Fallout Shelter's latest update is here and it's like a whole new game

Fallout Shelter is literally the apocalyptic gift that keeps on giving. Announced and released all the way back in June 2015, the mobile vault sim 'em up is an underground delight and there's been slews of updates since release - yes, that has included giving your Dwellers pets. The 1.6 update, out today and coinciding with the game's release on PC, is the biggest one yet and basically transforms the game as we know it. 

1.6 adds a quest system so if you've been tired of the same old view of the Vault,  you can actually head out into the Wasteland with your Dwellers. Previously you could send them out to collect bits and keep up with the action via a sort of live action diary, but now you can actually load up a mission in your Pip-Boy and head out with them. 

I fired it up earlier on iOS and ended up taking three dwellers out to kill a glowing Radroach. You can tap your way through new locations and find hidden loot in cupboards and safes. Yes, just like Fallout. While I didn't see an instantly recognisable locale, apparently we'll be heading to iconic locations such as the Red Rocket Fuel Stop and the Super Duper Mart.

There's a new combat system now too. While Dwellers will still auto-attack with their equipped weapons, you can now select enemies and time attacks just right for critical hits. And yes, while the game is free, there's a new currency to tempt your microtransaction proof wallet. The pleasing looking Nuka-Cola Quantum speeds up time when you use it so helpful if you want to get your dwellers to and from locations without the wait. 

If, like me, you haven't played in a while, there's so much here to get back into. I've got the maximum of 200 dwellers but there's plenty of new rooms to build and, after a Deathclaw attack that decimated my first floor, there's a refreshing new challenge level. 

If you don't want to play on your phone, today also marks the release of the PC version. This isn't through Steam but uses the Bethesda.net launcher where you can then download the PC version for free. Bethesda has also sent over an impressive stack of stats that you can see in full below. Only the small matter of 50 million Overseers have downloaded the game, and sent more than 715,740,796 Dwellers out into the Wasteland to find weapons and scrap. If you're one of the people who has added to the 265,356,294 hours already sunk into the game, you'll want to come back for this.      

Seen something newsworthy? Tell us!