Fallout 76’s new water parks make the wasteland fun — perhaps too fun

Fallout 76 allows players to collect in-game blueprints and paid cosmetics to customize their CAMPs. It’s a wonderfully domestic way to spend time in the wasteland of Appalachia, and custom builds are a major part of the game’s community. Bethesda has expanded players’ options by adding tools for a fully fledged water park to the game, and it’s a source of both creativity and controversy.

The new water park allows players to set up some pretty impressive vacation spots that stand out against the desolate backdrop of raiders, mothmen, and abandoned settlements full of skeletons. Fans are already having fun setting up their own water parks for the summer. The water park also has synergy with some clever constructs that Fallout 76 builders have created outside of the Atomic Store, like a submarine hacked together by a clever builder.

While water parks can be fun and delightful, they have drawn a little bit of ire from some players. As one fan put it on social media, “This is cool and all, but give me some stuff that looks like it belongs in a wasteland.”

Fallout 76 takes place in a landscape recovering from nuclear war, full of raiders and nefarious villains. But the CAMP building scene has focused on creating larger and more elaborate structures. At times, these two things can conflict. For some players, a water park is a little too goofy for their tastes. For others, Fallout 76 is just a version of Animal Crossing where everyone has guns — so, the more tools they have at their disposal, the better. If you’re playing on the public servers, other people’s CAMPs will always show up in the world to change the scenery, and maybe it’s not always for the better.

In September, Bethesda will introduce custom worlds, which will allow players to set up their own restrictions, communities, and continuities. Of course, setting up your own private world will require a Fallout First subscription or a friend who has one. Those who keep playing with the masses may run into an increasingly impressive set of buildings as they explore Appalachia.