Precipitation It’s been a staple of the video game world, helping to define the settings of post-apocalyptic games since 1997. And while more recent games in the series have had mixed receptions, love and appreciation for the franchise remains high among fans. It’s hard to ignore the impact Precipitation has had on game developers and writers over the last twenty years, and its influence appears more often than people realize in all types of projects.
Many games include small references or Easter eggs throughout the game. Precipitation series that it is difficult to list them all, but These ten do it in the most creative and direct ways. They use Fallout Effectimages, allude to his characters and plots and, occasionally, even quote his most iconic verses.
10
Doomguy gets a familiar-looking figurine
Bethesda becomes self-referential
Bethesda loves including Easter eggs in its own games, and just like there are Ruin references in precipitation, there is Precipitation references in Ruin. Bethesda’s 2016 take on the Ruin series includes a series of small toy versions of the Slayer that players can pick up as they fight their way through the demons.
One in particular that can be found in the Foundry area Reminds me of a certain mascot from the Fallout universe. Vault Boy, the blonde girl who gives Vault-Tec a thumbs up, often serves as Fallout’s mascot in general. And this Doomguy figurine, with its blue armor and yellow stripes, is very reminiscent of the character. It’s a clear allusion to the memorable design of the Vault-Tec jumpsuits that almost all of Fallout’s protagonists start their games wearing.
9
Gary appears in the world of Starfield
A character who always comes back
Players from Fallout 3 You may remember Vault 108, a Vault-Tec facility used to experiment with clone technology. The only resident of the vault, a man named Gary, was cloned dozens and dozens of times when the player stumbles upon it, and the crazed copies can be quite a threat. And, based on some references in Bethesda’s space RPG Star FieldGary’s story doesn’t end in that underground laboratory.
Mention of Gary can be found a few times throughout Star Fieldmainly in a certain cloning pod. Although the pod itself is empty, the the external information says “GARY_23” and reveals that the specimen is connected to something called V-108. This is a clear reference to the character and his point of origin, but it doesn’t stop there. In the Crucible, players can find complaints about this Gary, and in the Nova Galactic Staryard, a series of notes say his name repeatedly.
8
Vault-Boy Bobblehead in The Evil Within 2
They are action figures
Perhaps the most direct of Bethesda’s self-references, The Evil Within 2 includes a Vault-Boy bobblehead figurine for players to find. Inside the Precipitation universe, these bobbleheads often act as collectibles that increase a character’s abilities when found, and form a set of twenty figurines in total. While not referred to as a Vault-Boy figure in this game, instead being called “Mystery Bobblehead”, it is visually an exact match.
The bobblehead can be found during chapter 6 of the game, hidden among some boxes after a fight with the Watcher. It is also not the only reference of its kind. The Evil Within 2 references several Bethesda titles with very straightforward collectiblesincluding an Elder Scrolls-like trophy, the Raven of Dishonoredand a Doomguy doll.
7
Borderlands 2 includes a weapon called the Thre Dog
Everyone’s favorite radio host returns
A beloved character Fallout 3 receive a message Borders 2, in the form of a unique weapon, which (more or less) shares its name. Three Dog is a radio presenter and freedom fighter in Fallout 3who uses his Galaxy News Radio broadcast setup to broadcast news across the capital’s desert and occasionally aid the Brotherhood of Steel. He is briefly introduced in a main story mission, but primarily acts as a voice over the player’s Pip-Boy, keeping him informed as they travel through the waste.
This weapon in Frontiers 2 has three barrels since, as its description says “one barrel is not enough and two is not enough.” This comes close to a quote from Three Dog, something he says when introducing himself. The weapon itself can be obtained in the Southpaw Steam and Power area, after taking care of Assassin Rouf.
6
Liberty Prime is mentioned in Metro Exodus
A disposable line for this nuclear weapon-launching robot
Liberty Prime became an icon of exaggerated nationalism and militarism within the Precipitation universe. He is a giant sports robot a facial laser and a backpack full of throwable warheadscrushing the enemies of the Brotherhood of Steel while delivering verses about communism and freedom. The bot appears in Fallout 34 and maybe Exodus from the Metro.
