CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — Many people know the video game Fallout 76 is set in West Virginia, but it isn’t the only game to take players into the Mountain State. Some games feature West Virginia more prominently than others, but whether the appearance is big or small, here are five games that take place in West Virginia.

Freekstyle

Release Date: June 17, 2002
Platforms: PlayStation 2, Gamecube
Freekstyle is a motocross arcade racing game that emphasizes two things: Speed and tricks. The second track in the game takes place in Wheeling, West Virginia, which was likely chosen because of the pun potential, because there are no high-profile motocross tracks in the Wheeling area. The track itself takes riders through a massive factory, which does have some historical basis as Wheeling was well known for its steel production.

Twin Mirror

Release Date: Dec. 1, 2020
Platforms: Xbox One, PS4, PC

Twin Mirror is a psychological thriller mystery where the player’s choices impact how the story unfolds. You play as Sam Higgs, a reporter from the real-life town of Basswood, West Virginia in the eastern panhandle. Higgs returns to his hometown after the death of his best friend but is met with resentment from the town’s residents. The townsfolk blame Sam for the bad economic state of the town after he published an article about the poor safety standards and working conditions of the nearby coal mines, an article that eventually caused the mines to shut down.

Need for Speed: The Run

Release Date: Nov. 15, 2011
Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360, PC, Wii, Nintendo 3DS

Need for Speed: The Run is another arcade racing game where the player embarks on a cross-country race (called The Run) which starts in San Franciso and ends in New York. Along the way, the player ends up on Interstate 68 and drives past the Bruceton Mills Exit 23 to Route 26 in Preston County. You can see on the road signs at the very beginning of this level.

The Sum of All Fears

Release Date: May 28, 2002
Platforms: PC, GameCube, PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance

The Sum of All Fears is based on the movie and book of the same name by Tom Clancy. The story centers around a nuclear terrorist attack that is carried out in Baltimore during the Super Bowl, but the first two levels of the game take place in West Virginia. You play as a member of an FBI hostage rescue team, and in the first mission, you have to rescue hostages from a fictional TV station, WWAK, in Charleston, West Virginia. The attack is carried out by a terrorist group that calls themselves the “Mountain Men.” In the second mission, you must rescue FBI operatives who are being held by the Mountain Men in a system of underground tunnels.

Fallout 76

Release Date: Nov. 14, 2018
Platforms: PC, Xbox One, PS4

Easily the most well-known game set in West Virginia, Fallout 76 is a post-apocalyptic survival adventure game that lets players explore the Mountain State. Although the game’s map is not very accurate (no, Morgantown is not south of Clarksburg OR Grafton), players get to explore a huge number of locations, from “Vault-Tec University” in Morgantown, all the way to Helvetia for a Fasnacht celebration.

If you know of any other games that take place in West Virginia, email the author at sagorski2@wboy.com.