December 25, 2016 (Originally posted on Blogger)
Since I reviewed Fallout 4 earlier this year before picking up the DLC Season Pass thingy on discount, I suppose I'll review each of the packs in there. Though as far as half of the packs in this pack go, there's not a lot to say about those either.
Admittedly kind of a favorite because I'm a robot fanatic, but still a bit short. Still not too bad a way to kick off the DLC thing, something practical and cool to tinker with that also adds another layer to the whole crafting thing while not focusing too hard on the shelter building.
Essentially, all of the DLCs with a main quest require you to tune into a radio station to "activate" them, so you start when you're ready. This one, you come across a caravan in danger being attacked by robots, and that's how you're just suddenly introduced to the new enemy type as well as a new companion. The major DLCs in this also come with their own companion, this one is Ada, a feminine robot who is incredibly loyal regardless of whatever you seem to do, unlike other robotic companions in the base game.
Ada is fully customizable with this DLC, and Codsworth and Curie become so as well, though modifying them makes them lose the ability to wear a hat, which is a strange feature to have happen. Whether changing them into a death machine matters more than having them wear a fancy hat is up to you. The ones you can make yourself follow suit, though without much personality. So as companions, they may seem a bit hollow, but they're very practical for linking settlements and doing tasks without having to have villagers to worry about. However settlements with them can still be attacked.
Not bad for a starter DLC, but, yes, the questline is a bit short, so if you're looking for more engagement in that regard, the other major DLCs might have it.
Arbitrary score: 7/10
The big major DLC everyone was looking forward to. Maybe because it was essentially going to be like Point Lookout 2.0. A foggy distant land with treacherous terrain and monsters around. And this time, there's a few factions hoping for control. You start off by looking for a missing person and end up being introduced to a few of the native wildlife soon after. After that, there's a fair bit to explore, which is probably why this is the most expensive DLC separate.
I have to admit, Point Lookout felt more dangerous, between the lower level cap in general and not having the game-breaking-but-very-suggested Power Armor in the way it is in this game. Still, pretty interesting, atmospheric, having to fight fairly general cannibal trappers instead of mutant rednecks so deformed they actually count as monsters in the game code, but still interesting.
Of course, it has side quests, which can be a big draw in these sorts of games, since they're not really known for having the best main story. There's a particular one involving a hotel murder mystery which I recommend for multiple reasons, do get to know the residents, as well, maybe check out the New Vegas mod that it seems to share similarities from.
Being the main focus of the DLC for this game, it's got a lot going for it. Unfortunately some argue it peaked early that way.
Arbitrary score: 8/10
The last DLC for this game and another fairly big one. However this one is definitely endgame material. Essentially what they wanted to do was capture the whole "I'm done with this game I should just murder everyone and see what happens" spirit and put it into a theme park, while capitalizing on the whole Nuka-Cola fictional brand name.
Long story short, you get mixed up with Raiders, but not just any random group, this is a super group composed of three factions, as seems to be a pattern here. Events lead to you leading them yourself, though there is still an option to bail out and stay good, it doesn't net you all the possible rewards, so there is some feeling of breaking character, something that happened a fair bit even in the main game when not following the main path.
If you do decide to stay a Raider, there's an added layer to the settlements. While they did say they didn't want to focus on having settlements be there and this further breaks that, this take is a bit simpler, but also more complex. Essentially these Raider settlements are fairly good at taking care of themselves as long as they have enough influence around them and they have supplies, which aren't farmed, but are taken from other settlements. However if you have Automatron you can just have robots do all the work Raiders won't do, essentially farming. Even though this is overall a "revenge" structured DLC about all the annoying settlement popups and such, it's still settlements at its core.
It is interesting to look a bit into how the old world was through this look at a half-functional theme park, again, a bit of a side attraction, with a few side quests scattered throughout that aren't just tied into the main path, but it was hard to follow up the much-hyped Far Harbor after all.
Arbitrary score: 7/10
In addition to the three more major DLCs, there were a few minor ones, and that was what drew annoyance, not just having to raise the price on the Season Pass, but having half of it essentially focused on settlement building, something everyone wasn't quite fond of.
The "biggest" of the three lets you build your own Vault with Vault-specific pieces and everything. Which sounds neat, but if you're not too creative there's not a lot to do, really. It's another settlement to watch over. The draw of Vaults in the games is seeing what was supposed to happen and what inevitably went wrong (or right in the rare case it did). Making one from a template just doesn't seem to maintain that atmosphere.
The other two are essentially item packs. Packs of useful and just decorative items alike, but still. Things I wouldn't have gotten if they weren't included in the Season Pass. Even if there's ways to boost your power and resources significantly, which is good for having your own base, but again, still ties into that divisive settlement metagame. I'll admit I had a bit of fun figuring out settlements, but most of my efforts were at my home base. Still, seems more like a bonus for the pass and not something to get separate.
Arbitrary score: 11/20 or 5.5/10