Fallout 76 takes place prior to the events of any of previous entries in the franchise. The pre-release hype has been primarily concerned with the switch to an always-online . Inaugurated in 1997, Fallout is synonymous with single-player RPGs set in a forever evolving landscape shaped by player choice. With its latest venture, Bethesda appea♐rs willing to shake the status quo, although gamers should still be able to plow thro♍ugh the campaign on their own.
Many have pondered "how" Fallout 76 will be played, but that does not necessarily answer "why" this prequel might be worth seeking out. Dating back to the days of Interplay Entertainment, Fallout is built upon centuries of lore and back stories! Bethesda's tenure coincided with a shift towards more individualistic campaigns, as players are free to explore the entire open world as they see fit; as a consequence, the story elements are often overshadowed by the side-quests and sandbox gameplay. Set 25 years after the and predating 1997's original release by more than half-a-century, Fallout 76 covers a period in history that helped shape the future post-apocalyptic world fans have been💧 exploring for decades.
What happened during those 59 years? In 2002, Chris Avellone published , an accumulative collection of documents and background material detailing the events leading to the opening of Vault 13 in . Strap in for one insane ride! Here are 30 crazy things that happened between Fallout 76 And Fallout 1!
30 2102 - Hello Harold, Meet Richard 🌃
Fallout 76 begins on October 23rd, 2102. This date marked the point when Vault 76 opened its doors and inadvertently changed the course of history; however, the defining moment occurred mere months prior to this event. Constantly under attack by mutants, decided to form an explorative party to feasibly learn something about these creatures. Realizing such a perilous adventure would require the assistance of many brave souls, Harold put together a rogue squad and set out to track down the mutants. Dr. Robert Grey was among the few sele🎃cted for this expedition.
29 2🅘102🌼 - It Did Not Go Well
Harold and Richard's expedition led them to , which was serving as a makeshift headquarters for the mutants. Stranded in enemy territory, the humans were swiftly separated and conquered by the tenants. The vast majority met a quick end, but Harold and Grey managed to break into the heart of the Military Base. While they fared better than their contemporaries, both men were exposed to the , leading to Harold gradually turni✃ng into a tree and Grey becoming the Master.
28 𒁃 2102 - T♍he Birth Of A Master
The virus mutated Grey into an abomination, but the good doctor proved to be far more resilient than most people. Rather than let something as insignificant as a mutation drag him down, Grey started ☂carrying out experiments to better understand his new form. Exposing various animals to the virus, Grey documented the results and gradually grew to appreciate the transformation. While still in its infancy, these tests lay the groundwork for the doctor's final to forcibly transform all humans into mutants. Abandoning his outdated social name꧂, Richard Grey gave birth to the .
27 ꦐ 2103 - The Rise Of Super Mutants 💝
Fresh out of hibernation and unaccustomed to the wasteland, Vault 76's inhabitants wondered out into the great unknown. What mysteries await them? Does this signal the commencement of a new age of prosperity? Well, that is probably not the best way to put it. Tired of playing around with animals, the Master captured one of the vault's wanderers and started conducting human experiments. Initially, the results were less than promising; however, science is all about trial and error! Luckily, people routinely passed thr♌ough 💜Mariposa and right into the Master's lap! Refusing to accept defeat, Grey continues transforming victims until super mutants become a thing.
26 2110 - The Institute 🐠
Rising like a phoenix from the ashes of the Commonwealth Institute of Technology, is a haunting organization whose shadow looms over the entire wasteland. Formed in 2110, the scientific institute would not truly become an important player until Fallout 4, but 🔴its inauguration pre-dates the first game by about half-a-century. Chiefly sticking to its own thing, the Institute has effectively washed its hands of the rest of the population. The organization's members believe humanity's future lies in synthetic humanoids and the progress of science.
25 2120 - Skynet's Marching Orders ꦰ ജ
With a name as identifiable as Skynet, you would be forgiven for assuming this computer played a significant role in the events leading up to the Great War. A remnant of the pre-apocalypse days, Skynet was created by﷽ the military and left in the . Forged out of alien technology, the AI gained self-awareness during the 2080s, but there was little use for the machine. The United States' federal gove🧔rnment formed a post-apocalyptic militaristic organization known as the Enclave, but the group abandoned Skynet in 2120. The computer was told to indefinitely protect the depot and left there to rot.
24 2123 - A Sorrowful Age ൲
Friendly tribes are a scarce commodity in the wasteland. In 2123, Zion Canyon suddenly found itself populated by 24 children, who would eventually form the Sorrows tribe. Initially, the group was not religious o🉐r really united, but Randall Clark started leaving items like books and medicine for the children. Coincidentally, the younglings started to worship their new father as some kind of god, and Clark's altruistic nature helped forge the Sorrows' fundamental doctrine. The Great War birthed nearly nothing but pain and hatred; however, there are exceptions to every rule.
23 2125 - The Hub Loses I⛦ts Leader 🌳
The Hub's decline can be traced back to Angus' untimely demise. A major trading city, the Hub is among the most populated locations in Fallout. Founded in 2093 by Angus, it served as a crucial trading point for merchants and settlers. Harold and Richard Grey were among the Hub's residents. After establishing himself as the area's governor, Angus helped instill a sense of order into the settlement, turning the Hub into something akin to a safe haven. Unfortunately, the wasteland ea🔯ts optimists for breakfast, and Angus was eliminated by an unknown attacker in 2125.
22 2126 - The Great Merchant Wars 😼
Predictably, Angus' removal led to a power vacuum and the Hub fell into anarchy. Prior to the governor's elimination, the Vipers had unsuccessfully attempted to raid the city, but🌠 Angu🐟s managed to hold down the fort. During the same year, the Hub found itself without a leader. Envisioning an opportunity to expand their business, some merchants captured the water tower and started demanding a toll for anyone seeking to quench their thirst. Lasting for two years, the coincided with an era of tension and instability within the Hub's walls.
21 2127 - Vault 101's Overseer ꧒
The general p๊opulace believed vaults were designed for their own safety, but Vault-Tec used these underground bunkers to conduct large-scale human experimentation. Granted, Vault-Tec's experiments tended to land somewhere between pointless and plain old stupid. Serving as the de facto leader, a vault's overseer was typical the only person aware of the experiment. Designed to never be opened, Vault 101 tested the overseer's ability to govern inhabitants who are basically stuck forever in a hole in the wall. Regardless of the results, there are too many external variables for the data to be useful. Vault 101's overseer passed away in 2127.