The new NPCs are the main feature in the Wastelanders update of Fallout 76. MeinMMO author Benedict Grothaus has already checked them out and is excited about the details they contain.
The new, big Wastelanders update for Fallout 76 is supposed to change quite a bit. One of the biggest criticisms of the original game was the lack of NPCs, which are now set to return. But how well does that work?
Bethesda invited me to the Wastelanders test server, where I have now spent over 15 hours of gameplay and talked to the virtual people there. And I was amazed at how damn good they have become.
Why did the NPCs cost so much? The developers already mentioned beforehand that they may have “overdone it” a bit with the creation of the NPCs.
In an interview, it was said that the designers “exceeded the budget for words”. The NPCs talk a lot more than originally planned. However, I don’t find that exaggerated but rather really, really good.
NPCs make Wastelanders come alive
What role do NPCs play? The new NPCs fulfill various roles in Wastelanders. Their main aspect is to provide players with new quests. Instead of recorded holotapes, real people now give players tasks.
They are responsible for the new story but also continue the old story and provide plenty of side quests. For instance, the two factions of Settlers and Raiders allow for additional tasks to earn reputation with them and rack up rewards.
Additionally, some NPCs in Wastelanders can be hired as companions, almost like in the single-player parts of the Fallout series. They will keep you company in the camp, give you tasks to learn more about them or provide opportunities for romance.
How do they fit into the world: The NPCs are not just “suddenly there” as if nothing has happened, but have reasons to be back in Appalachia. While playing, I have discovered more and more of these reasons.
Instead of randomly scattered accessories and vendors, they are a lively part of Appalachia. They respond on their own to the player as they pass by and sometimes even give useful tips.
I especially noticed positively that the NPCs do not take it for granted that a Vault dweller from the local Vault helps them. I am not a hero that everyone knows. They are suspicious and show it very directly – and unless I have earned a certain level of reputation, they do not listen to me.
Details bring depth to the NPCs
What kind of details are there? This cautious attitude towards me as a player (and also to you, once you play it) is already one of the details that makes the NPCs so great at the first meeting. But the more I engaged with them, the more they overwhelmed me.
Almost every NPC, even an insignificant one, has their own life and many have their own personality. In the larger camps, they roam around and go about their activities, fixing and hammering on things that need to be repaired, or making music with others.
After all the other NPCs had more or less spoken to me in fluent English, I was extremely surprised when I first barely understood a word from him until I could adjust to his dialect.
This showed me how much effort actually goes into these characters and how strongly they truly bring the world to life. I look forward to more such encounters – and perhaps hope for a Swabian or Hessian in the German version!
How they make the world even more alive: The NPCs not only have personalities and real lives but also interact with the player – even unsolicited. I noticed this several times during my runs.
Depending on how well my character was equipped or leveled, they reacted differently to me. With weak equipment, they laughed at me or gave me survival tips. With strong equipment, they admired me or marveled at my weapons.
Some of the NPCs even show something like jealousy, I would say. Although my armor was in impeccable condition (I wear one of the Power Armors of the Four Riders of the Apocalypse), one even scoffed that it had seen better days.
This triggered a slight twitch in my eye and a desire to explain to him with my metal fist that his face could certainly use a polish as well. I actually felt how connected I felt to my character.
NPCs leave a lasting impression – and players too
Depending on how I, as a player, interact with the NPCs, they behave differently towards me. If I am nice, they are nice too. If I act like a complete moron, the NPCs think I’m an idiot too.
This continues over time, because depending on how I behave, quests can lead to different solutions. The end has remained the same (so far), but my options have been somewhat different in each playthrough.
At various times and with different progress in the quests, other NPCs can even be found at specific locations. That’s almost like back in the single-player parts. You can find a deeper insight into the single-player experience of Wastelanders with the colleagues at GamePro.
All in all, I was surprised at how much I actually missed NPCs. Although I had fun playing Fallout 76 before, it now feels really good with Wastelanders. The quality of the NPCs and certainly the prospect of a flirtation with my companions contribute significantly to that.
Wastelanders will be released on April 14, 2020 as a free update for PS4, Xbox One, and PC after a delay due to the crisis. For the first time, the game will also be released on Steam. Those who cannot help polish the update on the test server can get a glimpse of Wastelanders themselves at the latest then.
