Since its launch, Dustin has chronicled his journey through Fallout 4 in a notepad, talking about how lonely, slow, and empty his experience has been from a personal view rather than through the journies of his character. Here’s the end result.
My journey began much as anyone else’s would’ve. A soft warm shower, a talk with my other half and the soft cries of a hungry child. Then, before I know it, Codsworth had a few messages of his own before the soft knock of the door came to life. Before long, the memories wash away as the soft howl of wind begins to pick up, dust floating about as the toxic green air begins to flare to life with radioactive lightning.
It’s a radiation storm, a terrifying new event that came to life from the bombs that fell. I’m not worried though, not even as the dull hum of my power armor remains rather active, hurling and hissing as it filters the air around me. First, a few bolts hit the ground, a few more and before long, I see a deathclaw walks about in the distance. This is where it all happens though, my home away from the settlement, a long and lonely road that only a few dared to join me on.
But here I sit at the edge of the Glowing Sea. I’ve found a minor bit of solace in this portion of the wasteland, a place that I worry not about a single survivor, a single soul for the few moments that I have just to grant those who threaten my settlers a small reprieve. I’ve become a fist of vengeance in these lands in dangerous times. I’ve helped settlers, I’ve cleared out once-forgotten vaults and I’ve even overthrown overzealous cult leaders of the Children of Atom.
Now, here I am hoping to catch a breath and admire the lands I’d once called home. I’m hundreds of years out of place, trying to wrap my head around the constant changes I’ve seen, the constant changes that I will continue to see and even explore as they happen. My only companion? This little mangy mutt I had happened to save earlier in the day, one that has followed me from settlement to settlement rather I had wanted him to or not.
As the hour’s pass, I can still hear my companions soft barks in the distance, almost muffled by the dull roar of thunder ahead and the whirling of the air filtration system in my suit as the Glowing Sea begins to gain distance behind me. My companion, that odd little dog named Dog Meat continues to bark at some unknown foe before running to catch up to me in quite the hurry.
That’s the thing, however, my adventures have been a lonely bunch of tasks. Each one of them only completed with the assistance of those who have opted to join me: Nick Valentine, Dog Meat, some semi-genius Super Mutant named Strong, Piper among a few others. The only downside to them remains true. Yes, I’ve built my relationship with them, I’ve managed to only come close to a select few, ones I often have to leave behind if the situation dares.
Ultimately, that’s where the road becomes a lonely one, one where I don’t have someone to share my adventures with, someone that I can openly discuss our adventures with. It’s a problem I’ve had with the Fallout experience over the past few games, ones that have left me desiring more than I had received, ones that have left me waiting to truly share my experiences with my friends I’ve accumulated over the years, but more importantly, with my father who has come to share my love for the Fallout franchise.
Now, here we are, just a little over a few months out, Fallout 76 seeks to change those experiences, ones that make it so that our road is no longer a lonely one. It will be one that I can share my stories with as my friends, my family, and even other survivors such as myself can experience together. No longer will I need to worry about hearing the dull roar of thunder from the Glowing Sea, no longer will I hear that dog barking at random enemies in the distance or loot to be had. Rather, I’ll be able to hear the voices of those around me, those who seek to take on the new dangers that await us.
Except for the time being, here I sit on the shores of Far Harbor as the water crashes into the rocks before me, watching as Dog Meat darts about he chases his toys around, and barks as they flail around from him tossing them about. Before long, he won’t realize that my journey here is done, that I am plotting to leave the Commonwealth in order to take on grander journies, ones that he can’t accompany for as I carry on forth and head to the Appalachian Mountains as the country roads take me to my brand-new home.
All that Dog Meat knows is that I’ll reach down one last time, rub behind his ears, tell him he’s a good boy and that I need him to protect Sanctuary and our friends that call him home. It’ll be the last time he sees me even as I walk away. He knows something’s wrong, he’ll follow me to my power armor, which I’ll power down for its very last time, patting it on the shoulder and taking a moment to admire all that it and I have been through together.
My only regret? That I didn’t get to say goodbye to my friends as the first steps towards my new journey have already begun. That I won’t have the time to make some valiant speech to them as I walk away. In their eyes, I’ll always be known as the Lone Wanderer, a person without friends, without a place to call home and ultimately, a person with their eyes set on making the wasteland a better place for all that call it home.
Fallout 76 is scheduled to launch on Nov. 14 for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Stay tuned for our impressions of its upcoming B.E.T.A. (Break-it Early Test Application) coming soon to all platforms.
About the Writer(s):
Dustin is our native console gamer, PlayStation and Nintendo reviewer who has an appetite for anything that crosses the borders from across the big pond. His interest in JRPG’s, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. His elitist attitude gives him direction, want, and a need for the hardest difficulties in games, which is fun to watch, and hilarity at its finest. You can find him over on Twitter or Facebook.