Fallout New California mod launches after seven years in development
Better late than Nevada.
It's time for another Fallout story! Only on this occasion it's about New Vegas rather than Fallout 76, so you can put those pitchforks away.
If you need something to scratch the single-player Fallout itch, you might want to check out Fallout New California - a New Vegas mod seven years in the making. The mod officially launched to the public today, and provides players with a brand new worldspace "unconnected to the Mojave" that's about two thirds the size of the New Vegas map. It also comes with an "independent story" that takes anywhere from six to 30 hours to complete. As the modders themselves put it, New California is "basically a separate game".
Originally known as Project Brazil, the mod (by creators Brandan Lee and Rick Hukkanen) was first made for Fallout 3, until the release of New Vegas saw the team switch over to the newer game. It's an unofficial prequel to New Vegas, and is set in a place called "The Pass" 20 years before Obsidian's story (in 2260, if you're wondering) takes place.
New California follows the story of the Enclave as their last squadron ventures across America on their President's orders. The New California Republic, meanwhile, is experiencing economic woes, while their political structure is "wracked by deep corruption that goes to the highest office". I thought this was supposed to be a fictional version of America.
As an orphan adopted by the Wasteland Scouts, once you've emerged from Vault 18, you'll be able to to interact with several different factions. One of these, the troublesome Raider Alliance led by warlord Juan Elsdragon, has gained support from the "hundreds of survivalists who resist the taxes and cultural erasure the NCR represents". He looks like a sinister fellow.
To install the mod, all you need is Fallout New Vegas (obviously), a mod manager of your choice and 4GB of space. You can find the files on Fallout New California's Mod DB page.
It's a fitting time to release the mod, as Fallout New Vegas celebrated its eighth birthday a mere four days ago. Unfortunately Obsidian recently hinted it's unlikely to ever work on another Fallout game, so mods like these are the closest we're going to get. But with fan projects as extensive as New California, I can hardly complain.