Despite the Fallout series insisting that the Great War was a global, thermonuclear event, the franchise has only visited several locations in the United States, even in its outing as an Amazon Prime Video series. It isn’t as though other locations don’t exist in a similar vein to the post-apocalyptic ruins of America, since there are characters from other countries, like Zao from Fallout 4. With the Fallout: London mod in the news, it brings attention to other international locations which the post-nuclear survival series could take place in.

Bethesda is no stranger to its players wanting to expand the worlds that its games create. Large-scale mods going beyond the initial boundaries of a Bethesda title are known to happen. Examples lie with The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim and two of its most famous mods, Beyond Skryim: Brum, which adds the northern region of Cyrodiil, and Vigilant, which adds the DLC-sized plane of Oblivion, Coldharbour. In the future, Bethesda could do this itself with the Fallout series thanks to having a wealth of international options at its disposal.

10

Shanghai, China’s Biggest City

A Look At The Other Side Of The War

In Fallout, it’s often implied that the first country to drop the bombs was China. Effectively, the Cold War never ended in the Fallout franchise, as there was a third Red Scare, which would make China the enemy of the US, according to the series’ lore. It would be interesting to visit China to see the other side of Fallout‘s Great War, since it has only been seen from the perspective of the United States thus far.

Shanghai might be the best city to use for a Chinese Fallout title, given its sprawling skyline and sheer size. With its coasts, it could have distinct borders from a gameplay perspective, and with ancient chinese architecture, like in the Yu Gardens, a unique aesthetic never before seen in the series is there to use. Nearby islands, like Changxing Island, connected to the city could even be used for future DLC and expansions.

9

Rio De Janeiro, Location Of The Ipanema Beaches

Home Of Bossa Nova

Rio de Janeiro has plenty of colorful and iconic places to put into any game, but seeing them with Fallout‘s post-apocalyptic aesthetic could be something truly special. There would be plenty of variety in environments for players in Rio, given the Ipanema beaches and Tijuca National Park, the only rain forest within a city’s limits. Plus, the favelas of Rio would easily fit into the Fallout world without much effort.

More importantly, Rio de Janeiro’s roots in jazz help it fit with the atompunk, retrofuturistic aesthetic of Fallout. The series’ music is iconic, featuring swing, jazz and big band tracks from the post-WW2 era. Rio is known as the birthplace of a genre of jazz in the late 50s and early 60s, called bossa nova, a relaxed type of samba. Bossa nova music from the era would be perfect for a Fallout radio, while its Portuguese lyrics would make players feel like they are in Brazil.

8

Paris, The City Of Love

Welcome To Europe

Many other titles have featured France’s capital to some degree, whether that be the historical take of Paris from Assassin’s Creed Unity or the colorful track from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Neither have taken the city to a post-apocalyptic setting, however, and the series’ retro aesthetic is perfect for the city of love. Paris even had its own jazz age from 1914 to 1940, meaning that there would be plenty of music for the Fallout radio.

Although there would be a torrent of iconic architecture to take from the city, like the Eiffel Tower or the Arc de Triomphe, perhaps the most interesting thing to put into a Fallout game would be the city’s famed Catacombs. The series can lean into its horror aspects in these sections, throwing irradiated monsters and feral ghouls at the player as they navigate the ossuaries. The Catacombs of Paris could also be home to a unique, zealous faction hidden underground, born from people who first used them to seek shelter from the bombs.

7

Siberia, Russia’s Great Tundra

An Icy Wasteland

Fallout has already featured a sandy, dry desert with the Mojave in New Vegas, but using Siberia, the northernmost region of Russia, could be equally interesting. The area is known for being an icy wasteland, and a Siberian Fallout game could introduce cold mechanics as well as radiation. There would be plenty of dangerous wildlife to mutate too, with tigers, leopards and polar bears all being native to the region.

With a lack of settlements, Bethesda could make the map massive, filled with dangerous, irradiated wildlife and harsh climates. It could be a true survival game and, with the USSR’s involvement in the Cold War, the area could prove to be thematically intriguing. It also has its own breathtaking locations for adaptation, like the renowned Lake Baikai. Plus, snow physics in video games has never been better.

6

Mumbai, India’s Most Densely Populated City

Heart Of Bollywood

As cities go, Mumbai is perhaps one of the best for Fallout to base a game around. There is a plethora of amazing architecture in the city, from its Gateway of India to its Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus. When combined with its densely populated nature giving the players an urban jungle to explore, there would be plenty of variety in store. The colors and vibrancy of the city, even after the bombs, could provide Fallout with a completely different energy to anything that has been seen before.

