"Fallout 4" is an incredible game, but there's no denying that it has its flaws, even as a game of such epic proportions. Bethesda seems to be making up for that by pumping out dlc and expansions for it. The most recent expansion titled "Far Harbor" is the largest expansion Bethesda has ever created and certainly makes up for those aforementioned flaws. It may even be better than the base game itself. Here's five reasons why.
1. A Mystical New Map
The Commonwealth of Fallout 4 was a setting that broke away from the standard grays and browns of the previous Fallout games, adding color and a new vibrancy to the post-apocalyptic world. “Far Harbor,” based off of the real town and surrounding island of Bar Harbor, Maine takes on a completely different feel. The wild island is mountainous and filled with long dead pines. Radioactive fog often shrouds the entire landmass in mystery while strange creatures and fauna thrive within it, giving the whole expansion an eerie, mystical feeling. It simply begs to be explored.
2. New Quests
Fallout 4 certainly had a plethora of entertaining quests, but the main story of the game seems to be lacking. Although “Far Harbor's” main quest is extremely short, I find it much better than the base game's. Decisions seem much grayer, making choices much harder and the story itself all around something more interesting. Every path you can follow has both good and bad, leaving you to decide whether or not you made the right choice. Although the main story of the expansion is short, it can technically be extended with side quests as they do affect the final outcome. It isn't just the main quests that are entertaining either. Many of the side quests are equally enjoyable and unique to both the setting and themselves.
3. Characters and Factions of a Breed All Their Own
Although "Fallout 4" has plenty of incredible characters and unique factions to side with, “Far Harbor” takes it to a whole new level. Characters in the expansion seem much better built, including deeper personalities and pasts. The factions of “Far Harbor”: Acadia, the citizens of Far Harbor, and The Children of Atom; each have plenty of redeemable factors as well as an equal amount of negatives making it hard to choose which one you want to side with. It may even be such a difficult choice that you want to side with all of them. The best part is that technically you can by making the right choices.
4. What You Do Actually Matters
The main story of "Fallout 4" has plenty of decisions to make that in turn change its outcome and affect The Commonwealth. Although when it comes to side quests, well, they were side quests and didn't do much to change the story if at all. In “Far Harbor,” it pays to stray from the path of the main story and work on its many side quests as they can actually affect the outcome of its ending and aid you with the major decisions you make later down the line. So although the main story of “Far Harbor” may be short, you can extend it and change it by venturing off on other entertaining quests.
5. You Can Finally Be Evil Again
Yes, I saved the best for last. One of the biggest complaints I've heard about "Fallout 4", one I completely agree with is the fact that you can't make many evil choices within the game's story and dialogue. Yes, you can side with an evil faction, but your character always seems to be the more heroic type no matter what option you are given to choose from. “Far Harbor” allows you to go wild just like in the previous Fallout games. You are able to turn factions on one another, completely destroy them, and if you really want to, get rid of every single one of them and leave the island to the wild and yourself because why not?
