Now that Bethesda has officially revealed Fallout 4, it’s time to make an educated guess about what we might see in the game. One of the biggest questions is where the game will take place? What city will we be exploring this time?
What Is the Most Likely Candidate?
Some time ago, rumors cropped up that Bethesda representatives and developers were scouting the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston. Nothing has been confirmed in an official capacity, but if that is indeed true it means the central focus of the next game will be Boston.
It’s not just about the rumors that point to Boston, however. It makes perfect sense when it comes to the lore of the Fallout series. Boston is the location of The Commonwealth, the Fallout universe’s version of Massachusetts which has been alluded to in prior games including Fallout 3 and New Vegas.
In the Fallout 3 sidequest The Replicated Man you encounter a doctor from The Commonwealth. There are a few other references to the area, as well.
The Synth Retention Bureau — a branch of the Commonwealth Police — are in charge of capturing androids that have escaped from the Institute. The Commonwealth is also home to an underground railroad, which operates against MIT and the Synth Retention Bureau, with the ultimate goal to rescue androids.
In other words, there’s an impressive amount of lore built up around the city of Boston. If any city in the country has been chosen for the next game, it’s probably Boston.
What Other Cities Might We See?
If not Boston, then where?
Ronto (Toronto)
Ronto is briefly mentioned in Fallout 3 during The Pitt DLC. From what Ishmael Ashur says, Ronto is some kind of military powerhouse that has garnered a strong reputation. All Ashur says is that The Pitt — the place where he is currently located — rivals that of several locations including The Commonwealth and Ronto. It is never expressly confirmed whether or not Ronto is actually Toronto or another location somewhere in that region.
Toronto would be an interesting focus for the next Fallout game, particularly because of Canada’s annexation by the US in the Fallout universe. After the Enclave’s defeat in DC, it makes sense that they would retreat somewhere far enough away to allow themselves time to regroup. Since it’s been mentioned that Ronto is a military powerhouse, it is possible that the Enclave operates out of the city.
I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
Erie Stretch
Another area mentioned in The Pitt DLC is the Erie Stretch which is located somewhere on the east coast of US, where exactly we’re not sure.
At one time, it seems that Bethesda was developing the location for the game for a potential add-on. Fallout dev Chris Avellone even confirms this during an interview, which you can see embed below.
Other potential areas that Avellone mentions include New Orleans and San Francisco.
Can you imagine a Fallout game set in New Orleans? The lore might be a little odd, just as it was in Fallout 3 with DC as the central focus, but the environment would be pretty sweet. Avellone talks about a location or city surrounded by a large dam, at one point during the interview.
One thing is certain, whatever city Bethesda has chosen, it’s sure to be a good one. What location(s) do you predict?
Your case for Ronto is not without validity given that the announcement for Fallout 4 is coming on June 3rd and June 3 2072 is the date the US began annexing Canada. However given the leaked details about the script I’m still about 90% sure it will be Boston.
What’s this with all American locations? I know Fallout is traditionally US based, but come on. It’d be interesting to see other countries too. Germany, Australia, Britain, Canada….
I don’t disagree at all. Exploring another location outside the US would be interesting, but the series has always taken place inside the country.