up close and personal. A more dangerous approach and the base difficulty being higher than Fallout 4 means things hurt a lot more. Feral Ghouls may still seem like stumbling horrors, but a single clean hit can fracture your limbs.

Picking your battles, knowing when to use firearms and backing off lest things get ugly isn’t just essential in the early going – it’s mandatory. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll fight only with melee weapons throughout the entire experience. It emphasizes the despair of trying to survive with the bare essentials, slowly clawing your way up.

Perhaps the biggest improvement over the base Fallout 4 experience is making decisions matter. You could join the Vagabonds and partake in different tasks, leading to multiple quests and choices (while obtaining a sweet Butterfly Knife). Alternatively, you could visit the Thamesfolk and learn more about the mysterious facility and potentially who the Gentry are.

Maybe you want to forego both choices and explore the world unfettered. It’s ultimately up to you, and while the impact of each decision has yet to be fully revealed, they feel significant. You have skill checks that range from getting some water from the Vagabonds and potentially saving someone’s life (or making their condition worse) to heavier choices deciding whether to disrupt a supply line.

While developer Team FOLON calls this a “condensed” version of London, covering 15 boroughs (roughly half of the real-world city), the map size is the equivalent of the Commonwealth and Far Harbor from Fallout 4. Also, while touting this as a DLC-sized mod, it has 200 quests and promises 90 hours of gameplay. It’s like a whole new game – granted, one built on an existing game’s foundation, but still offering boatloads of new content for players to experience.

The developer outlines various factions from the rebellious 5th Column to the militaristic Tommies and the Knights of the Round-inspired Camelot. You may even encounter Mr. Smythe’s mysterious organization. They all seem to have dedicated questlines, but the kicker is that they’re only a small percentage – TEAM FOLON lists 20 factions with varying story paths and endings. The fact that all of this is free is simply mind-boggling.

So it’s a shame that it’s not the most optimized mod out there. Players who install through GOG report crashes after roughly an hour of play. Some don’t even get that far, suffering consecutive crashes in the process, even with officially recommended mods like Buffout 4. These will naturally be worked on, but many fixes may not roll out immediately, leading to frustration.

The installation experience on Steam is also much more challenging – at least GOG has heavily discounted Fallout 4: Game of the Year Edition to lower the barrier of entry. It’s also worth noting that your mileage may vary with the quality of the voice acting, which can feel impressive at times and flat during others. However, the cameos, which we won’t spoil, are excellent.

Despite its optimization issues, one can’t overstate enough just how incredible this mod is, especially from an independent team that’s spread worldwide. Even if it’s been in development for the past five years, the sheer quality of the experience, from its rendition of London and depiction of British culture, is still hard to believe. It once again speaks volumes of the modding community for Bethesda titles and what they’re capable of achieving, be it much-needed fixes or fresh new experiences that can rival the base game in many ways.

While it may not overhaul every element, Fallout: London is well worth looking into, whether you’re seeking something far meatier beyond the current assortment of mods, are a fan of the series or just curious what the buzz is about. Just remember to mind the gap.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

Being fan-made, Fallout London is obviously not an official part of the larger Fallout canon, but it does bring new quests, a new location, an extended dialogue system, new companions to meet and recruit, and plenty else for players to dive into. 

Fallout London was originally due out this April, but it got delayed at the eleventh hour when Bethesda announced that it was released the long-awaited Next-Gen Update for Fallout 4, which would break compatibility with mods. Following that, GOG has also been aiding in Fallout London’s testing.

To install and play Fallout London, you will need to own the Fallout 4 GotY edition. If you’re playing on Steam, you’ll also need to ensure that the game’s version number is set to before the aforementioned Next-Gen Update was released. 

Taking to Twitter, the development team, Team FOLON, revealed that Fallout: London has “several” builds in QA testing that have been sent over to GOG, which the team is now hoping to get the final green light on.

“The bottom line is that we’ve sent several builds over to GOG for QA testing and are waiting for the final green light,” the development team’s message reads. “Once they’ve completed the process of double-checking that Fallout: London and its installer work on all supported machines, we should be good to go.

“It is in all of our interests that this final QA process is carried out in full, and we are very thankful that GOG is assisting.

“While it may seem like not a lot is going on, we can assure you that the heads of the department have been working non-stop behind the scenes during this time to make the release build as good as it can be. The end is in sight.”

Fallout: London was, of course, previously expected to launch in April, but its release was delayed when Bethesda unveiled a significant update for Fallout 4 that would break compatibility with existing mods.

Exactly how much longer we’ll be waiting for the long-awaited mod is anyone’s guess right now, but thankfully, it seems like it’s not going to be a terribly long wait from this point forward.

pic.twitter.com/wttIUwAnQx

— Team FOLON (@TeamFOLON) July 6, 2024