One Fallout 3 fan investigated how many bombs actually landed on the Capital Wasteland: it turns out, not that many

GamesRPGFallout 3One Fallout 3 fan investigated how many bombs actually landed on the Capital Wasteland: it turns out, not that manyWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: GOG.com)

Vault Boy demonstrates how to duck and cover

In the event of an actual nuclear holocaust, there probably wouldn’t be a lot of sidequests left to complete or environmental storytelling to puzzle out, but that wouldn’t make for a fun videogame, so Bethesda understandably played it fast and loose with nuclear physics in designing Fallout 3’s Capital Wasteland. Even in the face of that, Any Austin on YouTube⁠—who has a bit of a speciality in puzzling out videogame open world logistics⁠—had to ask:how many bombs actually landed in Fallout 3, and where?

According to the capital-L Lore, it was in the hundreds, but the actual evidence in the game is a fair bit short of that. Any Austin started with the most concrete sites in his survey⁠—ones strictly spelled out somewhere in game⁠—and worked outwards to sites of a more “environmental storytelling skeletons hugging each other” variety. Radioactive puddle at the bottom of what looks like a crater? Sounds like a bomb site to me. How about some flattened trees and knocked down walls in Germantown suggesting an airburst detonation? You know what, I buy it.

Where Did Fallout 3’s Bombs Actually Hit? - YouTubeWatch On

Where Did Fallout 3’s Bombs Actually Hit? - YouTube

While 12 nuclear detonations in and around a major metropolitan population center would be an incalculable tragedy ushering in a new age of fear and horror the likes of which we haven’t seen since WWII, it’s still far short of the “hundreds” that supposedly landed on DC in 2077, or even the 77 that Mr. House thwarted in his defense of Las Vegas.

But before we have to resort to such barbaric defenses as “suspension of disbelief” or “artistic intent,” Any Austin has a more elegant explanation: scale. In theLore, places like Cyrodil or Skyrim are supposed to be the size of countries, but in-game they fill out the area of a mid-size suburban township. That’s much better for gameplay though, turning them into the condensed “suggestion” of a real place chock full of things to do. If you want to explore something the size of an actual country, go load up Daggerfall and wander in one direction for fifty hours enjoying procedurally generated nothingness⁠—I’ll wait.

Any Austin’s full, 19-minute voyage into the destruction of DC is well-worth the watch, and you can subscribe to hisYouTube channelfor more investigations into the logistics of Bethesda’s simulated worlds. He also produces music asThe Excellent Man from Minneapolis.

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals

More about rpgElden Ring: Nightreign is getting a closed network test, and I’m totally not fuming because PC players aren’t invited to the party, or anything20 hours in, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is a mad, systems-driven sandbox that captures some of the best parts of games like StalkerLatestThe best part of Marvel Rivals Season 1 is Mister Fantastic’s obnoxiously fun chest-bump attack and his ridiculously OP kitSee more latest►

More about rpg

Elden Ring: Nightreign is getting a closed network test, and I’m totally not fuming because PC players aren’t invited to the party, or anything20 hours in, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is a mad, systems-driven sandbox that captures some of the best parts of games like Stalker

Nightreign knight holds his fist in menacing fashion

Elden Ring: Nightreign is getting a closed network test, and I’m totally not fuming because PC players aren’t invited to the party, or anything

Henry chokes out a farmer while wearing absurd spectacles.

20 hours in, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is a mad, systems-driven sandbox that captures some of the best parts of games like Stalker

LatestThe best part of Marvel Rivals Season 1 is Mister Fantastic’s obnoxiously fun chest-bump attack and his ridiculously OP kitSee more latest►

Latest

The best part of Marvel Rivals Season 1 is Mister Fantastic’s obnoxiously fun chest-bump attack and his ridiculously OP kit

Mister Fantastic mid ultimate

The best part of Marvel Rivals Season 1 is Mister Fantastic’s obnoxiously fun chest-bump attack and his ridiculously OP kit

See more latest►

Most PopularAMD accuses Intel’s Arrow Lake of being a ‘horrible’ product and implies a lack of options for consumers has caused the Ryzen 7 9800X3D shortageThis Jinx-inspired gaming PC is my favorite of CES 2025 and I’m head over heels for the hardwareHarrowing report alleges years of horrific abuse at Brandoville Studios, an Indonesian support studio that worked on Assassin’s Creed Shadows and The Last of Us RemakeTencent says it’s not a Chinese military company and is willing to sue the US Department of Defense if it isn’t removed from a blacklistAll Zenless Zone Zero 1.5 livestream codesAsus reveals three new Slash Travel Bags for carting around your ROG Ally—however, none of them are particularly fashion forwardToday’s Wordle answer for Friday, January 10We may not have a roadmap or balance patch just yet, but at least Path of Exile 2’s bugfix patch notes are funnyDeus Ex: Mankind Divided writer didn’t like the ending either: ‘Nothing is resolved’It seems like Square’s finally consistently taking the PC ports of Final Fantasy seriouslyLike a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii looks more like a zany RGG take on Black Flag than I dared hope

Most Popular

AMD accuses Intel’s Arrow Lake of being a ‘horrible’ product and implies a lack of options for consumers has caused the Ryzen 7 9800X3D shortage

This Jinx-inspired gaming PC is my favorite of CES 2025 and I’m head over heels for the hardware

Harrowing report alleges years of horrific abuse at Brandoville Studios, an Indonesian support studio that worked on Assassin’s Creed Shadows and The Last of Us Remake

Tencent says it’s not a Chinese military company and is willing to sue the US Department of Defense if it isn’t removed from a blacklist

All Zenless Zone Zero 1.5 livestream codes

Asus reveals three new Slash Travel Bags for carting around your ROG Ally—however, none of them are particularly fashion forward

Today’s Wordle answer for Friday, January 10

We may not have a roadmap or balance patch just yet, but at least Path of Exile 2’s bugfix patch notes are funny

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided writer didn’t like the ending either: ‘Nothing is resolved’

It seems like Square’s finally consistently taking the PC ports of Final Fantasy seriously

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii looks more like a zany RGG take on Black Flag than I dared hope

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review4Ikea Utespelare desk review5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

A bunch of the best Steam Deck accessories on a blue background.

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits

Thank Goodness You’re Here review

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits

Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits

2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback

Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback

3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

4Ikea Utespelare desk review

Ikea Utespelare desk review

5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals#

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals