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TheFalloutseries has always been known for the hidden stories buried beneath the surface of its desolate wastelands, and the concept of Vault-Tec’s technology is at the core of many of these. The mysterious underground bunkers known as Vaults may be initially presented as a way that humanity was shielded from the nuclear disaster that destroyed civilization, but many experiencedFalloutplayer will be familiar with the reality of Vault-Tec’s cruel series of experiments which were conducted in these various facilities. Many of them became twisted sites of anything from ghoulification to forced human sacrifice, and each Vault can be viewed as a microcosm of the moral ambiguity of the greaterFalloutworld.
Each Vault that has appeared throughout theFalloutseries has essentially acted as its own self-contained narrative, with some offering engaging quest-based storylines while others leave the player with more questions than answers. Many serve to exemplify the darker aspects of humanity under the dystopian conditions of the franchise, but others have managed to stand as testaments to the perseverance and sci-fi ingenuity of characters who overcame those parts of reality. Regardless of how their respective populations turned out, some ofFallout’s more memorable Vaultshave stood out among the rest for their own unique appeal in what they can offer the player in terms of exploration.
S-Tier Fallout Vaults
Vaults That Define Their Entries
These Vault-Tec experiments are not just iconic in their own right, but have also contributed to the identity of the games they’ve appeared in. Vault 108 is infamous for featuring clones of an NPC named Gary haunting the player, while 106 is able to accomplish a similar effect with a psychoactive gas experiment that directly alters the game’s presentation. This status extends to the ambiance of what the impressively developedFallout: New Vegas' Vault 21 hotel and casino, and Vault 12, the beginnings of the Ghoul city of Necropolis, were both able to become in the post-apocalyptic environment. In a far less hopeful instance, Vault 118 contains one of the series' most captivating plotlines regarding learning about wealthy upper-class residents who became robobrains after attempting to preserve their status at all costs.
A-Tier Fallout Vaults
Vaults That Greatly Expand on Worldbuilding
With the likes of Vault 8 being known as Vault City due to becoming an entire functional settlement that is more advanced than practically everything that followed, and Vault 13 and 101 both standing as relatively stable communities of their own as historically significant starting zones, several of the best Vaults are examples of theFalloutworld’s more positive side. In a rare moment of inspirational triumph, Vault 81 represents a situation where the residents being subjected to an experiment were able to successfully rebel and take control of their facility. On the other hand, Vault 11’s moralistic overseer elections and following sacrifices,Fallout 3’s Vault 92 questwith sinister white noise leading to mass violence, and Vault 112’s corrupt use of VR are some of the most disturbing experiments the series has to offer, providing a harrowing look into what people in this timeline are capable of. Apart from Vault 34 leading to the novel creation of the Boomer tribe, these are mostly darker narratives that go beyond simple shock value as they unravel alongside the player’s exploration of their respective locations for dramatic effect.
B-Tier Fallout Vaults
Vaults That Have Achieved Mixed Results
Some of the concepts explored by certain Vaults have delved into more niche territory, making them a bit more superfluous to the series as a whole. Vault 15 is undeniably significant to the lore, but the implications of its impact on the world are more interesting than its actual physical presence. Vault 76 andFallout 4’s Vault 111are both serviceable introductions with their own distinct tones, but comparing them to their more well-known predecessors is inevitable as the series has progressed. Several of these Vaults, like 3, 22, and 96 are so beyond salvageable in terms of their states of disarray that they can blend together, but their environmental storytelling can still shine with proper investigation. The incompleteness of the scenarios presented in Vault 63 and 114 can function to create an oppressive atmosphere, but they can also just as easily feel less fleshed out than some of the more handcrafted sections of other Vaults.
C-Tier Fallout Vaults
Less Than Iconic Vaults With More Controversial Reception
Though they still serve to add some depth to theFalloutuniverse, some Vaults have fallen somewhat flat when stacked up against their contemporaries. There’s a potentially compelling nuance to the place that Vault 95’s substance abuse rehabilitation experiments can connect withCait’s companion quest inFallout 4, but the location itself is relatively standard fare. Typical disasters like Vault 94’s massacre or Vault 87’s FEV super mutant presence are nothing new to a series that has utilized these kinds of dark situations from the start, and they can feel like predictable slogs in terms of actual gameplay.Fallout 76can still deliver on story content despite its reputation as a live service title, but this doesn’t come through much across Vault 29 and 51’s average experiments-gone-wrong given their own gimmicks in rich adolescents and an AI overseer. Ever since Nuclear Winter mode was removed from76, Vault 51’s presence has felt mostly redundant to players who used to fight to be its overseer.
Fallout 76
WHERE TO PLAY
Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning creators of Skyrim and Fallout 4, welcome you to Fallout 76. Twenty-five years after the bombs fell, you and your fellow Vault Dwellers—chosen from the nation’s best and brightest – emerge into post-nuclear America on Reclamation Day, 2102. Play solo or join together as you explore, quest, build, and triumph against the wasteland’s greatest threats. Explore a vast wasteland, devastated by nuclear war, in this open-world multiplayer addition to the Fallout story. Experience the largest, most dynamic world ever created in the legendary Fallout universe. Expand southward to Skyline Valley – a brand-new region of Appalachia. Investigate the cause of the electric storm circling overhead and unveil the mystery around Vault 63 and its dwellers, including a shocking new Ghoul type – The Lost.
