Fallout 76 is filled to the brim with places that local citizens will find familiar. But after the game’s initial reveal, there was one location I had to see for myself: Camden Park. I grew up near Huntington, WV, and have many memories of field trips, youth group outings, and weekend trips to the tiny nearby amusement park. Camden Park’s sign was shown briefly in Bethesda’s E3 Showcase, but I wanted to see more. Would Huntington be in the game? Could we cross the Ohio River?
The answer to both of these questions is no, as I found via a solo excursion during last week’s Fallout 76 preview event. The virtual Camden Park is not surrounded by the city of Huntington, as it is in real life. In fact, Camden Park itself is changed: the layout is smaller, and the name of every ride is changed. For example, the Big Dipper, a large, iconic wooden roller coaster, is now named The Widow Maker. The in-game park brushes against the Ohio River, which, when crossed, simply says “You cannot go to this area.”
Those aren’t the only changes to Fallout 76‘s depiction of West Virginia. Beckley, WV, a city which is actually a two-hour drive from Huntington, sits atop a hill overlooking the game-version of Camden Park. That’s not uncommon within Fallout’s world: many past iterations have adjusted real-life geography to fit their fictional worlds. Fallout 76 is no exception.
Even with a few downsides, it’s exciting to explore Camden Park, Beckley, and the non-existent Huntington. You can see highlights from my adventure above, which also include some decent insight into how singleplayer combat works in this multiplayer game. Though that trip ended in a death and the destination didn’t look as I expected, I’d call it a success. It’s now time to wait for the game’s full launch, so all players can take the same kind of personal quests.
Fallout 76 was previewed at an event in West Virginia. Accommodations were provided by Bethesda.
Fallout 76 Camden Park
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Fallout 76 Camden Park and Beckley, WV
Here's the entrance to the park, where you may notice that the infamous Big Dipper has been renamed to the Widow Maker.
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Fallout 76 Camden Park and Beckley, WV
A close look at the redesigned Camden Park map. Local residents will notice that the names of every attraction are changed, and the Haunted House ride is missing!
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Fallout 76 Camden Park and Beckley, WV
A view of Camden Park from the top of the Big Dipper, known here as the Widow Maker.
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Fallout 76 Camden Park and Beckley, WV
The glorious view you see when setting foot in Beckley.
