Fallout fans know that the franchise places pretty significant importance on the power of choice. But, as fans of Bioware games like Mass Effect know the pain of, this can create headaches for developers when it comes to creating new installments in a franchise.
Up until Fallout 4, the events of the previous Fallout games were, more or less, self-contained. Fallout 76 even calls into question some well-established lore, but let’s not get distracted here. The important question is: where will Fallout 5 be?
Given the options given to players at the end of Fallout 4, there are many questions to consider. There are also the rumors surrounding the now-scrapped Fallout movie or TV series to take into account. Though previous Fallout games have all taken place in America, the Great War and the nuclear bombings affected the whole world. Why couldn’t Fallout take place in China or somewhere else around the globe?
This article contains spoilers for the entire Fallout series of games.
10 An Established Location: Great Britain
Before the events that led to the Great War, there were plenty of scraps over oil stock and resources. One such kerfuffle was the Euro-Middle Eastern War sparked by the European Commonwealth deciding against paying what the Middle East demanded for its oil.
This actually sparked what became the Vault project, so why wouldn’t there also be Vaults in Great Britain and England? After all, Allistair Tenpenny immigrated to the Capital Wasteland to find success. Exploring a recovering and developing British Isles in Fallout 5 opens up a whole new world of alternate world history, game lore, and character opportunities.
9 A Total Unknown: South America, Africa, or Space
The Fallout games give fans some information about countries like China, Russia, European countries, and Middle Eastern locations. But very little information is given about countries in South America. Who’s to say that there aren’t thriving civilizations there, working without dependence on oil or atomic power?
Like South America, Africa is not really elaborated upon at all either. Being such a big continent, it is possible that some people across the various countries could have been unaffected by the Great War. Beyond somewhere in Africa, there’s the question of space. As aliens have appeared in Fallout games, we can’t rule out an extraterrestrial location either (however unlikely).
8 The Great White North: Canada
The U.S. does some pretty terrible and unsavory things in Fallout’s alternate timeline. As the series serves to pervert the commonly held and now outdated belief in American Individualism, the whole annexing Canada to protect its own oil reserves from China really drives the parody and satire home, don’t you think?
But Canada remained its own country in a “no taxation without representation” kind of way up until the D-Day. The devs had planned for players to visit parts of Canada in the canceled Fallout Extreme title that would have featured the Montauk and Inuit peoples. Perhaps visiting these factions could be part of a greater journey across post-war Canada in Fallout 5.
7 A More Likely Location: Cuba
This location has, by far, the best aesthetic options for a Fallout 5 setting. A proto 50s Cuba with all of its culture, fashion, food, and character packed into a nuclear wasteland - what’s not to love?
Sadly, there is little to no lore about Cuba in the Fallout universe. Fans don’t even know how the Cuban Missile Crisis might have played out in that world. However, there is a precedence of survivors in Texas; Florida could well hold remnants, too. Reimagining Cuba in Fallout 5 leaves enough room for new stories and connecting past narratives.
6 A Rival For Britain: The Middle East
The Middle East did not fare well after the Resource Wars and a terrorist nuclear weapon devastated Tel Aviv in 2053. Unfortunately, the only other reference to anything having to do with the region is in the Lorenzo Cabot sidequest which is essentially a non-starter for a new story for an entire game.
However, as with the rest of the world, no one in the U.S. seems to know or care about what’s happening in other countries. Though ravaged by radiation and formerly dependent on oil, the Middle East could be a great new setting rife with dozens of new irradiated monsters. Perhaps we could have an entire society of intelligent super mutants there. Regardless of location, many fans want to see a faction of this kind in Fallout 5.
5 Our Southern Neighbor: Mexico
Since there is lore surrounding Texas in the Fallout universe, it isn’t a far stretch to have a game set in Mexico. Again, the Enclave had its tendrils everywhere there might be any trace of oil. Where there is Enclave, there is FEV experimentation and, likely, a Vault-Tec presence, too. Of course, most fans have made it very clear that they do NOT want yet another Vault dweller protagonist.
More than the plausibility of Mexico in Fallout 5 is the possibility for story. The location is near enough to the Capital Wasteland while also being close to the NCR. There could be meeting of different Brotherhood of Steel groups. The Railroad could have a base there for wayward Synths. The Institute could even accidentally teleport over there and try to figure out how to get back to the Commonwealth.
Artist The-Robur shared his concept art for factions for a “Fallout: Rio Grande” game above. Aren’t they neat?
4 Another Country With Revolutionary History: France
A Fallout 5 in France has, perhaps, the least going on from a narrative perspective. Not much is available via lore either beyond remnants of French culture like wine or words from the language. The biggest connection Fallout 5 could have with France is the revolution in the country’s history that mirrors that of America’s.
If Fallout 5 takes place decades after Fallout 4, perhaps the Institute has risen to autocratic power and taken over. But, what if some Synths pull an I, Robot and want to rebel and, though they being elsewhere, the game takes them to Paris? Perhaps that take in a nice vineyard tour in wine country. Though unlikely, a story in Fallout’s reimagined France could be interesting nonetheless.
3 To Pripyat And Beyond: Russia
Some might argue that a nuclear-affected Russia is an over-used video game trope by now. But games like Metro 2033 are distinctly different experiences regardless. While the backdrop of nuclear war, mutated creatures, and rough survival are the same, the world of Fallout offers so much more in terms of story connections.
The USSR and the U.S. maintained a friendly relationship in the alternate Fallout timeline. Fans might even remember a character from Fallout 3 by the name of Dukov. The Russian character signals that there must be some kind of society in Russia. Besides, Russia is an ENORMOUS country; there are bound to be survivors there. And who’s to say that there aren’t Vaults there, too?
2 A Dark Horse: The Caribbean Islands
This location could link up with Cuba in terms of story. Though the Enclave fled primarily to the West Coast and the Capital Wasteland, they would have had oil rigs all over the ocean near any American coast. There could be Enclave remnants EVERYWHERE, but more than that: there could be survivors dotted all throughout the various islands.
Imagine a game where you play a trader a la the East India Company. You craft, rig up, upgrade, maintain, and captain a ship that ferries people and goods from place to place. Perhaps you take missions, too, and you begin to unravel a strange mystery behind these peculiar boxes marked FEV. Absurd and simple theory-crafting aside, the point stands that a Fallout 5 game in the Caribbean has potential.
1 A Great Foil: China
China also bore the main brunt of nuclear fallout in the franchise’s timeline. However, no one knows the extent of the damage due to most of the stories centering around the U.S. One of the few glimpses fans have into China is from Fallout 2 with the Shi-Huang-Ti bound for the Poseidon oil rig and the Enclave.
As mentioned in the Russia entry, players don’t know if there was a Vault-Tec equivalent in other countries. But the really peculiar thing that sets up a great story for Fallout 5 in China is the stealth submarine players can find in Fallout 4. If China had this kind of technology leftover from the Great War, why wouldn’t they have had contingencies for nuclear fallout?
Moreover, why wouldn’t their societies be just as if not more developed than those in the U.S.? All the more reason for Fallout 5 to visit if not take place in China.
