Fallout 76 allows players to explore the Appalachian Wasteland and visit many colorful locations. Colorful as in varied — we know nukes have toasted a lot of it. One of the many area players can visit is the Flatwoods, a small community where a group known as the Responders were once located.
There are a lot of little pieces of in-game lore hidden throughout the area as well as some nods to real-world events. Unless players are constantly on the lookout, there are bound to be a few things they missed.
10 The Domino Effect
It is incredible how the actions of one person can drastically change the course of history. The eventual reason for the Responder's downfall in the game was having their resources too limited by incoming raiders which was made worse by a single chem addict. In her holotape, Confessions of an Addict, she discusses her theft of all the supplies a local raider group had and how it would affect the Responders.
"I tell myself I should feel sorry for the little town across the river. But if I'm being honest, and that's what this tape is for, I don't really care."
9 Nurse Scott Was Right?
Players that discover the Survivor Story holotape of Nurse Scott will find that he had some peculiar ideas about how the end of the great war came about. He discusses how aliens controlled all of the events on Earth and came to collect blood samples from the only people who would survive.
Everyone else thought Nurse Scott had lost it but long-time fans of the Fallout series know that aliens are a real part of the game's lore. Fallout 76's recent Steel Dawn update also added alien corpses to the game which can be looted to gain special items. Maybe Nurse Scott was onto something after all...
8 Call of Juarez In Fallout 76
Fans of the Call of Juarez series might have recognized a familiar voice in the game. Listen to any of the holotapes featuring Delbert Winters and the voice of Old Man Clanton rings on through.
What makes this curious is how a developer of Fallout 76 had this same moment as several fans did. Lead designer Emil Pagliarulo even commented on this in an interview. He complimented Patrick Dollaghan's work as a voice actor while telling the story of how he discovered the two voices matched.
7 Colonel's Full Story
It was easy for players to come across Colonel's survivor story holotape in the game but there were a few other hidden notes that make his story even more heartwrenching. The 13-year-old blames the events of the Great War on himself as his father told him bad things would happen if he misbehaves.
"If you read this... I am now staying in the bell tower at the church. I have cereal and games and a sleeping bag for both of us. I will be waiting!" The note, titled Dear Daddy, can be found by players who hunt it down in the game. Imagining this small child waiting alone while feeling guilty that he literally caused the apocalypse hurts our souls to read.
6 I Hate Flatwoods
Imagine having a venting session recorded for all eternity only for it to be found by a random traveler. Ouch! Players may have missed the holotape titled I Hate Flatwoods when exploring the area. It's located next to a tent near two hanging radstags. With how downright depressing certain holotapes can be, hearing a few angry gripes can be a bit of a relief.
5 Miguel's Death
Miguel Caldera was a member of the Responders before his eventual death. After his boyfriend died, Miguel left the group in a moment of sadness. Players can find his corpse and the robot Mr. Fluffy will comment wondering why he decided to cook a bowl of Appalachili when it could be clearly smelled by creatures nearby.
Crafty players that went through the airport terminal entries will realize this was intentional. "If I'm going to get ripped to shreds, I'm doing it with a pot of Delbert's chili, in the woods, and under the beautiful stars." Miguel may have been sad when he died but at least he did it his way.
4 Real Life Influences
Flatwoods is based on a real town like many other locations in the Fallout series. The real Flatwoods in West Virginia only have a population of 277 according to the last census, so it's cool to see a tiny town put into a big game.
The weird part is most of the in-game locations don't match the real Flatwoods. Players have noticed the town itself look closer to one called Gassaway which is located in the same county. We wonder if the developers got the two confused.
3 Tabitha's Unknown Fate
Most of the Responders and those related to them have corpses that can be found in Flatwoods. Tabitha was being helped in recovery from a severe chem addiction and was temporarily taken in by the group. Players can find her survivor story holotape by a dead corpse so most assumed that this was where she died.
Those that look closer will notice the body isn't a woman's. Tabitha is one of the few characters who's fate is left unknown from the group. Perhaps she'll come back in future DLC?
2 Gary Wilkins Was A Comic Book Nerd
Dataminers find lots of exciting information in games but it's a skill not everyone possesses. Not much is known about Gary Wilkins other than his relationship with Miguel but originally they would have been able to know more.
In a holotape that was cut from the game, players learn that he is a huge fan of Grognak and Mantaman comics. He also discusses his high scores in Red Menace and Atomic Command. Gary was a bit of an adorable nerd and it's sad most players will never see that piece of his personality.
1 The Flatwoods Monster Is Real?
Players can encounter Flatwoods Monsters randomly when exploring the game. Fans may not realize this creature is created based on real West Virginia folklore! On September 12, 1952, a bright object was seen flying across the sky. A mysterious creature was reportedly spotted after the event leading many to believe it was an alien that had come in a UFO.
The sad truth of the matter is that investigators found a meteor passed overhead that night and the alien in question was actually a barn owl. Still, it's a very popular cryptid. It has even been featured in other video games like The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask.