In the irradiated, post-apocalyptic world of Fallout 4, the desolate wasteland of the Commonwealth offers a vast and immersive experience of survival and adventure. The base game is expansive enough, but several downloadable content packs take your journey even further. In this guide, we’ll analyze all of the Fallout 4 DLC add-ons, from the robotic uprising of Automatron to the chilling mysteries of Far Harbor and beyond, to help you decide if they’re worth your money. Whether you’re a seasoned wasteland explorer or just venturing out of your Vault, we’ll look at the quests, challenges, and new features that await in these Fallout 4 add-ons, each bringing its unique flavor to the game’s unforgiving landscape.
Fallout 4 Summary
Fallout 4 is an action role-playing game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and released in 2015. It’s the fourth numbered entry in the iconic Fallout series of post-apocalyptic RPGs, although there have been multiple spin-off titles as well. Set in the irradiated wasteland known as the Commonwealth (which is comprised of post-apocalyptic Boston and the surrounding areas), the game puts players in the shoes of a survivor who emerges from an underground vault to navigate a world filled with mutated creatures, factions, and moral dilemmas. The central quest revolves around the search for the player’s kidnapped son, but players are free to explore the Commonwealth, join various factions, and shape the story through their choices.
Fallout 4 DLC
©Screenshot from Fallout 4.
Following the launch of the main game, Bethesda released several DLC packs for Fallout 4 starting in 2016. Each add-on offers new adventures, characters, items, and gameplay mechanics, as well as some general quality-of-life improvements. As of now, these Fallout 4 DLC packs are for sale on digital distribution platforms such as Steam and the Xbox Marketplace:
Automatron
Current price: $9.99
The Automatron add-on centers around a mysterious antagonist, the Mechanist, who has unleashed an army of custom-made robots across the wasteland. Players must stop the Mechanist’s reign of mechanical terror and can also create their custom robots with a wide range of customizable parts.
Extra features: New weapons, armor, and a Robot Workbench for crafting custom automatrons.
Wasteland Workshop
Current price: $4.99
This DLC focuses on settlement customization, allowing players to build and manage their outposts more effectively. It introduces new settlement items, like cages for capturing creatures, and the ability to host arena battles.
Extra features: Various new settlement objects, including traps, decorations, and lighting options.
Far Harbor
Current price: $14.99
In Far Harbor, players embark on a journey to an island off the coast of Maine, shrouded in radioactive fog. There, they must unravel the mystery of a conflict between the local populace, the Children of Atom, and the enigmatic synth colony. This DLC offers a deep and atmospheric storyline with multiple endings.
Extra features: New weapons and armor, a unique storyline, and a large, fog-shrouded island to explore.
Contraptions Workshop
Current price: $4.99
Focusing on the creative aspect of settlement building, Contraptions Workshop introduces new gadgets and machinery to help players design more complex and automated contraptions in their outposts.
Extra features: Conveyor belts, sorting machines, and various contraptions to enhance settlement functionality.
Vault-Tec Workshop
Current price: $4.99
This DLC allows players to build and manage their own underground vault, experiment on dwellers, and attract new residents to their subterranean utopia (if you can call it that).
Extra features: Vault-themed items, advanced building options, and the ability to create your own Vault-Tec experiments.
Nuka-World
Current price: $9.99
In this add-on, players enter the dilapidated Nuka-World amusement park, now overrun by raider gangs. The main plot revolves around the player character assuming the role of an overboss and leading their raider faction while exploring the park’s various themed zones.
Extra features: Raider faction control, unique zones, new weapons and armor, new companions to recruit, and settlement customization options.
High-Resolution Texture Pack
Current price: Free
This is a free DLC that enhances the game’s visuals with ultra-high-resolution textures. The aim is to update the game for current systems, delivering a more immersive and detailed gaming experience. However, many reviewers report bugs and crashes while using this on PC, so there may be some optimization issues to be aware of. It’s also quite a large download at nearly 60GB.
Prices for the above Fallout 4 DLC packs are up-to-date as of the publication date of this list. Alternatively, you can get all the add-ons by purchasing the Season Pass, which currently costs $34.99.
Fallout 4 DLC Checklist
There’s plenty to miss in Fallout 4, as even the base game gives you a lot of ground to cover. That only becomes a bigger problem once you start piling on DLC packs. To make sure you don’t miss the important stuff, here’s a quick “at-a-glance” checklist of some of the most notable items and features in each Fallout 4 DLC:
Automatron:
- Robot workbench: Build and customize your own robotic companions.
- Robot mods: Unlock various robot mods to enhance your robotic companions.
- New weapons: Discover new weapons like the Tesla Rifle and Assaultron Blade.
- New armor: Find and equip new Mechanist-themed armor sets.
Wasteland Workshop:
- Cages: Build cages to capture and tame creatures from the wasteland.
- Arena battles: Create and customize arena battles between captured creatures and settlers.
