Astarion from Baldur’s Gate 3 Explains Bringing British Humour to Fallout: London’s Sassiest Transportation Mode

Fallout: London, a colossal mod for Fallout 4, has recently captured a lot of attention in the realm of exciting, radiation-themed experiences that have stumbled a bit at launch, much like Stalker 2. This mod has featured some intriguing cameos that certainly caught my eye.

One standout among these appearances is Neil Newbon, known for lending his voice to Baldur’s Gate 3. Alongside him, some familiar faces from British culture make an appearance, including former Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow. Newbon has shared with us why he got involved with this ambitious project. His story adds another layer to the narrative we’d heard earlier this summer when we chatted with the leader of Team FOLON and heard about their mislaid DMs.

In a conversation with GINX TV for their series ‘The Games That Made Me’, Newbon delved into his journey: “When Astarion and Baldur’s Gate 3 were taking off in a great way, I’d been aware of Fallout London for quite some time. About a year or maybe even two years ago, I reached out to them saying, ‘Hey, this project sounds amazing. I’m interested. I’ve been a Fallout fan for ages and the fact that it’s a free mod isn’t a problem. I’d love to contribute’. But my message got lost for about a year and a half.”

Explaining why he was willing to offer his voice acting skills without charge, Newbon continued, “There’s this false perception that once actors find success, indie developers or smaller teams think they can’t afford us, which just isn’t true. Just because an actor bags an award doesn’t mean they’re unaffordable. Ultimately, we’re all actors looking for work, and sometimes it’s refreshing to remind people it’s about the craft, not just the paycheck.”

Backing Team FOLON’s words, Newbon described how creating Barry the Boat was a joint effort with the modding team. Barry, a quirky robot stuck in a boat for ferrying players across the Thames, came to life through this teamwork.

For his part in developing Barry’s character, Newbon drew inspiration from old British sitcoms like “On the Buses” (you might need to ask someone who remembers the 60s or 70s about it). He recognizes the series might be considered a bit controversial by today’s standards: “There was this character called Inspector Cyril with a little Hitler mustache, quite the stickler for the rules,” Newbon explained. “I thought that kind of persona could be hilarious for Barry, because in essence, Barry is just a bus.”

“I thought giving Barry, this ‘everything’s a hassle’ British demeanor, would be pretty amusing. A real grump. The lipstick wasn’t my idea, but we did come up with a lot through improvisation,” he added.

Honestly, I’m almost kicking myself for not coming up with that clever ‘very British, everything’s a hassle’ description during my review of Fallout: London before some updates ironed out the launch hiccups.

Neil Newbon’s episode of ‘The Games That Made Me’ will be aired on GINX TV throughout December. If you’re in the UK, tune in via Freeview channel 282 or Sky Glass channel 419. You can also catch it on the Ginx.tv website.