Location is everything in theFalloutfranchise, andFallout 5will be no different. “The first thing for us is to figure out ‘where the hell is this game set?'” said Bethesda Design Director Emil Pagaliarulo, discussing the development ofFallout 4in the documentaryThe History of Bethesda Game Studios. The setting of each game has a huge impact on the aesthetics, factions, and the parts of pre-War American life that get the tongue-in-cheekFallouttreatment.
There are plenty of places that would fitFalloutwell, but only a few have just the right recipe to form the foundation ofFallout 5. Here are the 5 real-world locations Bethesda should consider forFallout 5’s setting, and why each one could help the franchise find the right mix of the series’ past with new possibilities.
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Chicago
SettingFallout 5in Chicago could be a great way for the next game to take the series back to its roots while getting the opportunity to play with new genre elements.Fallout: New Vegaspleased many fans of the first two games by taking players back out west, exploring the fate ofthe NCRwhile also infusing the game with cowboy and Sin City aesthetics unique to the Mojave.
Fallout Tacticsestablished thatFallout’s Chicago is a battleground between the Brotherhood of Steel and the remainingUnity Super Mutantsfrom the firstFalloutgame. LikeNew Vegas, this would give a Chicago-basedFalloutgame the chance to really explore the changes that have come toFalloutfactions since their introductions.
Chicago is also known for organized crime and as a classic setting for noir fiction, a reputation already touched on inNick Valentine’s backstory. The Windy City got its name from its politicians' reputations for blowing hot air, and a local post-War political scene plagued by crime and corruption could create some fascinating factions. AFalloutgame set in Chicago could explore story elements from the series' past while infusing the game with a noir-aesthetic that could give the next game as unique a personality asNew Vegas.
Anchorage
Anchorage, Alaska already has a unique role in theFalloutlore, and could be a great setting forFallout 5. In 2066 the city was captured by China, and was the site of the Battle of Anchorage in the lead-up tothe Great War of 2077, explored inFallout 3’sOperation: AnchorageDLC.
While theOperation: AnchorageDLCgave fans some insight into the area, the DLC was combat-focused, and took place within a virtual reality training simulation which is unlikely to have portrayed events with total accuracy. AFalloutgame set in Anchorage could see fans explore a colder climate than the other games so far, fighting off mutated moose, Yetis, and perhaps getting a glimpse at the fate of the world across the Bering Strait. The area could be a landing point for survivors from post-War Asia and Europe, giving fans an insight into the rest of the world without leaving behindFallout’s Americana aesthetic.
New Orleans
When it comes to locations with unique personalities, it’s hard to find a city with more potential than New Orleans. With a unique blend of cultures and creatures, the Big Easy would giveBethesdathe chance to infuseFallout 5with music, architecture and animals which haven’t been seen in the games so far but which would still fitFallout’s general aesthetic.
The city could also add some color toFallout’s post-war world, with nature reclaiming the already brightly colored streets of New Orleans. AFalloutgame set in New Orleanscould play on local culture, folklore, and even ghost stories from Louisiana Voodoo to vampires. Seeing how the people of theFalloutworld rebuilt in a city with such a broad blend of influences could make for one ofFallout’s most fascinating settings yet.
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Atlanta
Atlanta doesn’t come up much when discussing potentialFalloutsettings, but it should. In fact, the Deep South is notably underrepresented in the franchise. The Georgia capital, however, has features which could make for a greatFallout 5setting. The Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, for example, is the largest in the world, and in theFalloutuniverse could have become a city in its own right or a horrifying dungeon filled with mutated sea creatures.
Six Flags Over Georgia could be the basis for a theme-park based DLC to blowNuka-Worldout of the water, not to mention the real-life World of Coca-Cola based in the city. Atlanta could be a breath of fresh air forFallout, while providing locations with immense potential for reimagination in the franchise’s post-War world.
Hawaii
Hawaii offersFallouta unique opportunity to leave the mainland USA far behind while still exploring an area overtaken by the very ’50s commodification the series parodies and critiques at its best. The post-World War 2image of Hawaii as a tropical paradise and idyllic vacation location for affluent suburban Americans could make the state ripe for exploration in theFalloutuniverse, especially the ways in which the image of the islands does not live up to that imagined ideal.
It’s also possible that Hawaii’s location could have shielded it from the world of the Great War compared to other areas of theFalloutworld. Just as ’50s commercial culture survives long past its sell-by date intheFallouttimeline, Hawaii’s reductive reputation as a paradise may as well, giving Bethesda the chance to explore the pop-culture depiction of the state versus its reality. Bethesda would have to be careful that its exploration of these tropes didn’t also play into them, but if the studio could get the balance right it could also take advantage of a variety of locations from jungles to army bases and even active volcanos.
Fallout 5is not confirmed to be in development.
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