Bethesda recently released their newest addition to the Fallout 76 universe and it came as the Wastelanders DLC. This is by far their largest DLC update to the game in a long time and it brought with it a plethora of new things that have fans excited for the game once more.
Gone are the times of empty servers and lack of enthusiasm and welcome back NPCs with dialogue choices that influence the game. Say hello to new weapons, quests, and so much more that will keep the game going for hours. Plus, this is all wrapped up in the original questline, so you don't need to finish the game to start it.
10 Improved Visuals
For anyone who remembers the disastrous launch of Fallout 76 back in 2018, it was a messy game with a lack of textures and poor lighting that quickly made fans want to give it the boot. With the Wastelanders update, Bethesda decided to give the game a little bit of an overhaul and updated the lighting engine to make those blinding beams of light a little more soothing to the eyes. Nighttime looks better as well with improved filters and they even updated the textures to make everything look at least a little better.
9 NPCs
That's right, NPCs are back. This was the biggest part of the Wastelanders DLC and something that fans craved since the launch of the game. With all the NPCs replaced with robots and radio signals, there was nobody to help ease you into the world of Fallout 76 and show you around. Fans immediately attacked Bethesda over this horrible decision (which was rightfully placed) and now they are back. These NPCs can be seen wandering the wastelands of West Virginia hunting, farming, and even attacking the local wildlife. It is a far better improvement from the tapes that players were forced to listen to from the overseer.
8 Dialogue Trees
Anyone who has played a Fallout game knows of how important dialogue has become in the games and how it shapes the story as they play. That is why it was a shot in the foot to Bethesda when they decided to leave NPCs out of the game. Since the NPCs are back, that means players can now interact with them and they have a mix of dialogue options that are similar to Fallout 3. These dialogue options utilize intelligence, charisma, and other skills to help intimidate, charm, or outwit whoever they are speaking to.
7 Factions
Factions are another piece of Fallout that was missing from the newest installment that frustrated fans and ripped the true Fallout experience away from them. Wastelanders has not only brought back this all-important mechanic but has also brought back towns for these factions.
These towns are loaded in as instances for the player and their allies so that they can have their own version of cutscenes and dialogue that can shape the world however they want. That means no interference from players when you make the decision to kill off the other faction and ruin their day.
6 New Questlines
Not only are there new side quests to hunt for, but Bethesda has included a new main questline that intertwines with the already existing main questline. You can start this quest as soon as you exit the vault of see NPCs waiting for you. This new main questline feels much more like a Fallout game and has NPCs that you can interact with every step of the way. This new main quest focuses on a treasure that has been rumored to be found in Appalachia and multiple groups of people have come in hopes to find it. It makes for an interesting quest that has more depth than the original story.
5 Companions/Romance
One of the biggest features of Fallout games has been the ability to take on companions and eventually romance them into a relationship, but with robots being the original game's NPCs there was an extreme lack of intimacy. Thanks to the new update, you can once again frolic in the flowers of the wasteland with your favorite companion at your side. This is one of the biggest features fans have been excited about and probably one of the most features since Fallout 4.
4 Streamlined C.A.M.P.
Your C.A.M.P. is one of the most important features in Fallout 76. It houses all your scrapped materials and allows you to take a much-needed rest when you need a break from the wastelands. This new update has streamlined the process of collecting loot and scrapping it. What this means is that it takes fewer materials to craft items like armor, weapons, and C.A.M.P. necessities. They have also made food and water easier to find which is a great bonus as well.
3 New Weapons & Armor
Bethesda has added some new weapons to the game. Sure, this may have not been the most needed addition, but it is definitely welcome. One of these new weapons that have been added is the bow and arrow which is a welcome addition that makes the game feel so much better.
You can finally feel like a real hunter that skulks around the wastelands and takes out targets the old fashioned way. This update also comes with new armor to customize your character with and everything is customizable which is a huge bonus.
2 New Monsters
Along with the weapons and armor come new monsters to take out your frustrations on. Bethesda has added multiple creatures to the game that each have multiple variants to help keep things feeling fresh. Again, this addition may have not been the most needed but it is definitely nice to see some new faces. Some of these creatures were featured in the trailer, but that only scratched the surface of a new pool of enemies for players to look out for.
1 Steam
Fallout 76 has finally found its way to the Steam platform on PC. Players no longer need to download the Bethesda launcher to gain access to the game, though if you did buy it through Bethesda, you can claim a free Steam copy. This also comes with the benefit of being able to play with all of your Steam friends. The game also runs more smoothly through the Steam launcher and has a drastically reduced load time that anyone can appreciate.