Fallout 4 (Video Game, 2015)
Fallout 4 is set in the year 2287, a full decade after the events of Fallout 3 and two centuries after the catastrophic Great War. That war, which erupted between the United States and China over dwindling natural resources, reached its devastating climax on October 23, 2077, when nuclear bombs rained down on cities across the globe, wiping out entire nations in a matter of hours. The world that survived is scarred, irradiated, and permanently altered. What emerges from the ashes is a post-apocalyptic society struggling to survive, adapt, and rebuild.
Unlike previous entries in the Fallout series, Fallout 4 begins not in the ruins of civilization but on the very morning the bombs dropped. This narrative choice allows players to experience a brief glimpse of the world before the apocalypse—a pristine neighborhood in the suburbs of Boston, where families live in tidy homes, drive futuristic cars, and chat with their friendly household robots, unaware that their lives are about to end. When the air raid sirens begin to wail, the illusion of safety collapses, forcing the protagonist and their family to flee to the safety of Vault 111, a fallout shelter just up the road. From this moment forward, the story bridges the gap between the vibrant optimism of pre-war America and the bleak, irradiated wasteland that follows.
The setting of Fallout 4 is the Commonwealth, a territory encompassing Boston and much of New England. The region is a haunting mixture of decay and resilience. Skyscrapers lean precariously over rubble-strewn streets, feral ghouls wander through collapsed subway tunnels, and entire towns have sprung up in places like Fenway Park, repurposed into a fortress-like settlement called Diamond City. Life here is harsh, but human ingenuity has allowed survivors to build farms, trade routes, and communities amid the destruction.
A hallmark of the Fallout universe is its retro-futuristic aesthetic, blending the cultural optimism of post-war 1940s and 1950s America with imagined technological advancements. The Commonwealth reflects this fusion everywhere: advertisements for cheerful consumer products still cling to half-broken billboards, diners and drive-in theaters remain frozen in time, and clunky but advanced technologies dominate daily life. In this alternate timeline, atomic power became the centerpiece of society, powering cars, weapons, and even toys. Computers still rely on glowing vacuum tubes, yet artificial intelligence has advanced to the point where near-human androids—known as synths—can pass for real people. The clash between outdated Americana and futuristic technology creates Fallout’s signature style: a world at once familiar and eerily alien.
A hallmark of the Fallout universe is its retro-futuristic aesthetic, blending the cultural optimism of post-war 1940s and 1950s America with imagined technological advancements. The Commonwealth reflects this fusion everywhere: advertisements for cheerful consumer products still cling to half-broken billboards, diners and drive-in theaters remain frozen in time, and clunky but advanced technologies dominate daily life. In this alternate timeline, atomic power became the centerpiece of society, powering cars, weapons, and even toys. Computers still rely on glowing vacuum tubes, yet artificial intelligence has advanced to the point where near-human androids—known as synths—can pass for real people. The clash between outdated Americana and futuristic technology creates Fallout’s signature style: a world at once familiar and eerily alien.
The story begins in 2077 with the protagonist—either Nate, a former soldier, or Nora, a lawyer—living in Sanctuary Hills with their infant son, Shaun, and their robotic butler, Codsworth. When the nuclear sirens sound, the family races to Vault 111, narrowly making it inside before the bombs fall. Once there, Vault-Tec personnel trick the new residents into entering cryogenic pods under the guise of decontamination. Instead, the residents are frozen in stasis.
The protagonist awakens briefly decades later to witness a horrifying scene: their spouse is murdered by a mercenary named Conrad Kellogg, and Shaun is taken by unknown figures. Before the Sole Survivor can react, the cryo-chamber forces them back into hibernation. Eventually, a system malfunction opens their pod permanently. Emerging alone into the ruined Vault, the protagonist discovers that the other residents have perished. Now known as the Sole Survivor, they step out into a world that has been dead for over 200 years.
Returning to their former home in Sanctuary Hills, the Sole Survivor finds Codsworth still functioning, though a little worse for wear. Codsworth reveals that 210 years have passed since the bombs fell. With only fragmented knowledge of Shaun’s fate, the Survivor ventures out in search of answers. Along the way, they rescue a loyal German Shepherd named Dogmeat and encounter Preston Garvey, a member of the struggling Minutemen. This early meeting sets the stage for the Survivor’s role in shaping the Commonwealth’s future.
Their journey eventually brings them to Diamond City, the heart of the Commonwealth, where rumors swirl about kidnappings, murders, and mysterious android replacements. Citizens whisper about the Institute, a shadowy group blamed for countless atrocities. To track down Shaun, the Sole Survivor seeks the help of Nick Valentine, a synth detective with a keen mind for solving difficult cases. Through Nick’s investigation, the Survivor identifies Conrad Kellogg as Shaun’s abductor and pursues him. After a dangerous confrontation, Kellogg is killed, but not before he reveals that Shaun resides deep within the Institute itself.
To uncover Kellogg’s secrets, the Survivor and Dr. Amari extract memories from his cybernetic implants, learning not only about Shaun’s abduction but also about the Institute’s control over advanced technology. Around this time, the Brotherhood of Steel arrives in the Commonwealth aboard a massive airship, bringing with them soldiers, weapons, and a determination to wipe out the Institute and any other perceived technological threats. Meanwhile, the Railroad offers assistance in decoding a stolen Institute chip, allowing the Survivor to build a teleportation device capable of breaching the Institute’s hidden underground base.
To uncover Kellogg’s secrets, the Survivor and Dr. Amari extract memories from his cybernetic implants, learning not only about Shaun’s abduction but also about the Institute’s control over advanced technology. Around this time, the Brotherhood of Steel arrives in the Commonwealth aboard a massive airship, bringing with them soldiers, weapons, and a determination to wipe out the Institute and any other perceived technological threats. Meanwhile, the Railroad offers assistance in decoding a stolen Institute chip, allowing the Survivor to build a teleportation device capable of breaching the Institute’s hidden underground base.
At this point, the player’s choices determine the fate of the Commonwealth. Aligning with Shaun and the Institute means embracing their vision of technological dominance, albeit at the cost of individual freedoms and the destruction of rival factions. Choosing to side with the Brotherhood of Steel leads to a militarized Commonwealth under their control. Supporting the Railroad allows synths to escape bondage but sets them against the Institute’s power. Reviving the Minutemen can create a Commonwealth led by the people, focused on protecting communities rather than technological supremacy.
If the Sole Survivor refuses Shaun’s offer, they can work with their chosen faction to launch a devastating attack on the Institute. The climactic battle ends with the destruction of the Institute’s nuclear reactor, a thunderous explosion that shakes the Commonwealth to its core. If the Sole Survivor accepts Shaun’s request, they inherit his position as director and must carry forward the Institute’s legacy, for better or worse.
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