If I didn’t have any prior knowledge of Fallout London, I could swear that it was a legitimate entry into the series. It even ships with Bethesda’s signature bugs! I kid, I kid. Well, not really. Fallout London is a Fallout 4 total conversion mod released in 2024. This fan-created campaign brings us to jolly old post-apocalyptic London. The team we can all thank for willing this mod into existence is Team FOLON. They are a group of hobbyists, industry professionals, modders, and game enthusiasts from all corners of the globe. The goal, from their website, was to breathe life into the post-apocalyptic streets of London. I think they’ve done a great job and more than met that goal. Bravo, lads.
Steam Deck Specifics:
Fallout London on the Steam Deck does take a bit of work to get running, but it’s worth the time. I recommend using the auto-installer from overkill.wtf. They also provide a detailed install guide. The GOG version is the easier version to install, but I think the Steam version is worth it as you can still knock off achievements and you’ll benefit from pre-compiled shader caches. Settings-wise, I ended up with a bit of a mix of settings from Ultra to Low. Textures I had set to Ultra, Shadows on Low and so on. Tweak your settings to what you like and turn other settings down, or off. You’ll have to learn what you must have and what you can do without.
All the usual Fallout elements are here. Mysterious figures, ruined buildings, plenty of radiation, scavengers, asshole factions, radiated bugs, ghouls – you name it. And of course, plenty of fetch and carry quests. Go to place X and kill enemy Y, or bring back item Z. You get that familiar feeling just like in any other Fallout game where you feel like a pawn being used by the factions you choose to help. It’s really the authentic Fallout experience. Team FOLON has done a great job of making the environment feel lived in, and alive. I realise the irony of saying that about a game based in a post-apocalyptic world, so don’t bother pointing that out. NPCs actually feel like they belong, which isn’t always the case with fan-made content. The questlines flow naturally and they feel quite seamless. I did read some complaints about a lack of weapons in the game. Guns, specifically. In my playthrough, I had more than enough guns and ammo available to me. Almost too much, actually, so definitely don’t be discouraged. Personally, I prefer to run sniper-oriented build, so that the amount of ammo available is always encouraging. Like any fallout game though, there is no one way to play.
The story is absolutely plausible and feels like it could have come straight from Bethesda. You begin in a mysterious lab, greeted by equally mysterious scientists. As you make your way out of the lab and out onto the streets of London, you begin to unravel a deeper mystery. Piece by piece, the truth about your presence in that lab is revealed. Fallout London far exceeded my expectations for a fan-made story. It’s well paced and even the side-quests are pretty fun, even if some are a bit short. It really delivers that familiar Fallout charm while putting its own spin on things. London as it turns out, is a perfect location for a Fallout game and I think they’ve done a great job with what weapons you have at your disposal. The melee options in particular really stand out. You’ve got claymores, maces, halberds, knives and pretty much anything you’d want to swing at someone’s head. And they’re all modeled beautifully. There’s a certain satisfaction with their weighty feeling and they just generally feel great to wave around. Crushing skulls and lopping off limbs is ridiculously fun and is a totally viable way to play. Honestly, melee probably even tops guns here and the added gore effects make it all the more fun.
Now, I do need to mention the bugs. Fallout London crashes. A lot. I would estimate about 35-50 crashes during my playthrough. But, that’s not saying much as the OG Fallout 4 has never been the most stable of games. My last run of Fallout 4 I remember it crashing at random times for seemingly no reason. But at times it felt like the game had developed a memory leak. I could be happily playing for 30-40 minutes, then all of a sudden the game turns into a clip show. The graphics settings didn’t make any difference either as it otherwise ran smooth. It happens indoors, outdoors and it didn’t matter how many NPCs were on the screen. There were also random crashes which boot you out of the game entirely, so try to stick to the tried and true method of ‘save early, save often’. The mod does run on a downgraded version of Fallout 4, which may add to these issues, but it’s hard to say if it is a mod issue or just Fallout 4 being Fallout 4.
Regardless, the 30 seconds or so of anguish having the game crash is still worth the trouble. Bethesda may not have developed it, but Fallout London is as believable as any entry in the series. Team FOLON, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: great job. They managed to deliver a solid story, immersive environment, well-crafted characters and an atmosphere every bit as worthy as a mainline Fallout game. They’ve made melee combat incredibly fun and brutally satisfying. They haven’t just built a mod, they’ve built a Fallout game that stands on its own. Like any of the Fallout games, you can expect a degree of replayability. You’ve got multiple build options along with branching story choices which will make each run feel fresh and worth exploring. I could dig deeper into the game mechanics, but let’s be honest: if you’re here, I daresay you’ve played Fallout 4 and know what to expect. What you might not expect is just how good Fallout London really is.
Verdict:
Fallout London is a well crafted mod that delivers an authentic Fallout experience with an immersive story, engaging combat and a detailed post-apocalyptic London setting. While you will run into some bugs and frequent crashes, it’s still well worth the time for any Fallout fan.
Deck Compatibility: 9/10
Overall Game Rating: 8/10 – Solid Wasteland, Bruv
Dad with a Deck 
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