Fallout 4: Nuka-World Review

It seems only yesterday that people were clamoring for Fallout 4; scouring the internet for rumors, posting about fake websites, and wondering if the game was even in production. Now we’ve reached the end, the final expansion for the highly anticipated post-apocalyptic open-world game is here, and it’s very good.

Fallout 4: Nuka-World takes you on a wild ride through a theme park based on the most popular drink in the Fallout universe, Nuka-Cola, not as the hero but as the villain. Fallout 4’s final expansion allows you to take the role of a Raider and finally see the world in a different light, and it’s worth every penny.

Like other Fallout expansions, Nuka-World begins with you hearing a mysterious signal before entering the new land. Heading into the once glorified theme park of Nuka-Cola, you find out that the park has become a haven for three Raider groups who’ve transformed the free-trading post into a stronghold. The park is full of dynamic themes that you would find in any big theme park, but lacks the meaningful decisions that most of the core game offered.

Each of Nuka-World’s 5 themed sections of the park is wonderfully crafted, each feeling like its own world. Each portion of the park is full of their own distinct enemies and quest line. Expect new enemies, some with new skins from previous foes, some of which were insanely powerful. I went into the DLC at level 60 and still felt outgunned.

New loot is expected from a DLC of this size, but the best addition is the new variations of Nuka-Cola. Flavors unknown to the rest of the Commonwealth and Capital Wasteland are available here; best of all, you can craft new flavors that offer unique buffs, such as reducing radiation sickness and regenerating health over time.

Gameplay and exploration-wise, Nuka-World delivers, but the story is less driven. Dumped into a leadership role to keep the peace between three factions of Raiders, you’re in charge of ensuring that they don’t kill each other.

However, despite giving one group all the territory in the park, only that group had an issue with it. Despite them constantly criticizing one another, they’re just three different types of violent Raiders that we’ve already encountered in Fallout 4.

As you might guess, you can choose to be a Raider this time around. You’re given the ability to kill innocent people, establish outposts by forcing occupants from their land, even if you own it, and extort resources from neighboring communities. It felt strange undoing all my hard work, but seeing it from a Raider’s perspective did temporarily alleviate the tedium of establishing settlements for Peston.

Don’t come into Fallout 4: Nuka-World expecting a gripping story; it’s an entertaining piece of content that focuses on exploration above everything else. Venturing throughout the park in search of rides, new items, and quests is where Nuka-World shines. The story simply drives you forward, but it’s going off the path that made Nuka-World truly fun.