Nuclear Wasteland

In the Nuclear Wasteland, there is no place for the weak or sentimental. Twenty years have passed since humanity destroyed civilization with nukes. Where green plains once stood, there is now only dead grass, rusty dirt, and the ruins of once-great cities. There isn't a living soul for miles; only mutants can withstand these extreme levels of radiation.

Credits: Pino932

Nuclear Winter

My spawn point was highly unusual for this kind of mod, as it wasn't your typical, bone-dry desert scenery. Instead, I found myself in the middle of a nuclear winter — harsh, freezing conditions theorized to be a possible outcome of such a war. In my inventory, was a gas mask, which I immediately put on to protect myself from inhaling radioactive dust. From there, I ventured forth to explore the wasteland.

Remains of the Old World

• Destroyed residential buildings.
• Rusty street light poles.
• Remains of the power grid.
• Sometimes whole cities.

The Wasteland is Not Without Life

There is life in the wasteland, though likely not what you would expect. Radiation spikes have caused severe mutations among the fauna, creating tough and dangerous species. I once stumbled upon a dog-like creature with a crazed gaze and sharp teeth; fortunately, I was far enough away to escape in time. Another revelation was the uncontrollably high monster spawn rate at night. Even the Lich boss spawned among dozens of other mutants.

Nukes and Power Armor

As if this world hasn't suffered enough, there is a nuke you can find and detonate. I took Power Armor from the creative inventory beforehand to protect myself from the blast. During my testing, I noticed a bug where the helmet rendered slightly lower than expected, which looked odd. My first few attempts to detonate the nuke seemingly failed, no matter how much I tapped with the item. About 30 seconds later, as my game started lagging severely, I realized I should have been more patient. It appears the nuke has a built-in delay to allow you to escape, so don't repeat my mistake.

Problems and Final Thoughts

I don't know if it's a bug or if I missed something, but this add-on is supposed to include content like guns and vehicles. However, I didn't find any of it in my playthrough. This is my only major complaint with the add-on. I really liked the atmosphere it creates, which reminded me of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and Fallout. I think many players who enjoy apocalyptic survival will appreciate Nuclear Wasteland as well.