The reference is questionable, because although Liberty Prime is never directly depicted, a throwaway line alludes to her design. Sam spontaneously comments at one point that the enemy bases will have “huge humanoid robots… with nuclear reactors up their asses.” He’s being sarcastic, but his description sounds a lot like Liberty Prime, and him saying the bots are “all emblazoned with stars and stripes” is a clear nod to Prime’s patriotism.
5
The Outer Worlds references an important date in the Fallout universe
Hope and the end of the world
The outer worlds was made by the team at Obsidian Entertainment, whose work was fundamental in making Fallout: New Vegas no matter how iconic it is. It makes sense that they would want to allude to their previous work with this new game, and they do so in a subtle but effective way. Instead of including easter egg images or character lines, they include a certain date: October 23rd.
Precipitation fans will know how important this day is in the series’ history; It’s the day the bombs fell, starting the Great War and plunging the world into a nuclear apocalypse. In The outer worldsOctober 23rd is the day the colony ship “Hope” was found adrift in space, allowing scientist Phineas Welles to power part of it and the player character to begin his story.
4
Shooting a mini nuke in Goat Simulator 3
Nuclear destruction and merry fun
Goat Simulator 3 is full of references to other games, and there is one for Precipitation scattered among its numerous missions. The Easter egg is linked to the mission “The Big Red Button”, which has the player launch a mini-nuclear bomb and destroy a city, turning it into a desolate desert. This environment is very reminiscent of Fallout, and the nuke itself is almost one-for-one to the type that players can shoot at the Fat Man Launcher.
But that’s not all. Completing this mission will unlock an outfit called “Fallout Boi”, which puts the goat in a blue and yellow jumpsuit. The outfit’s name pokes fun at the Vault-Boy mascot, often mistakenly called “Fallout Boy” by players. It’s the same type that the vault dwellers use to protect themselves from radiation, and it can be used by this chaotic farm animal, presumably to protect the player’s goat from the effects of the bomb they themselves just dropped.
3
The Nuka-Cola company exists in the Wolfenstein universe
New world, same flavor
In addition to Vault Boy, Nuka Cola is probably the most well-known symbol of Precipitation franchise. The nuclear-themed soda brand lampoons exploitative food companies and even becomes the star of a certain Fallout 4 Effect DLC, Nuka World. But there’s another DLC for an entirely different game that also features this exclusive drink.
Wolfenstein: The Old Blood includes a couple Precipitation references, including a bobblehead at one point. But most notably, there is a vending machine selling Nuka-Cola. It’s a small detail that many players probably won’t notice, with the logo hidden among other German drink options. But it’s there, and it’s strange to imagine Precipitation and Wolfenstein sharing a world. They paint two very different dystopian pictures, but apparently both have room for this atomic age glue.
2
Cyberpunk 2077 includes a reference to Vault 101
Tracking down this iconic location
Cyberpunk and Precipitation share a lot in common, from a cynical and satirical view of technological progress to the mix of dystopian and utopian technology. And thanks to a specific meeting in Cyberpunk 2077they are more closely related than ever before. In Biotechnica Flats, players can find two dead bodies near a strange structure jutting out of the ground. The structure has a “101” engraved on its front, a reference to Vault 101, the starting point for the player character in precipitation 3.
But that’s not all. A recording of a conversation can be found on one of the bodies, revealing the names of the two dead, which are references to Precipitation mechanics. Their conversation reveals that the pair were looking for some kind of safeand if the nearby structure is any indication, they found it. But the badlands are dangerous around Night City, and these two, unfortunately, will never have the chance to become Vault dwellers.
1
Witcher 3 Includes Fallout’s Most Prominent Line
“War never changes” applies to many different worlds
Precipitation may not have as many famous lines as its fantasy cousin, Skyrimbut there is one that appears throughout the franchise: “war never changes.” The game’s focus on the effects of war and a world left in ruins connects it well to this line, which appears in almost every game in the series. It also appears outside of the series, as other developers started to use it as a reference.
To take The Witcher 3for example. It’s another game that explores the effects of war on a civilization and environment, just in a different setting with different technology. Yet, The peasants in the game can be heard commenting that the war “it just never changes.” This allusion to the Fallout franchise can only be seen as comical, as the NPC, without knowing it, mentions another series. But it’s also a good commentary on how, despite the scale and type of war being different on the worlds of Precipitation and The wizardcauses suffering in the same way.