If you want to learn about all the anomalies in Pacific Drive and what they do, we have explained them in detail in this guide. It will be updated as new anomalies are discovered.
Anomalies List
This guide contains information about anomalies. It is currently heavily under construction; It will be updated as we discover more Anomalies.
Beating Heart
It’s been at least two months now and I’m the last member of our team left out here, totally lost. I’ve no idea what day it is, where I am, where I should be headed, even which way might be north. The roads themselves seem to be changing, and those barriers that the government installed open and close with a mind of their own. I don’t know if I’m ever going to get out.
I’ve only been able to keep going thanks to magical piles of semiorganic junk that somehow knit the van back together after whatever thing smashed it apart last time around. I can get hit by electricity or dragged into a tree ten times over, but these things patch everything up better than any mechanic I ever knew. And then I just drive on into the forest once more, trying the next junction. That’s the story of the last living member of the Bugwatch team, stuck out here forever because we came to record a dumb show about insects.
- Found in: Damp Forest, Blistering Woods,
Beating Hearts take on the appearance of many speakers formed together with a green light emitting from the center. When you get close to it, it will briefly repair your vehicle for a short amount of time before it becomes exhausted, which you can no longer use it anymore.
Hurricane Squall
A sudden and dramatic change in atmospheric pressure has produced powerful but extremely localized winds. Be careful. This could be extremely dangerous.
- Found in: Damp Forest, Blistering Woods,
The only way to be able to tell a Hurricane Squall is within your vicinity is by looking at your ARC device and see if there is a large green circle slowly moving around the map. As long as you are not within the circle, you will be fine.
Bollard
Yes, Anita, I do agree with you that this is nothing short of remarkable. And yes, I also think what we’re seeing here is something new and unique, something unmatched by anything the Zone has previously offered up. But I must disagree with your conclusions. Strongly. I strongly disagree.
These abrupt, dangerous, grotesque things are one of a host of bizarre new geological phenomena. They very likely occur in response to ground vibration or local disturbances. And I think that’s the end of it. To suggest that they are a deliberate reaction, even a defense mechanism, takes our discussion in a very different and quite uncomfortable direction. I think we should be reviewing your reports before you submit them. This conversation goes no further and I’ll be scrubbing the transmission logs as soon as possible, understand?
- Found In: Can be anywhere.
Bollards are tall chunks of dirt and stone erupting from the ground once you are within a certain range of it. While some will erupt fairly early for you to notice, some will not erupt until you are right up to it. You should also be careful when removing Anchors from its’ station, as these could erupt around it and can flip your vehicle over.
Tourist
Hi! Christina! Hi! How are you? So, um, it turns out you were right. We’ve had reports from several regions of the Zone now and they’re all very similar. We have these dummy things out in the wilderness and, um, we also have them inside abandoned houses. We also have them in gas stations, on the road, on top of signs… One report here says on a roof. We’ve spotted about six hundred now. This file catalogs each and every one.
Oh, and you’re quite right about the other thing, too. Yeah I know what happens when someone touches one. We all got plenty of data on that.
So, um, I’m going to be applying for a position on Portland now. I’ve done my review. It was a great time being contracted here, for sure, but I’m not sure I want to work at ARDA full time, you know? It’s, um, it’s very strange here. You work in a very strange place. I’m sure you’re doing very important work and I respect that greatly, but I think I’d like to go back to academia now.
Oh God, there’s one of them outside. I know for a fact it wasn’t there before.
- Found In: Can be anywhere.
If you have a fear of mannequins, then this one will definitely be the worst for you. These can appear from being alone or being in large groups. Not only that they will explode when you touch them, they will only move when you are not looking. My personal way of dealing with Tourists is to throw a Road Flare at them and have them explode. When they explode they have a chance of dropping a ThermoSap Crystal, which will be useful in late game.
Whoever made the graffiti in-game of a Tourist saying “Free Hug” is very evil.
Broken Bunny
I don’t like this. I feel like an experiment. That’s what I feel like. Like someone is playing with me. Maybe to learn about me, maybe just in the way you see a raccoon try everything it can to get into a trash can.
Why would that be? Is this a response to the experiments I’m performing? Am I interesting? Am I a snack? These damn things chase me and they leap on cars or the field equipment we’ve set up and it’s like they’re playing. Please, Anna, tell me you’re feeling the same way. Tell me you’re seeing this.
Nothing in nature is random. Evolution means that things in our world have function. They have purpose. What is the purpose of these things? What are they trying to do? And are things in the Zone… evolving?
- Found In: Damp Forest
These little guys will jump at your car and latch on to it, sizzling electricity and damaging your car overtime. You should definitely get them off as soon as possible.
Left-Right
Yes, sir, we lost total control sir. Veered off the road and straight into a house full of squatters. Six, sir. It’s like something just took control of the truck, screwed it all up and sent it every which way.
No, sir, only Jackson, who probably has a broken wrist. Everyone else is fine, while all these squatters only seem a little scared.
Well, sir, the thing is, we actually think they’re foreign. They’re dressed kind of strangely. They have hats and flannel shirts. Canadians? But… I thought Canada was north of Seattle. Victoria? Who is she? Oh I see. Well, if we can get a translator on the line I’m sure we can work that out very fast.
I mean French, sir! But I thought that Canadians spoke French? Miller dated a Canadian and she spoke French. Oh, I see. Well I’ll try that now.
Uh. Hello in there! Are you all right? Hello? Do you understand me? We come in peace! Me American! You Canadian! Friends! Sir, I think they’re unhappy.
