Does Fallout 76's The Glow of the Ghoul Update Live Up to the Franchise Re-Defining Hype?

Fallout 76 recently released one of their craziest franchise-defining updates ever with Season 20: The Ghoul Within. If you've been in a vault for the past several months and missed the news, it's the first time in Fallout history that players can officially become, and actively play as, an actual ghoul, complete with the ability to go feral. The highly anticipated update had me excited when I got to jump into the quest last year, particularly with new perks and build-crafting opportunities that emerge from these changes.

If I'm honest, though, this major update feels less like something monumental and more like a temporary stopgap to something greater. I won't lie and say it isn't great being a ghoul. My fear of radiation has completely disappeared, and glowing enemies now brighten my day rather than instill dread, as their radiation damage heals rather than harms. Nuke zones have become a happy jaunt through a sprinkling spring rain, and I can't help but feel enticed to explore every radiation barrel and irradiated puddle I stumble across.

Is It Smooth-Skin Sailing From Here?

Yet after turning ghoul through a small chain of quests where the dialogue feels like the most arduous part of the journey, the latest update ultimately feels somewhat hollow where content is concerned. Sure, it's fantastic becoming a ghoul, but once I slap a face covering over my bumpy mug, I'm right back to theory-crafting builds and grinding daily missions. The update is by far one of the most compelling concepts introduced into the game, but it stops short of fully diving into the ghoul experience, which could've been enhanced by a richer narrative.

The update's anticlimactic nature isn't entirely unwarranted. Bethesda had to find a way to make such a huge monumental change without sacrificing all of the work the team has put in over the past 8 years. Cutting off quests entirely is unfathomable and I don't see how it would have worked if they went that route. However, being attacked on sight in many places without my disguise doesn't change all that much either, and kind of misconstrues the ghoul experience.

The Ghoul from the Fallout show is undeniably the inspiration behind this shift in why we can play as a ghoul, but we're not recreating that experience here. And I understand why it wouldn't really be feasible to do that, as the amount of work to overhaul the experience is a lot of work that probably wouldn't pay off much considering how ingrained many of the story aspects are in why Appalachia is the way it is. It would have been nice to at least get a bit more out of "the change" than a bounty and some novelty, however.

Ghouls Are Perkolating in Appalachia

That's not to say Bethesda didn't do their best in how they crafted becoming a ghoul. With 30 new perk cards and fresh mechanics like managing your feral meter and glow, Bethesda clearly put significant thought and balancing into this feature. Rebuilding your trusted character builds into something more ghoulish is indeed engaging. Yet, once that sweet spot is achieved, players inevitably find themselves returning to the familiar loop that desperately needs new content.

As a longtime player of Fallout 76, I understand the necessity of occasionally licking a few radtoads to stay invested until a sweeping new encounter or map unfolds. But currently, the novelty of ghoulishness alone may not be enough to sustain players through to Season 21. My hope is that the next season dives deeper into these new dynamics, fully realizing the potential of this franchise-defining moment. Until then, while becoming a ghoul is exciting and changes the radiation game entirely, Season 20 feels more like a minor step within Fallout 76's ongoing journey rather than the significant leap the franchise suggests.