Fallout 76: Skyline Valley a walk through the Shenandoah Valley the theater of the new expansion
The Shenandoah Valley is the new map portion of the Fallout 76 expansion entitled Skyline Valley. We tried it in London!
There are still those who think that Fallout 76 is an abandoned game with no content. If the flop everyone is talking about was real, however, Bethesda Game Studios’ MMO would probably have stalled long before 6 years of activity and sixteen seasons. Indeed, seventeen, because today the release of the season entitled Skyline Valley is scheduled, which adds a significant portion of the map, a new narrative line which is also quite important for the game universe and a mode, arriving in autumn. We were able to play the first hours of the Skyline Valley quest and then have a chat with Bill Lacoste, Lead Producer of the game.
Welcome to Vault 63
We admit it: we didn’t deliberately delve into the narrative part of Skyline Valley, but we tried to glean just enough details to frame the story and that was enough. The mission opens with an automatic emergency radio message mentioning the opening of Vault 63 . Apparently the inhabitants of 76 have neighbors in Appalachia, which we are only now learning about.
Fallout 76: Skyline Valley a walk through the Shenandoah Valley the theater of the new expansion
Unfortunately, the region is plagued by terrible storms that make navigation difficult. We didn’t get inside the Vault but, from what the developers told us, the whole mission revolves around a community of sentient Ghouls led by the mysterious and charismatic Hugo. It’s not surprising given that in early 2025, for the first time in Fallout history, it will be possible to play with a Ghoul class . With a strong probability, Vault 63 hides some secrets about the nature of these particular creatures capable of subverting the Fallout lore a bit, given that mention was made of the possibility of choosing to transform into a Ghoul or return to one’s human form.
The Shenandoah Valley
Skyline Valley not only brings with it this narrative primacy, but it is also the first expansion of the Fallout 76 map. We ask Lacoste where the process began, and where the balance lies between a map that is engaging to explore but also responds to the online nature of the game. “Initially we were convinced that the geographic location, the Shenandoah Valley, spoke a bit for itself, given its richness in historical and scenic terms. The reality that it all started with the storm and the narrative of Vault 63. Of course it was the same It’s important to provide a visual characterization to the new area, storm aside.”
Having reached the seventeenth season, it is natural to ask Lacoste what the process of balancing the experience is, especially now that Fallout 76 is, together with the fourth chapter, the most recent title to recover for those who, fascinated by the Amazon Prime TV series, have decided to explore the gaming Wastelands. “The power of the enemies in Fallout 76 adapts to that of the player, while maintaining some bosses or events of a fixed level, especially with respect to the loot that can be recovered as a reward. However, the greatest work we did on creating a experience that was approachable and fun for a group of online players with different levels and stats . Many of the passionate players who have spent many hours on Fallout 76 want to be able to introduce their friends to the game, and not allowing them to team up would have been. betray the initial idea. We then redesigned a good part of the initial phases over time, also working on this with this update, because leaving the Vault is basically an alienating experience, and we don’t want it to be necessarily frustrating”.
Skyline Valley content and future content
The new map seemed to us to be well integrated with the existing contents in terms of design, with the northern border characterized by a more mountainous morphology and which opens up with a nice view over the valley. If you are a compulsive explorer, this area in particular will reserve some tumbles down a cliff for you. Not to mention that the storm makes navigation really difficult in some places , which for us is not necessarily a bad thing. Some sub-missions in the first hour of the game are not so exciting, but when Vault 63 enters the scene, the desire to shed light on the story arises.
The introduction of the new mode entitled Milepost Zero is expected in autumn. These are missions in which a pack Brahmin loaded with valuable goods on behalf of the Blue Ridge Caravan Company must be accompanied and protected. In practice they are escort missions that will allow players to customize the caravan outposts with decorations and leaving room for traveling vendors. Ah, of course: you can have your own personal Brahmin and look after him.
The impact of the TV series
Even though we were invited by Bethesda to its London studios for the release of Skyline Valley it was impossible not to mention the big elephant in the room. With the lead producer we therefore addressed the impact that the Amazon Prima TV series has had, and is having, on Fallout 76 . “We know that the TV show has had a great appeal, but this has not changed in any way the way we work and conceive Fallout 76. We have always tried to listen to the voice of the public and offer the best product regardless of external unknowns. We always work at our best and will continue to do so, we don’t feel the pressure of television success.”
However, one thing that the series and the online title have in common is the delicacy with which the general mythology of the game must be managed , given that they are both canonical products; Fallout 76 is also the first in the chronological line of the series. Many have commented on some details of the show that would rewrite the history of Fallout (we did it too in this article ), where ill-thinking people would point out Bethesda’s negligence in managing its own product. “Everything that goes into a new expansion for Fallout 76 is checked at least three times!” Lacoste tells us. “Whenever someone wants to make an addition, be it a detail of the story, a place, a character or even simply an object, a scrupulous check is made right from the early stages. Once we have reached a verdict, a further control from a small group of the team responsible for helping us keep everything on track.”