Back in 2018, I was one of the many players who couldn’t wait to get into Fallout 76. I constantly checked gaming sites and social media for updates or new footage in the lead-up to launch, and as soon as I could do so, I purchased the infamous Fallout 76 collector’s edition. Though I wasn’t exactly happy with the cheap bag that was quickly memed to death, I was hoping that the game itself would make all my wishes come true. After all, my friends and I had always talked about how cool it would be to explore one of Fallout’s open-worlds together, and we had all kinds of plans to build bases, drop nukes on one another, and play the game nonstop. Unfortunately, when Fallout 76 released, it didn’t become long before I realized that it wasn’t the game myself and many other fans had been hoping for.

My friends quickly abandoned the game, going back to whatever first-person shooter or sports game was popular at the time. As for me, I stuck by Fallout 76 for a few months, not leaving it behind until January 2019. Still, I eventually had to accept that it just didn’t check the boxes that a Fallout game should. The story and quest lines were lackluster, primarily due to the game having almost no NPCs, and everything started to feel samey after a while. Sure, the cryptids that had made West Virginia their home were memorable, but without people to play with or Factions to grow attached to, I too lost interest and moved on to playing different things. However, that doesn’t mean I haven’t watched Fallout 76’s impressive comeback story unfold.

Everyone familiar with Fallout 76 knows just how far the game has come, whether it be the addition of huge new map areas, improved storytelling via NPCs, constant updates, numerous bug fixes, and more. All of these improvements, in addition to the Fallout 76 community’s reputation as being welcoming and kind to newcomers, have made me more and more interested in coming back to the game with every passing day. Plus, my fiancée has been desperate to get into it since she played Fallout 4 and watched the TV series last year, meaning that I wouldn’t have the issue of having nobody to play with this time around. With Destiny 2 falling off, we’ll have the time for a new live-service game, and Fallout 76 was already high on the list. Now, thanks to the Burning Springs update, I’m finally ready to pull the trigger, though The Ghoul isn’t the reason why; it’s the update’s setting that I can’t wait to see in action.

While I spend a lot of time in the UK now, as it’s where my partner lives, I grew up in Ohio and have spent a majority of my life there. Like any other Ohioan, I’m constantly disappointed in the Cleveland Browns, I still miss LeBron James, and I get a kick out of all the internet memes about Ohio being a hellscape. Bethesda seemingly knows the reputation of the state on the internet, as Ohio is one of the only significant locations in the Fallout franchise that isn’t getting renamed to something like Appalacia or the Commonwealth. It’s just Ohio, as the state is apparently infamous enough to not need a nickname, which is already funny enough to get my interest.

Ohio is a good summation of the United States as a whole, as someone can drive for a few hours and see everything from a small town and a big city to large cropfields and amish country. With Burning Springs, Bethesda has stated that it will be taking players to “the southeastern region of rural Ohio,” which is an area I’m actually familiar with. As a homebody from a state that is most known for being a meme, it’s not common for me to see places I’ve visited in real life within a video game. With Fallout 76, though, perhaps I’ll actually get to see some memorable landmarks like Hocking Hills, which has some stunning gorges and cliffs (Athens has already been spotted in early gameplay, which is neat). These familiar locations, alongside potential Ohio-inspired Fallout 76 enemies, make this a must-play update for me and an ideal time to return.

The Ghoul in Fallout 76 is Obviously Cool, But He’s Just One Piece of the Puzzle

Don’t get me wrong, though — The Ghoul being in Fallout 76 is totally awesome and something that I want to experience firsthand. I loved the entire cast of Amazon’s Fallout TV series, but like many others, it was Walton Goggins’ Rad-infested cowboy that stole my heart. Even if he only utters a handful of lines when giving Fallout 76 players bounty-hunting missions, it’ll still be cool just to be around him. However, The Ghoul and a familiar locale to explore aren’t the only things for me to look forward to. Based on Fallout 76’s Burning Springs previews, the update will include:

• Two new public events that see players fighting waves of enemies
• A new storyline revolving around a villain called The Rust King
• The aforementioned Bounty Hunts handed out by The Ghoul
• Another hub area called Highway Town
• New mods for further character customization
• Season 23, which brings more weapons, fish, and a Fallout 76 camp pet called The Rad Hog

After watching from the sidelines as Fallout 76 grew into an awesome online experience that addressed every issue I had with it in its early days, I can’t wait to finally jump back in for Burning Springs. Bethesda’s version of my home state may be filled with murderous Deathclaws as opposed to dangerous drivers like it is in real life, but given how well the Fallout franchise has done with designing locations like The Capital Wasteland, I’m confident even a post-apocalyptic Ohio will feel like home.

Released

November 14, 2018

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol