One of Bethesda's great strengths has been environmental storytelling: mysterious, unmarked locations with specific enemies and skeletons arranged in a way that tells a wordless story. Sometimes posts and audio diaries are thrown into the mix to tell a brilliant micro-story that further immerses players in Bethesda's universe. That's partly why its latest big game, Starfieldreceived so much criticism, trading hand-crafted experiences for procedurally generated worlds.
10 Most Iconic Locations in Fallout, Ranked
From the unmistakable Megaton to the prosperous New Vegas Strip, these Fallout locations are iconic landmarks synonymous with the franchise.
Fallout 4despite being a decade old, it still continues to impress with its environmental storytelling and the abundance of small-scale stories the map is littered with. The Commonwealth is full of small places that tell a heartbreaking story of survivors fighting for their existence, only to succumb to the harsh realities of a post-nuclear war world. Even years later, some of these sad stories may have escaped gamers and deserve a revisit. Some of them come with holotapes, others have notes, and the third kind rely simply on visual storytelling, and all are off the beaten track.
Evan's home
A tribute to a true fan
-
South of Nuka Town in Nuka World
In Nuka World, exploring the southern desert can take players to a small, humble home where Evan lives. The location yields some loot that won't make Evan aggressive when taken, and talking to him will reward players with the Nuka-Love recipe, which allows players to concoct a powerful Nuka-Cola variant that gives 300 AP and 100 HP. Nothing to scoff at.
The tragedy of this place is its backstory. Evan is actually a tribute to a true fan of the franchise, the brother of a Reddit user NoohjXLVII. The two brothers had lost their father, and Bethesda was about to deliver one Fall-out goods package. Unfortunately, Evan passed away before the package could be delivered, resulting in Bethesda's tribute in the Nuka-World DLC.
Boston Mayoral Shelter
The mayor and his family met a tragic end
Boston's mayor was not exactly a man of the people, and he met an end that many would argue he deserved in this lavish shelter built with taxpayers' hard-earned money. While nuclear bombs ravaged the surface, Boston's mayor refused to let any outsiders into the shelter, rightfully turning the locals into an angry mob.
Inside the shelter, the player will find the remains of the mayor in a bathtub, where he committed suicide. Although he was selfish, the intention was to trade his life for this family's survival. Unfortunately, this plan, as his body was hidden away, and the angry mob dealt with the rest of the people inside the shelter accordingly after storming in. It's one of those tragic stories where too little is done too late.
Charlestown Abandoned House
A science experiment gone horribly wrong
Exploring the area just south of Bunker Hill will cause players to stumble upon a house with Halloween decorations and some ghouls guarding it. Inside is a surprising mini-story. Peters, a research assistant, stayed in this house to test the effectiveness of a new anti-radiation serum sample.
Fallout 4: Every Power Armor, Ranked
Power Armor saw a major upgrade in Fallout 4. Here's every set players can get, ranked from worst to best.
As you might expect, things didn't go as planned. The holotapes found here tell a harrowing story of her demise. Not only did she have to risk her health and expose herself to an experimental serum, but she also had to expose herself to radiation to the point where her body took a toll. It is unclear what happened to her after the serum failed, but it is possible that the glowing found upstairs could be what remains of Peters.
Ranger Cabin
A Runaway's last record
An apocalyptic event always puts the rifts between the family into perspective, and one has to wonder what would have happened if the young pregnant girl staying at the Ranger Cabin had been successfully reunited with her family after the bombs fell. This location is not too far away from the Sanctuary, but is easy to miss for players who don't stray from the main road or their quest.
After her family's disapproval of her unplanned pregnancy, the girl finds refuge in the Ranger Cabin, where she leaves her last holotape. To hear her ponder the ending, “Will anything ever be right again?” is truly heartbreaking, knowing what the state of the world would be like not long after, and how the conflict with her family would remain unresolved forever.
Train Car Surrounded By Ghouls
Last moments of a mother and her child
-
Southeast of Relay Tower 1DL-109
Throughout Sole Survivor's travels, they will encounter various distress signals. Many of them lead to unmarked locations that each have a little mini-story to hit players in the feels, but this particular one, gathered at Relay Tower 1DL-109, is on another level. Players can find it southwest of Oberland Station. Following the signal, they come to an upturned train car and a pack of feral ghouls.
Here, a mother and her child met their final end, trying to hide from the spirits that were chasing them. Just listening to the holotape is enough to give players chills as they witness the final moments of a mother trying to protect her own, but in vain. It shows that the most powerful enemy in Fallout 4 is really the wasteland as a whole.
Raider buries his friend
A reminder of the cruelty of the wasteland
-
North of Graygarden by the railroad tracks
Raiders are the scum of the post-war world, known for their cruelty and lack of respect for anything or anyone (well, except for those in Nuka-World, one could argue). That said, certain moments in the game challenge this perspective to a degree. Head north from Graygarden and follow the old railroad tracks past an irradiated train car with ghouls to find a surprisingly sad and hidden encounter.
Fallout 4: Where to Find Every Bobblehead
Stuck hunting for some Bobbleheads in the wastelands of a post-nuclear Boston? Here's our handy guide to all Bobblehead locations in Fallout 4.
Near railroad tracks, players can spot a raider in the process of burying his friend. It's a jarring sight as most attackers are simply cannon fodder for the player at this point, ready to blast them to pieces at a moment's notice. Unfortunately, even if the lone survivor approaches hoping to be friendly, the attacker will turn on them and attack them like the rest. There is no humanity in the wasteland, even when grieving, and it hits home hard.
Sleepwalker's Place
A mortal final rest
A high vantage point in the post-war world might seem like a good idea from a security point of view, unless you happen to be an avid sleepwalker. At the end of a floating road, players may come across a small, abandoned home with a note addressed to someone named Jamal. In the note, the former resident expresses his concern about going off the edge, especially after drinking a little.
That's exactly what ends up happening, which is really ironic considering the person lived here hoping to be safe. His body can be found outside the ledge, in its final resting place, and the worst detail of all is the lone feline friend who has been left without understanding what happened to its former friend and likely owner.
Hillside Home
A house of tragedy
Perched on a hill by Natick and the nearby lake is a house that has seen better days. It is unclear when its roof was crushed by a tree or when exactly its inhabitants met their untimely end, but it tells of a world where despair ruled everything. The evidence of that is upstairs, in a bathtub where the former resident sits with a shotgun, and the evidence of the violence all over the bathroom walls. A second skeleton is in the garage building, with a similarly depressing end as its legs hang from the rafters.
What makes this discovery so depressing is that there are no holotapes, no scribbles, nothing to explain what happened. Players are simply left to guess. Did these people question their lives when the bombs fell because they had no hope left? It's one of those moments in a game that makes you stop and reflect on the brutality of it Fallout 4's the world and history.
- Released
-
November 10, 2015
- ESRB
-
M FOR MATURE: BLOOD AND GORE, INTENSE VIOLENCE, STRONG LANGUAGE, DRUG USE
