After the rocky launch of Fallout 76, many fans and players hoped that the upcoming Wastelanders update would make everything better. MeinMMO author Benedict Grothaus has already played Wastelanders and can say: Yes, it does!
What is Wastelanders? Wastelanders will be the next major update that comes to Fallout 76 after the already released content patches Wild Appalachia and Nuclear Winter. It will be the largest update to date and will fundamentally change the game.
The biggest change: With Wastelanders, NPCs are back, eliminating one of the biggest criticisms that fans of the single-player games in Fallout 76 had. In addition, the story continues, and more features and content are introduced.
Wastelanders will be released on April 14 as a free update for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. With Wastelanders, Fallout 76 is also launching on Steam.
Over 15 hours of gameplay in Wastelanders: Players have already had the opportunity to play Wastelanders on the new test server and help the developers fix bugs.
I received early access from Bethesda and have explored Wastelanders for nearly 15 hours now.
During my playtesting, I explored the beginnings of Wastelanders with a completely new character, as well as my own high-level character and a pre-made character provided by Bethesda at level 80, to see as much as possible.
Please note that some content may still be subject to change. I haven’t seen all the content of Wastelanders yet because I visited certain areas multiple times during testing to see the differences.
What does Wastelanders need to improve?
Already during my first login with my new character and the first steps out of the Vault, I encountered NPCs with whom I could converse. In talking with them, I had various options: from honest to snarky to lying.
Already here, I noticed something: I missed this. Although I enjoyed playing Fallout 76, this moment alone showed me that NPCs and the ability to have conversations greatly enhance the game.
In the first minutes, it became clear to me that Wastelanders improves many aspects. But to explain this, a brief look back at the problems of Fallout 76 in the past.
The Problems with Fallout 76
Even before and especially after the release of Fallout 76 in November 2018, the game was heavily criticized. It wasn’t just bugs and errors that annoyed players, but also features that hardcore fans apparently found frustrating:
- The studio known for single-player titles wasn’t trusted with an online game
- Fans of the series felt that: Fallout 76 does not work for single-player fans
- Players saw issues with mods and important decisions that made the previous installments so popular
All of this led to poor reviews of Fallout 76 and many shitstorms that the game and the studio had to endure. This only slowly subsided, when a community formed that enjoys the game and wanted nothing to do with the growing hatred.
However, this community has also gotten smaller over time. Some players found there wasn’t enough to do and put the game on hold until the new update arrives. There is a lot of anticipation, however, and players want to return, like MeinMMO reader P1nhead: “Looks good. Sounds nice too. I definitely want to check it out again.”
The Solutions that Wastelanders brings
How does Wastelanders plan to address the problems? The first step to making Fallout 76 better with Wastelanders was the establishment of the test server (PTS). Since past patches consistently led to problems, one of the biggest requests from players was to be able to help.
Because Wastelanders was tested in advance by many players who provided feedback, it runs significantly smoother. In my 15 hours, I only stumbled upon three minor errors that were resolved with a quick reload of the world. The beta shortly before release had much larger problems and more crashes.
Content-wise, Fallout 76 now gets what many fans of the Fallout series have been wanting:
- New quests and more story
- Decisions that affect gameplay
- NPCs that can act as merchants, quest givers, and companions
The old story is embedded in the new one. The new tasks are directly tied to the old ones – it’s still about saving Appalachia, just this time with people. The new players can still find the old story if they’re interested. If not, there are frequent summaries by the quest givers with relevant information.
Will Wastelanders be a full-fledged single-player title? Probably not. Although Fallout 76 now feels like Fallout 4, it’s still an online game, and you are not “the hero who can dictate everything” as in Fallout 3 or New Vegas.
You share the world with other Vault dwellers, and your task is to rebuild Appalachia together. Accordingly, it’s not possible to just blow up a city permanently, after all, other players still need to enter it.
Additionally, the impacts of your decisions are present, but the end result remains the same in the quests, at least as far as I’ve played. You can only somewhat block your way and thus miss out on additional content or rewards if you make a “wrong” decision.
For those who still want to distinguish themselves from other players, there is the “Fallout 1st” subscription to enter their own private world, where only they, their group members, and the NPCs reside. But even here, it’s not possible to blow up cities.
For more details on whether Wastelanders is worth it for single-player players, check out the colleagues from GamePro.
A new story, heart races and regret
As already mentioned, I first started Wastelanders with a new character and would advise any player to do so.
On the one hand, this familiarizes you with what decisions you can and should make, and which ones you better avoid. On the other hand, this opens up hilarious reactions from the NPCs – and a big scolding for having slept for months and letting others do the work.
The story directly picks up from what you experienced in Fallout 76. For new players, this doesn’t mean that you missed anything. The search for the Overseer is still the first goal, just with an intermediate step via Duchess and Mort.
The story itself continues similarly to before. The Overseer, who has previously given you quests via holotapes, sends you again through Appalachia. This time, however, you should help the people living there.