- New workshop items: Access new settlement items, including neon lights, lettering, and taxidermy.
- Traps: Set up traps to protect your settlements from threats.
- Animal trophies: Display trophies of defeated creatures in your settlements.
Far Harbor:
- New creatures: Encounter and battle new creatures like Fog Crawlers and Anglers.
- New weapons: Discover new weapons such as the Lever-Action Rifle and Harpoon Gun.
- New armor: Find and equip unique armor sets suited for the radioactive environment.
- Settlements: Gain access to new settlement locations in Far Harbor and the ability to build more elaborate bases.
Contraptions Workshop:
- Manufacturing machines: Build machinery for manufacturing items like ammunition and food.
- Display cases: Showcase your collectibles and items in new display cases.
- New workshop items: Access a range of new settlement items, including conveyor belts and scaffolding.
- Weapon racks: Display your favorite weapons on racks.
- Builders: Design and construct new Rube Goldberg-style contraptions for various purposes.
Vault-Tec Workshop:
- Experiment on dwellers: Conduct various experiments on Vault dwellers.
- New workshop items: Create unique Vault-themed settlement items and decorations.
- Overseer’s desk: Use the Overseer’s desk to manage and assign tasks to your Vault dwellers.
- Vault suits and furniture: Find and use new Vault-themed outfits and furniture.
Nuka-World:
- New weapons: Use new weapons like the Handmade Rifle and Acid Soaker.
- New armor: Find and equip new Raider-themed armor sets.
- Nuka-Cola Recipe Book: Collect Nuka-Cola recipes to craft unique beverages.
- Nuka-World collectibles: Hunt for Nuka-Cola Quantum and other collectibles.
- Thirst Zapper: Use the Thirst Zapper to extinguish fires or fight enemies with soda.
- Nuka-World merchandise: Collect Nuka-World-themed apparel and souvenirs.
Is Fallout 4 DLC Worth the Money?
©Screenshot from Fallout 4.
These Fallout 4 DLC packs enhance the game’s experience by introducing new storylines, customization options, and challenges. There’s no denying that the DLC add-ons offer many hours of additional entertainment. But do they deserve your cash?
The cost of DLC can add up, especially if you decide to purchase all of them (or end up purchasing them all separately). It’s essential to consider what’s offered by each DLC. Reading user reviews and watching gameplay videos can help you decide if a particular DLC has what you want.
Players generally found Far Harbor to be a standout DLC due to its rich storyline and atmospheric setting. Automatron also earned praise for its robot customization. Reviews for Nuka-World were more mixed, as many players felt they were unfairly forced into a “villainous” role by having to lead a raider gang (you don’t have to do this, though – more on that in a bit). Finally, the Wasteland Workshop, Contraptions Workshop, and Vault-Tec Workshop DLCs are appealing if you enjoy building things and managing bases.
Ultimately, whether the Fallout 4 DLC is worth the cost is your decision. If you’re invested in the wasteland and its stories, these DLCs add a lot of content for you to sink your teeth into. If you’re concerned about saving money, though, our recommendation is to wait for a sale and then grab the Season Pass. This is a good way to score all the Fallout 4 add-ons for pretty cheap.
Fallout 4 DLC Tips and Tricks
Here are some tips, tricks, and general suggestions to help you get the most out of each Fallout 4 DLC pack:
- Plan your bot builds (Automatron): Experiment with different robot combinations to create automatrons that complement your playstyle. Don’t over-specialize: Be sure to mix and match different robot components for the most versatility.
- Maximize settlement efficiency (Wasteland Workshop): Use the new settlement items strategically to design efficient and visually appealing bases. Also, experiment with trapping as many different creatures as you can to maximize your resources.
- Explore every nook and cranny (Far Harbor): Take your time exploring the fog-covered island in Far Harbor. There are hidden treasures, quests, and multiple ways to approach the central conflict, and the game rewards thorough exploration.
- Get creative with contraptions (Contraptions Workshop): Think outside the box when creating your gadgets and automation systems. Flex your creative muscles to design unique settlement contraptions and resource management systems.
- Experiment, experiment, experiment (Vault-Tec Workshop): Conduct various experiments on your Vault dwellers to uncover their effects. Also, experiment with different vault layouts to see what works for you.
- Lead the raiders – or destroy them (Nuka-World): Don’t want to lead a nasty raider gang? When you enter Nuka-World, don’t go and see Gage. Instead, explore until you find the Marketplace, and talk to Mackenzie. This starts a quest line where you can fight all the gangs.
Fallout 4 DLC introduces a lot of content to an already expansive game. Whether it’s worth the cost depends on your preferences, but these DLC packs can add many hours to your adventure through the wasteland, not to mention many new items, customizations, and settlement-building options. Looking for even more juicy Fallout content? Check out the Fallout New Vegas DLC packs to see what the Mojave Wasteland has in store.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Screenshot from Fallout 4..