As the latest entry in the series, Fallout 76 has introduced a brand-new wasteland community that is fighting for survival after the Great War. Set in a post-apocalyptic Appalachia, Fallout 76 expands on the franchise's lore in a variety of exciting ways. The Scorched Plague, a cult centered around the Mothman, and the earliest timeline in the series yet, makes Fallout 76 an intriguing entry.
Despite its unique placement in the franchise timeline, Fallout 76 still shares similarities with other games in the franchise. One of the biggest similarities is with a major faction in Fallout 76: the Responders. The Responders are like an Appalachian version of the Followers of the Apocalypse, a group featured in the first Fallout and New Vegas. While these two factions are quite similar, they also boast a significant difference, as well.
Fallout 76’s New Blood Sacrifice Builds Could Finally Dethrone the Reigning Meta
Based on changes in the current Public Test Server, Fallout 76 could finally give the existing meta builds some healthy competition.
The Responders and the Followers of the Apocalypse Highlight Humanity's Willingness to Help in Bad Times
Two Groups Dedicated to Humanitarian Efforts
Surviving in the wastelands of post-nuclear America is one of the hardest tasks imaginable in Fallout, and the Followers of the Apocalypse try to help those in need. This is the core of the Responders' belief system, too. Both groups work to better the surrounding community through various humanitarian efforts, like providing better education, food, and medical assistance.
One of the biggest crossovers shared between the two factions is that their education efforts have a focus on survival. The Followers of the Apocalypse are determined to preserve and restore technology and bring back survival skills, like farming. The Responders share this view of educating the population on how to take care of themselves and their families. However, there is one major difference that sets the Responders apart from the Followers of the Apocalypse.
The Followers of the Apocalypse try to maintain civil relationships with most factions in the NCR and Mojave Wasteland, but their ideals clash greatly with the Brotherhood of Steel and Caesar's Legion.
The Responders Aren't Afraid to Put Up a Fight
- The Followers of the Apocalypse are a pacifist organization.
- Although they are not inherently violent, the Responders are not opposed to using weapons.
Since the Responders embrace pre-war roles, like police officers, firemen, and soldiers, they have no problem using the weaponry of these long-gone jobs. Items like guns and axes are seen as useful and necessary tools for survival, not threats, like how the Followers of the Apocalypse would see them. The Responders even have a special division called the Fire Breathers, who serve as a highly skilled combat unit.
The Responders also thrive on volunteer-based recruitment, much like the Minutemen in Fallout 4. They have also had several headquarters. The original base was in Charleston, but it was eventually moved to the Morgantown Airport. The Responders now have their main base at the Whitespring Refuge.
While the pacifist nature of the Followers of the Apocalypse is a noble pursuit, it also makes survival in the wasteland incredibly tricky. Therefore, this group relies on the help of outside protection in order to continue its humanitarian aid. The factions of Fallout all have their own unique edge, but the Followers of the Apocalypse's determination to remain non-violent makes them a standout group. Living in the post-nuclear world of Fallout without proper protection is nearly impossible, and it's compelling to see how both the Followers of the Apocalypse and the Responders address this issue differently.
The two factions may be mirror images of one another, but their philosophies on using force for protection differ greatly. Right now, it's unclear when the next Fallout game will be ready. When a new chapter finally sees the light of day, it will be interesting to see if there are any new factions that compare to the Responders and the Followers of the Apocalypse.
Fallout 76
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 54 /100 Critics Rec: 9%
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.