Mumbai is also known as the heart of the Bollywood industry. Bollywood films are known for their music, and the industry was booming back in the 1940s, meaning there would be plenty of period tracks to put onto a Fallout radio. The slums could very easily fit into the Fallout aesthetic and the contrast of this to something like the Marine Drive will ensure that players won’t get bored exploring similar-looking locations.

5

Cairo, Capital Of Egypt

Ancient Egypt Meets Fallout

If the Fallout series was to ever come to the African continent, Cairo would be the city for it. Its beautiful, ancient Egyptian architecture would look amazing alongside the retrofuturistic technology of the Fallout universe and its desert location would fit the post-apocalyptic setting as well as New Vegas‘ Mojave Desert did. Locations close to the city could also be explored, and make for great dungeons, like the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx (although the distance from the city would have to be scaled down).

Egypt would also introduce unique wildlife to let the Fallout artists go wild with their irradiated designs. The Nile’s crocodiles or even some two-headed camels could be fun to have around, and the cult-like nature of many Fallout factions could lead to a reintroduction of ancient Egyptian mythology and culture, similar to Caesar’s Legion in Fallout: New Vegas. Plus, sailing on the Nile could provide the game with an immersive fast travel feature.

4

Sydney, Australia’s Great Harbor

Fallout Goes Down Under

Australia has already shown that it is the perfect country to set a post-apocalyptic franchise in with the Mad Max series. It could do the same for Fallout too, and Sydney would be one of the best places to work from. It has a myriad of famous places, like the Sydney Opera House with its sail design. The Opera House could even house a city in it, similar to what Fallout 3 did with Rivet City, except it would be much bigger.

Australian wildlife is already notorious for being deadly, so irradiating and mutating these creatures to become deadly monsters could be a lot of fun. Giant snakes, bird-eating spiders, and muscular kangaroos could all mutate into something far creepier and more deadly. Something as dangerous as the Deathclaw could be introduced, but the difference in environment could mean its design will vary greatly.

3

Rome, The City Where All Roads Lead

Throw The Vatican In There Too

With Caesar’s Legion being a big faction in Fallout already, setting a game in Rome seems like a no-brainer. The city has already hosted games before, like Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood, and its brilliant, distinct architecture will always be amazing for players to behold. With the people of Fallout being as rabid as they are, there could be a reintroduction of gladitorial bouts for caps.

The famous Colosseum could house a settlement like Diamond City did in Fallout 4, fusing the ruins of ancient Rome with the retrofuturistic, dystopian aesthetic of Fallout. With the Vatican too, the cult-like nature of Fallout‘s survivors could lead to a zealous reintroduction of Catholicism. Like with Caesar’s Legion sweeping the Mojave, a new crusade could be sweeping Rome, since Bethesda seems to repeat history in the Fallout world.

2

Cuba, A Big Player In The Cold War

Nuclear War Is In Its History

The borders of any Fallout map under Bethesda seem quite unnatural. The same applies to the Elder Scrolls series, but this could be easily rectified by simply setting a game on an island. With Cuba having such a large role in the Cold War in the real world, it could thematically fit into Fallout’s world quite well, giving Bethesda an island with coastal boundaries to work with.

The colorful nature of the island, and its capital, Havana, make it perfect for a video game setting and the country incorporating several islands could mean sea travel or more locations for DLC in the future. With the country having such a distinct role in history with the Cuban Missile Crisis, this could also be an opportunity to show how Fallout‘s alternate history differs from real life.

1

North Holland, Home To The Netherlands’ Capital

Imagine Irradiated Canals

North Holland, home to Amsterdam and Haarlem, might not be everyone’s first pick for a Fallout game, but the unique areas of the Netherlands lend themselves surprisingly well to the series. With Amsterdam’s red-light district, there would already be something similar to New Vegas, but with the windmills, flowers, and canals, Bethesda could remind everyone that the title is in Europe. The colorful buildings would also help in this regard.

The Netherlands is well known for its public transport and bicycle infrastructure, and the many underground hubs for both could make for interesting dungeons, like with the Boston Subway in Fallout 4. Plus, if there was a way to justify getting some of this public transport infrastructure up and running again, there could be an immersive and efficient fast travel system built in. This hasn’t existed with a Bethesda title since Morrowind over 20 years ago.