The world of Fallout is filled with things for players to discover – from hidden locations to fearsome enemies, often with quests attached. However, not all the developers’ ideas make it to the final game, and proof of this is the sheer amount of cut content in Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas, and Fallout 4. That said, these elements don’t have to stay on the cutting room floor. They could very well be revived in the upcoming Fallout 5.
Cut content comes in many forms, but for this particular article, the focus will be on cut locations (including their relevant quest lines), scrapped enemies, and general features that never made it to the final games. Despite not appearing in past Fallout titles, these elements are just too interesting to not be included in the next release.
Cut Location-based Content in Fallout
- Crystal City (Fallout 3) – Crystal City would have been a sprawling location with an underground area. Based on its real-life counterpart, it would have likely been located south of the Citadel in Fallout 3. This is a missed opportunity because Crystal City – at least in how it’s envisioned by Fallout 3’s A World of Pain mod – provides an extensive subterranean area. More than just another subway station, the place is structured like a shopping center, filled with run-down shops and old, forgotten merchandise. Plus, the place is teeming with Deathclaws. Providing such a large interior area like Crystal City in Fallout 5 would definitely make for more fun and challenging gameplay.
- The Combat Zone (Fallout 4) – The Combat Zone in Fallout 4 is yet another missed opportunity because while the location itself wasn’t cut from the game, its related quests were. There are whole quests and interactions that were cut from Fallout 4’s Combat Zone, but modders managed to dig up the location’s related files. These revealed that the developer originally intended for the player to build up the location and fight in arena-style matches for rewards. It’s a shame that such a fun quest line was scrapped from the main game, but perhaps it’s something Fallout 5 can reimplement.
- An underwater vault (Fallout 4) – Of all the cut content in Fallout 4, the underwater Vault has to be one of the most interesting. Vault 120 was supposed to be the main setting for a scrapped quest titled “20 Leagues Under the Sea.” It would have been triggered after the player completed “Here There Be Monsters” for Captain Zao, and the two would then venture to the underwater vault for an unknown reason. Game files hint that one of the quest’s main features would have been a giant squid, which would have probably been the big boss of the Fallout 4 side quest. Unfortunately, the developer opted to scrap the entire quest and location, with some theorizing that it may have been due to the game’s limited underwater mechanics. That said, Fallout 5 would definitely benefit from improved underwater locations and mechanics, as it adds another layer to player exploration.
Cut Enemies in Fallout
- Wastewolves (Fallout 3) – Wastewolves are cut creatures from Fallout 3. They’re heavily mutated wolves, similar in size and stature to the yao guai. Incorporating these creatures into the game would provide a stark contrast to the unmutated dogs of the wasteland, potentially leading to lore issues. However, they would no doubt make a fearsome addition to the list of hostile Fallout creatures. Perhaps Fallout 5 could even make one an animal companion.
- Gojira (Fallout: New Vegas) – Gojira is an adorable fire gecko the size of a behemoth. Had it been included in Fallout: New Vegas, it would have been the strongest creature in the game with a whopping base damage of 400 and hit points amounting to 8,000. Not counting the unreasonable stats, Fallout 5 would benefit from adding a giant creature like Gojira to the game - maybe even having one fight a Deathclaw.
- May-Pole (Fallout 4) – May-Pole would undoubtedly be one of the most unique and terrifying creatures in the Fallout universe – that is, if it wasn’t scrapped from the game. Designed as a 300-feet-tall ghoul, May-Pole would have trudged into battle with a small army of feral ghouls at its feet. Since it’s also labeled as a glowing one, that means it can heal ghouls around it, making for a tough battle. It’s unclear why May-Pole was never implemented in Fallout 4, but plenty of players want to see it in the next installment.
- Radstorks (Fallout 4) – There’s not much to be said about Radstorks. They’re basically overgrown, radiated storks – not quite as unique as May-Pole. Still, if they were to be implemented, they’d provide some much-needed variety to the wildlife of Fallout’s post-apocalyptic world, just as with the wastewolves and Gojiras.
Other Cut Content from Fallout Games
- Post-game content (Fallout: New Vegas) – One of the biggest letdowns of Fallout: New Vegas was that it ended after the conclusion of the main quest. However, players have since learned that Obsidian had post-game quests, dialogue, and other such interactions planned. This is something Fallout 5 should try to implement, especially if it gives players options to side with certain factions. It shows the consequences of their decisions and adds to the game’s replayability.
- Faction perks (Fallout 4) – There are plenty of chances to acquire perks in Fallout games. Some are gained from leveling up, while some are faction-specific. Fallout 4, however, has a number of unimplemented faction perks. These should be brought back to Fallout 5, as they give players more incentive to rank up within their chosen faction.
- A variety of weapons (FO3, FO:NV, FO4) – There are dozens of weapons in the past games that have never made it to the official releases. Some of the most notable cut weapons come from Fallout 4, such as the harpoon gun, the compound bow, and a hulking mortar. However, these might make an appearance in Fallout 5, as weapons like the Cryolator, which was cut from Fallout 3, have become official weapons in later games.
Fallout 5 has been announced.