Despite being almost comedic a lot of the time, the Fallout universe nonetheless hosts more than a few downright creepy locations. Fallout 3’s Vault 108 and its legion of Garys is one. Basically the entirety of Point Lookout is another, and you could say The Sierra Madre in Fallout: New Vegas thanks to its combination of holograms and Ghost People. Of these locations though, I’d say that Vault 22 takes the cake for its danger factor just how downright disturbing it is.

If you follow the vault’s questline from the beginning, you’ll already be aware that something is really wrong with the place before it even comes into view. However, it’s also possible to just stumble across it, not realizing just how messed-up of a place it is. Really, Vault 22 doesn’t outright look terrible from a distance, what with all the lush plant life spilling out of the entrance. If it was just plants though, perhaps we wouldn’t be talking about it today. No, the troubles begin almost the second you get in range thanks to all of the mutated mantises hanging around.

We also get a glimpse at something worse near the entrance: a vaguely human plant monster that’s almost suicidally murderous. For less experienced Couriers, this is the signal to turn back, as it only gets worse from here. I’m not sure what exactly it is about Vault 22 that makes it so much more hazardous than other places, but I remember just barely scraping through it even with high-level armor, weapons, perks and a decently stocked inventory. This place absolutely is a threat, and the danger comes from all sides the entire time you’re in there.

With every room you clear and terminal you check, Vault 22 just gets worse and worse. First, there’s the story of Vault 22: another “science gone wrong” tale, but one that really inspires the shivers thanks to how oddly plausible it is. Basically, the Vault was inhabited by scientists studying methods of accelerating plant growth for agricultural use. Not bad on its surface, but along the way they started experimenting with an unknown fungus.

Since just about all science in Fallout is done in the most slapdash and reckless way possible, the experiments lead to a containment breach and almost the entire vault getting infected by fungal spores. The spores then grew, killed their hosts and transformed the corpses into monstrous “Spore Carriers” that seek solely to infect more hosts.

It’s the exact behavior of some actual real life fungi, making Vault 22 a sort of real world warning as well. (Seriously, “just because you can doesn’t mean you should” is something that even real world labs should work hard to keep in mind).

The real terror of it all comes from just trying to get around the vault though. It’s deathly quiet, yet enemies are everywhere and they constantly sneak up on you. I’m not even sure how they manage to do it either! I mean, I’ve run through Vault 22 several times over the years, and I find myself constantly getting jumped whenever I’m in there. I’ve tried different things too.

I’ve done the usual quick run, I’ve swept and cleared rooms as best I could, I’ve even left traps in the doorways of previously cleared rooms in the hopes of surprising anything I might have missed. And they still get me all the same! Are they wandering over from deeper in the vault? Are they just spawning out of thin air? Or, did I just not shoot up potential hiding spots as well as I could have? I just don’t get it! Seriously, I’m surprised Vault 22 hasn’t earned a nickname like “Vault Jumpscare” for how often and easily you get ambushed in there!

Then there’s the spore carriers themselves: they’re just all kinds of “NOPE” all wrapped up into one horrible package. Not only are these creatures a legitimate threat, they blend in super well with all the overgrowth in Vault 22. They’re often patient too, waiting for your back to be turned before triggering. After they stir and you get a good look at them, you’re greeted by this ghastly green…thing making the absolute most horrible groans and whispery wails. These things might technically be dead, but it’s as if they’re still suffering in agony!

Meanwhile, you’ve more mantises to deal with as well as toxic clouds of spores that, were this not a video game, result in certain doom for the Courier. Seriously, the Courier might be an exceptional presence in the Mojave Wasteland, but they’re not so exceptional that they’d be magically immune to aggressive fungal spores.

Vault 22 is a nightmare among nightmares. It’s a location that could host an exceptional horror game on its own, yet we encounter it in Fallout: New Vegas, a game that doesn’t take itself at all seriously most of the time. If it weren’t for the unique energy weapon sitting in its depths, it’d easily be among the more skippable locations of the game.

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What was your experience with Vault 22 like? Which vault did you find the most creepy if not Vault 22? Let us know below and stay tuned for more Spooktober!

Images captured by Cary