This is a great write-up.
One of the reasons why I was so disappointed in Fallout 76 is because it squandered so much wasted potential. Waste Virginia is just OOZING fucking atmosphere and charm that was almost completely absent in most of Fallout 3 and Fallout 4. All of the locations on the map are distinct without being overly noticeable or out of place; and there are several locations in 76 that are incredibly well designed, such as the Crawler Vine Swamp and the Flooded town of Charleston.
Not only that but the enemy design is everything I've ever wanted in a Fallout game, with the usual assortment of classic Fallout enemies (Super Mutants, Ghouls, Deathclaws, etc.) along with a fantastic assortment of new additions that really felt at home in the Fallout universe (Cryptids, Molemen, Scorchbeasts).
If this had been a traditional Bethesda single player RPG, with exciting quests and dialogue to go along with the fantastic world; maybe even with some limited co-op options so you could play with a friend in the Wasteland; it might've been Bethesda's best Fallout game, something that could stack up against New Vegas. Hell, you wouldn't even need to change much of the origin story, the prospect of an actual Vault opening and it's denizens spilling out to "reclaim" the wasteland has many interesting implications if done right.
What happens when the orders the Vault Dwellers received clash with the needs of the already existing survivors in Appalachia? Do the Vault Dwellers recognize the legitimacy of the Enclave as the governmental authority? What happens when other members of Vault 76 go rouge and begin aligning with different factions, like Raiders or the sovereign citizen like Free States? With the game only happening 20 years after the bombs fell, are there any vestiges of the US Military that aren't affiliated with the Enclave still kicking around? How are West Virginians dealing with non-feral ghouls considering they're a relatively recent phenomenon?
One of the reasons why I was so disappointed in Fallout 76 is because it squandered so much wasted potential. Waste Virginia is just OOZING fucking atmosphere and charm that was almost completely absent in most of Fallout 3 and Fallout 4. All of the locations on the map are distinct without being overly noticeable or out of place; and there are several locations in 76 that are incredibly well designed, such as the Crawler Vine Swamp and the Flooded town of Charleston.
Not only that but the enemy design is everything I've ever wanted in a Fallout game, with the usual assortment of classic Fallout enemies (Super Mutants, Ghouls, Deathclaws, etc.) along with a fantastic assortment of new additions that really felt at home in the Fallout universe (Cryptids, Molemen, Scorchbeasts).
If this had been a traditional Bethesda single player RPG, with exciting quests and dialogue to go along with the fantastic world; maybe even with some limited co-op options so you could play with a friend in the Wasteland; it might've been Bethesda's best Fallout game, something that could stack up against New Vegas. Hell, you wouldn't even need to change much of the origin story, the prospect of an actual Vault opening and it's denizens spilling out to "reclaim" the wasteland has many interesting implications if done right.
What happens when the orders the Vault Dwellers received clash with the needs of the already existing survivors in Appalachia? Do the Vault Dwellers recognize the legitimacy of the Enclave as the governmental authority? What happens when other members of Vault 76 go rouge and begin aligning with different factions, like Raiders or the sovereign citizen like Free States? With the game only happening 20 years after the bombs fell, are there any vestiges of the US Military that aren't affiliated with the Enclave still kicking around? How are West Virginians dealing with non-feral ghouls considering they're a relatively recent phenomenon?
Last edited: