Fallout 4 is one of my favorite games of 2015, and as good as it is, I can’t help but nitpick some of its quirks–and I’m not even talking about bugs. There are a few game concepts in Fallout 4 that, like in Skyrim and Bethesda’s other games, just make little sense. It’s not that they have to, of course, but it’s fun to poke fun at some of the little details that make the game what it is.
Some of these things are simply just “off” and, while they certainly don’t detract from the game experience, they give me pause.
Keep in mind that I’m saying all of this out of my love for the game, and not because I hate it, so please don’t chew me up in the comments.
10. Where people have picked settlements
So let’s take a really obvious example: Makhra Fishpacking. It’s a concrete building that’s still standing, relatively free of radiation, and it’s in a highly defensible spot on the terrain, to boot. And yet instead of setting up a settlement in the relative safety of the factory, the Minutemen decide instead to build a settlement in a half-standing shack a short ways off. It doesn’t even have any walls or a roof. It’s vulnerable and uncomfortable at the same time. What were they thinking?
9. Non-human enemies that drop weapons and armor
It’s understandable for a human or even a super mutant to be carrying guns, ammo, and armor. But what’s the deal with yao guai, bloodbugs and feral dogs carrying these things? Why would they have them? How would they even carry them? If the developers know, they certainly aren’t telling us.
8. Loot descriptions that make no sense
Most of the items in the game have good descriptions, but some items, like the Wooden Soldier Boy, to pick an example, seem to be made entirely of ceramic. What’s up with that?
7. Imperceptive raiders
Raiders are much smarter than their counterparts in previous Bethesda games, but they’re still pretty dumb. Take one out with a loud-firing gun and the others will still saunter around, wondering what killed their friend. It doesn’t happen all that often, but it happens enough times that you’ll wonder if any of them have any kind of intelligence whatsoever.
6. Not being able to ask questions about the Institute
As you progress through the game, you’ll learn about an organization called The Institute. They’re central to the storyline, and they’re pretty mysterious. Naturally, you’ll have questions about them, and once you finally meet them, guess what? You can’t ask them any questions even though they suggest asking questions. Really?
5. Power armor energy drain
It’s hard to believe that fusion cores that manage to power entire buildings for hundreds of years would drain in a small suit of power armor in less than 30 minutes. Sure, they don’t deplete all that much when you’re using fast travel, but the instant you actively use them, they drain faster than a pair of AA batteries in an Xbox 360 controller. I’m sure it’s done for balance reasons, and the game wants to encourage you to conserve fusion cores, but all it does is encourage some players not to use power armor at all and makes even less sense in canonical terms.
4. Radioactive materials
Walking around a radioactive barrel or stepping in a puddle of radioactive water will slowly poison you with radiation. But carry around a radioactive canister of nuclear material, or handle the radioactive waste salvaged from a rotting ghoul? No problem. You can keep that stuff in your backpack and carry it around indefinitely without suffering from any adverse effects. How does that make any sense?
3. Retro tech
The entire Fallout series has always revolved around a retro-futuristic view of the world 200 years from the 1950s, but some things have always remained oddly low tech, such as televisions. The lack of color TV is kind of a weird thing to have in a world filled with nuclear powered cars, domestic robots, and synthetic humans. It may not make any sense, but it certainly adds to the charm.
2. Dogmeat’s nonsensical inventory
How does Dogmeat even carry anything? It’d make sense if he was carrying a vest with some pockets sewn into it, but he doesn’t even have one. And yet, he has no problem carrying 200 pounds worth of guns, ammunition and an assortment of junk that ranges from toasters to bags of cement. I’d like to imagine he has a Bag of Holding.
1. Stripping naked to put on new clothing
It’s more than a little weird how it’s impossible to wear armor on top of some of the clothing you’re able to wear. Aside from the Vault suit and the Brotherhood of Steel uniform, every other piece of clothing can’t be worn at the same time as a piece of armor that–realistically–wouldn’t interact with anything else or prevent its use. Thankfully, there’s are mods that fix that.
