Fallout 4 Had To Cut A BioShock Tribute
Bethesda boss Todd Howard is "unlocking" the vault of the Fallout world and delivering a surprising bit of information about an amazing homage that never happened. With dystopian societies and the human race being pushed to the edge of extinction, there's a lot of similarities between the Fallout and BioShock franchises. And it turns out, Bethesda knows that.
It's been six years since the dust has settled on Fallout 4, and while we have no idea when/if Fallout 5 will be dropping bombs on the competition, here's hoping Howard gets his wish to bring a Bid Daddy-inspired Power Armour into our lives. It would definitely fit with Fallout 4's references to everything from Alien to Blade Runner.
What Was The Fallout And BioShock Plan?
Click to enlargeHoward has recently been promoting the 10th anniversary of Skyrim and discussing Starfield, however, he also dropped a few snippets on the legacy of Fallout. In a Reddit AMA, someone asked Howard about the underwater Vault 120 and why so much of the game's map takes place submerged. Were there plans for it?
Blowing us all away with an unusually candid response, Howard confirmed, "Unfortunate cut content. Bioshock style Vault. With massive sentient octopus living outside it." Whoah Todd, talk about a great idea that never happened. Responding to the idea of a BioShock and Fallout crossover, one fan wrote, "Quick, someone mod that back in."
Another ravenous player added, "Dude, of the things to cut sentient octopus should not have been near the top of that list," while a third said, "You joke but I’d pay 15 bucks for an underwater expansion" when someone joked about paying for an underwater DLC.
What Happened To Fallout's BioShock Tribute?
Click to enlargeAlthough Howard didn't reveal why the BioShock-inspired vault was cut, it could've been to do with licensing problems. Bethesda and 2K have no connections, so it's unclear whether the other side would've agreed to being homaged in Fallout. Then again, the fact Howard is so open about it suggests it was planned from the early stages.
Interestingly, someone on the Reddit thread claims it was probably cut early on: "It got cut pretty early on it seems, models for the squids don't even exist in the files though we do have an early possible texture." Cleverly, Howard has opened the floodgates to modding potential.
Fans in the thread point out that there's already a Big Daddy mod for Power Armour, while the possibility of a BioShock mod is sure to get snapped up by the wider community. It's a smart way to bring people back to the game without having to actually do anything.
As for BioShock 4, we know a new game is on the way. There were rumours of an OG remaster alongside the next chapter in 2022, but these are yet to be proved. The newly formed Cloud Chamber is keeping a lid on where the new BioShock will be set, but for all we know, it could be a full-blown Fallout crossover set in a nuclear apocalypse - we can but dream.
