When I first started playing Fallout 76 in November 2018, I never would have believed that I would be here 6 years later, with the game about to launch its 17th season of content. Fallout 76 has truly risen from the ashes, or should that be Ash Heap?…to become one of the best Xbox Game Pass games and it’s only going to get even better with its first map expansion, Skyline Valley.
Skyline Valley, which will expand the map right on the southern edge of the Savage Divide, brings a wealth of new content to Fallout 76. From story quests, new enemies, events and more secrets to discover about the inhabitants of Appalachia. Last month, Zenimax and Bethesda were kind enough to invite me and some other media to a preview event for the expansion. There was even a Jello cake!
We each had about an hour with the expansion, so this is a very rough first impression, but one nonetheless that has me excited to jump back into the world of Fallout 76, which will never be the same.
Red sky at night, Lost Dwellers rejoice
From the jump, Skyline Valley’s story grabs you by the jugular and makes you want to know more about what the hell is going on in Shenandoah National Park. The initial quest actually starts a bit further away from the new area, in Vault 63 in the Ash Heap. Previously inaccessible, its entrance is now completely destroyed, and you will investigate why.
At this early point I was also introduced to Skyline Valley’s first new enemy type, the Lost Dwellers. These poor souls, dressed in Vault 63 jumpsuits, are ghoulized and explode in a burst of electricity upon death. You’ll want to keep your distance. The Lost are a bit like the Burned, if not a bit crazier with their shadow rages. Skyline Valley as a whole is much darker in tone than anything else I’ve played in Fallout 76, from the characters to the area itself.
When the story quest points you in the direction of Skyline Valley, you’ll travel south of the map, to be greeted with a foreboding red sky, lightning-filled clouds, and a sense of “I shouldn’t be here”. Honestly, in my notes I wrote, “Am I playing Fallout or Dead Space?” The eerie lack of life and atmosphere of something gone horribly wrong is overwhelming, at least until you encounter more Lost Dwellers and start fighting for your life again.
At the center of the mysterious storm is what appears to be the source of all this destruction. Dark Hollow Manor. An imposing mansion in your landscape will instantly draw you in and you’ll want to explore, despite common sense telling you to turn around and head back to brighter skies.
Without spoiling the story, there is more to discover behind Dark Hollow Manor and a cast of fascinating characters to meet as you unravel the mystery of Vault 63 and the involvement of its inhabitants in this new area. The main quest giver is the enigmatic and dirty Hugo Stolz. Born blind, Stolz is the founder of CEO Stolz Enterprises and Overseer of Vault 63, and also electrified, but has his wits about him.
My main takeaway from the small part of the story I played was that the voice acting was impeccable. Of course, since Fallout 76 is of a certain age, the engine doesn’t allow for the depth of facial expression we’re used to in more modern titles, but the voice acting for these characters does all the heavy lifting here.
“If we were to change piece by piece, at what point do we become something brand new?”
Hugo Stolz
I looked forward to every conversation with Hugo Stolz, as he contemplated the appearance of his throat during a conversation on the ship of Theseus. An old tale debating whether a ship has replaced each of its components, is it the same ship? “If we were to change piece by piece, at what point do we become something brand new?” Stolz’s Muses. Something that players will experience in more detail when the ability to become a Ghoul becomes available in early 2025. The story is intriguing and as shown in our presentation, you will be tasked with protecting or betraying these new characters.
More quests, new enemies and public events
In addition to the new Skyline Valley area expansion, we can expect more side quest content, more rewards, and terrifying creatures like these demonic radioactive turkeys pictured above, the Thrasher as they’re officially named. The first time I fought one of these, I didn’t know how to run or laugh; they are of course different.
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There’s also a new public event, Dangerous Passages, in which you’ll kill a group of Lost to charge a Lightning Harvester and take on ‘Thunder’ versions of the creatures. One can only imagine what would happen if someone dropped a nuclear weapon on the already storm-filled Skyline Valley, something none of our group had the opportunity to try, but I know from others who have, that a new event appears. ‘Neurological warfare’. Expect some giant Storm Goliath robots developed by the ‘great minds of Vault 63’ and lots of great loot.
The quest content we can expect from Skyline Valley is said to be equal to the size of Steel Dawn and Steel Reign combined, with 12 full quests in total. This includes new factions, new rewards, creatures and public events, as mentioned above.
That’s not all, there will be more…
Skyline Valley isn’t all we’re expecting from Fallout 76 this year, as we also got a sneak peek at a Milepost Zero event coming to the game in the fall.
The Blue Ridge Caravan Company has run routes around Skyline Drive and needs your help. You will have to join and protect the caravan of travelers and Brahmins from ambushes as they make their way to their destination. Successfully running missions for The Blue Ridge Caravan Company will unlock a caravan post. In addition to shame in the Wasteland, continued success allows you to expand your house, improve the decor, and even populate the space with special vendors from distant lands. The developers compared this to how Skyrim houses work. You’ll even get your own Brahmi, although it wasn’t confirmed if you can milk them…
We’ll also see the return of the Halloween event, Night of Mischief, revamped and starting at Camp Rapidan in the new Skyline Valley region.
Later in the day, I spoke with Bill Lacoste (executive producer) and Jon Rush (creative director) and asked if they planned more expansions of this nature in the future:
“Maybe. We’ve definitely talked about it. The map for the region is kind of surrounded by a big edge that could make it easier. If only there was room for updates like this that support the telling and continuation of the story of Appalachia , rightfully our players, and at the same time allowing them to continue to tell their stories, then yes, of course it will be considered.”
A bright future for Fallout 76
I found the inclusion of the Ship of Theseus paradox amusing in more ways than one, not only in regards to the ghoulishing of humans in this tale, but perhaps an unintentional nod to Fallout 76 itself, as the game is definitely a different beast today than it was on departure.
While I only saw glimpses of Skyline Valley, I was left with a distinct impression of a bright future for Fallout 76. The game may be experiencing a resurgence in players right now due to the show’s success, but this expansion will be integral in keeping that momentum going, and I got a distinct impression from my time at Zenimax that there’s a lot more to come – minus all the teases we got at the Xbox Games Showcase of the new type of Ghoul player that coming in 2025.
I can’t wait to jump back into Skyline Valley as it drops today, continue the story and see where it takes me.