Specifically, it’s about the two largest factions, the Raiders and the Settlers. They should be warned of a threat. To get them to listen to you, you first need to ensure that they actually like you – an introduction to the new reputation system.
I was only able to see the first main mission after the start of Wastelanders, but I already noticed: My S.P.E.C.I.A.L. attributes and decisions have an impact on what I experience.
I decide what happens
In the conversation options, there are skill checks for the first time that have to do with something other than hacking computers. Depending on which attribute the character builds on, different paths are available:
- With strength, you intimidate or threaten NPCs
- Intelligence and perception allow for “smart” alternative solutions
- Charisma helps with diplomacy and resolving things without combat – or getting more caps out of a deal
- Luck brings… well, luck – it can work or it can’t
In my various playthroughs, I saw different options with the NPCs each time. If I intimidated or lied to them, I reached my goal faster, but no one wanted to talk to me anymore – no side quests, no special information from the people.
With a more diplomatic approach, I took much longer, but I was also able to secure more rewards. Only some key points of the story remained the same because the NPCs then relented.
Bugs can also sometimes be balanced out. I accidentally killed an important character much too early with a grenade and was then stared at angrily by everyone around.
I regretted this a lot, especially since it was an accident – but since certain quests and areas save less frequently, returning to the main menu can undo such decisions if you haven’t progressed further.
Appalachia will be a better place with NPCs
Are NPCs really that good? I tried to find as many NPCs as possible, talk to them, and test what I can do with them. It became clear to me how much potential was left in Fallout 76 before Wastelanders.
In short: Yes, the NPCs are really that good. Bethesda has already stated that they exaggerated a bit with the creation. And yes, the characters are indeed much better than I expected, but I don’t think it’s “overdone”. Every detail just makes it even better.
The best is in the detail
As in every RPG, the NPCs in Fallout 76 can roughly be divided into three groups:
- Relevant main characters
- Unnamed side characters
- Enemies
NPCs react to how I behave: What distinguishes Wastelanders from other RPGs is that even the least important characters have relatively much depth. They are not only voiced but also react to the player depending on how they behave and even what they wear.
When I first stumbled into the “Waywards” diner with my fresh character to chat with Duchess and Mort, people already commented on my Vault jumper before I even entered the diner. Just passing by, without a real “conversation”.
With my main character in power armor and a gatling, I then received comments like: “Hehe, you like the big guns, right? Nice.” Or: “With those weapons, you shouldn’t be afraid out here.” They even commented on the condition of my armor.
Daily routines and hidden tips! The NPCs actually have their own life. One of the settlers spoke to me in a broad dialect (an English one that I don’t know) and told me his story. Later, he sat with his wife and others outside the pub and played music.
In another scene, two NPCs were talking – one of them needed wood. In their conversation, they casually mentioned where to best gather wood. Useful information for players if you listen.
Such details make Wastelanders an immersive experience. The world feels alive, exactly how a post-apocalyptic world should feel when people want to “live normally” again.
Companions are the ideal side quest
A feature that I particularly enjoyed is the companions. I spent over three hours on the first companion quest for a crashed astronaut just to make her my companion.
Her quest line begins with a distress signal that leads me to her. She explains that she has crashed and needs help, and wonders what happened – because she missed the entire war.
Since she was trapped in space and in deep sleep before the atomic war of Fallout until the crash, it’s up to me to help her adapt to the new world. After a few quests, I can also offer her to “live” with me.
Companions have a special item that can be set up in the C.A.M.P. They then stay there and continue to provide you with quests. I haven’t gotten very far, but with each quest step, she shared more about herself.
It is said that it will someday be possible to even fall in love with your companions. Since they always require attention for side quests, this alone builds a bond that I gladly follow alongside my task of saving the world!
Is it worth jumping in or returning?
All in all, not much changes with the gameplay mechanics of Fallout 76. I still complete tasks, gather resources for my C.A.M.P., or farm items for my equipment.
The way all this is integrated into the world is quite different, though. It just fits. Instead of randomly found holotapes of faceless dead, there are now quest givers with emotions and personality. A feeling that makes me want to play more.
Basically, I can recommend to anyone who already owns Fallout 76: Check it out. The update is free anyway, and you have nothing to lose. Especially now, while the coronavirus rages and everyone is looking for online games to play, it’s a good time to take a look.
If you have been considering Fallout 76 before, now you have even more reasons to jump in. Fallout 76 offers a helpful community and a ton of things to discover:
- 5 Creepy Places in Fallout 76
- The Strangest Places in Appalachia
- At these locations, you’ll have a wonderful view of the world
With Wastelanders, this will only increase, and in my opinion, the entry is significantly smoother.
If Fallout 76 was previously not “single-player Fallout” enough for you, you have to weigh whether the changes described above are really sufficient for you. If the multiplayer aspect doesn’t bother you, it could provide you with many great hours. However, if you can’t stand MMOs at all, Wastelanders will probably not convince you.
