The 4 Most Boston Things About Fallout 4
Photo by Bethesda
Fans have patiently been waiting for months to check out a post-apocalyptic version of Boston in Fallout 4, and they definitely won’t be disappointed when the game hits stores on Tuesday, November 10.
Set 200 years after a nuclear bomb goes off, this retro, New England-set dystopia is exactly what you’d expect the city and its surrounding areas to look like in the wake of total annihilation. From Concord to Cambridge, players get to see a lot of the Commonwealth as they explore every nook and cranny in this ridiculously massive map.
After spending a few hours—fine, it was days—checking out this virtual landscape, here are the four most Boston things about the latest addition to the Fallout franchise.
1. Colonial Boston FTW
“The mutants are coming! The mutants are coming!” Ok, so maybe Paul Revere didn’t yell that back in 1775, but he probably would have if he saw all of the deformed creatures roaming around this wasteland.
Despite the future setting, the creators of Fallout went out of their way to give the game a more Revolutionary War-era feel. There’s a lot of 18th century themes and decorations, from mannequins dressed as British soldiers to a group of friendly marauders who call themselves the Minutemen. Sound familiar?
It’s a nice touch, adding elements of Boston’s rich history to the game.
Photo by Bethesda
2. Even without traffic, Mass Pike is a mess
Traveling in a post-apocalyptic Boston is pretty difficult, kind of like real life.
Unfortunately, there’s no working T stops in the game (although the actual trains look like they’ve been through a few nuclear wars), which means your character will be doing a lot of walking.
As you make your way from Concord to Boston, you’ll eventually find a tunnel for the Mass Pike and, despite the lack of traffic, the highway is a mess, as well as extremely hard to travel on. Not only is there debris (abandoned cars, etc) everywhere, but around every corner there’s a mutant waiting to eat your face. How lovely.
If only there was a Fallout version of Uber…
3. Food is still pretty terrible at Fenway Park
The home of the Red Sox isn’t known for its gourmet cuisine, and things apparently haven’t improved much in the dystopian future version of the ballpark.
Despite the food options, the virtual stadium is actually quite stunning to look at, even if it’s been converted into a destitute town known as Diamond City.
The makeshift living area is protected by a great wall, aka the Green Monster, and is filled with an eclectic group of survivors and their not so appetizing irradiated delicacies. Have your characters feast on a nice cut of Brahmin, which is meat from a mutant cow with two heads.
Still, sounds like a better option than “sausages thawing in stagnant water” with a side of rodent droppings.
Photo by Bethesda
4. Stay creepy, Fens
Sure, we could’ve talked about the game’s version of the Boston Public Library or how beautiful the Bunker Hill Monument area looks, but wouldn’t you rather hear about the creepy video game version of the Fens?
It’s really not that much different from the real one. There’s plenty of strangers roaming about, and if you don’t keep your eyes open, you’ll probably be attacked, albeit by mutants. It’s pretty surprising that the Fallout creators would add this creepy part of town to the game, but we guess it fits in with the whole downtrodden aesthetics.
Never change, Fens.
This story has been updated.
November 11, 3:51 p.m.: A previous version of the story stated that the term “Brahmin” was used in Fallout 4 as a slight against Boston’s traditional, upper-class families. However, the word has been used in previous Fallout installments, albeit controversially.