- Found In: Damp Forest, Blistering Woods,
They take on the appearance of blue and yellow winds blowing in a circle. If you drive into it, you will find out that you have lost control over your car and it will activate your light, wipers, and radio to also drain your battery. Try to avoid them as much as you can by simply going around them.
Wriggling Wreck
It’s a trap. It’s a damn trap. It’s a monster.
This place is learning how to ambush us. You know what that means? It means it doesn’t want us here. This place doesn’t want us. A whole-ass part of the world is rejecting us, trying to get rid of us, trying to push us out. Think about that for a moment. That’s horrific.
This thing was like some kid of wicked new wildlife, ready to spring at us. But only us. Except, you know what? It’s not like wildlife. You ever notice how these Anomalies don’t attack one another? When have you ever seen them fight? Wildlife is an ecosystem, infinite parts responding to one another. The Anomalies? Listen to me. That’s the Zone uniting against us.
- Found In: Can be anywhere.
If you see a wrecked car wiggling, that is the Wriggling Wreck. If you get close to it, it will close you off inside a circle of electricity, causing damage to your car. I highly suggest going around it to avoid triggering it.
Abductor
Dear Maggie,
Once again, I miss you and the kids so much. I’m sorry I haven’t written sooner, but it’s been just crazy out here. I have a few moments right now, so I figured it would be good to put pen to paper. I hope you don’t mind the handwriting being so wiggly, but me and the guys are in a bit of a pickle right now. You see, our van got pulled up into a tree. I’m afraid I can’t explain exactly what happened (top secret things and all), but we’re safe. Trust me on that. We also have two hours to wait before rescue comes, hanging fifty feet above the ground, and right on a ridge. I’ll send this as soon as we get back to barracks, and write you a much better letter after, but in the meantime here’s a picture. I sketched it out while we were waiting. If there’s one thing we have up here, it’s a heck of a view.
Love always,
Joe
- Found In: Damp Forest, Blistering Woods,
Depending on where you are, these things could be a great way to help you go faster or it could also bring an end to your expedition. Abductors are the flying metal balls that scans for targets with the green light below it. Anything that comes within the light radius will cause it to latch a magnet on it, and pull it away along with it. You can lure them away by throwing a Road Flare under them, and they will take the Light Flare away and go somewhere else.
Hot Dust
At present, the majority of radiation detected in the Zone can be categorized as beta particles or gamma rays, behaving almost exactly as we would expect. Nevertheless, further study will still be required to explain the origin and highly variable intensity of this radiation, which is unlike anything previously documented.
One particular kind of radiation frequently manifests as a highly localized phenomenon, with no apparent source or focus, and often displays changes and modes of behavior more consistent with cloud patterns. These radiation “microclimates” are increasingly common and vary in intensity from relatively weak to extremely concentrated. We’ve tried to discourage the use of the phrase, but local contractors have already taken to using the phrase “Hot Dust” to describe this unusual Anomaly.
While further study is obviously warranted, the extremely unpredictable activity and spontaneous appearance of this radiation has made examination extremely difficult. It is not currently a priority.
- Found In: Can be anywhere.
You will most likely find these appearing around you when the stability of the Zone decreases, or when you open a Gateway. Hot Dust will emit 5K radiation, and will cause your Health to drain quickly.
Can Opener
Can anybody hear us?
We’re still inside the cabin. One of those things is tearing up the ground outside and it doesn’t stop! It went through Baxter like… like when you walk through tall grass! Like he wasn’t there! Oh God. Come in. Come in, Control. Can you hear us? You have to understand: They escaped containment. The Anomalies escaped. They escaped. They all escaped! THEY ALL ESCAPED!
- Found In: Can be anywhere.
Can Openers are basically giant saws going back and forth while cutting the ground and anything that goes through it. Avoid them by going around them, or wait for them to go far away enough and simply drive through.
Originally posted by Valerix: If these are called Can Openers, and they are cutting open the ground, does this mean the Earth is a can of food?
Spark Tower
Plasma-powered “Spark” transmitters, combining previously obsolete coils with LIM-enhanced repeaters, have proven to be the best way to boost signals throughout the Zone. The constant increase in radiation and electromagnetic interference has made radio communication extremely difficult and often subject to bizarre distortions. These new, modified coils appear to have solved that. The addition of local plasma power sources is a reliable way to keep each node within this vital infrastructure both operational and independent.
However, the price we have to pay is constant maintenance and repair. They’re demanding beasts and burn through components rapidly. If key resistors and capacitors are not regularly replaced, they quickly develop a habit of either shorting or even releasing constant high-voltage, low-current discharges into the immediate vicinity.
- Found In: Damp Forest
These towers usually have one or multiple plasma generators next to them providing it power. Once you destroy the plasma generators with an Impact Hammer, these towers will no longer be an issue. And you also get resources from breaking the plasma generators.
Pothole
Hey boss! So I’m out here working with Meera and Tobias from Maintenance, and I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news about our gear. We’ve run into some trouble and I don’t think we’re getting it back any time soon. Sorry, bad start for my first potholing job!
Call me when you get this. Or, better still, I think you should just come down here and see for yourself. Our tools, our signs, our lights, they’ve all… taken flight, so to speak! Heh. Really, I’m serious. I’m dead serious. You should see this. You know how you told me we were normal people working in a very abnormal place? I think I know what you mean now.
- Found In: Can be anywhere.
Although when we see Potholes in game we only see floating rocks, but once you are near it you will receive 2.5K amount of radiation which will slowly drain your Health when you are in it. Potholes usually appear around abandoned houses, which you will need to head inside and loot while slowly loosing Health. However, I wouldn’t think this is much of a concern as you would normally have crafted Med-kits and found food items while exploring that will restore Health.
