Fallout 4: Far Harbor Review

A fishing trip doesn't sound like too bad an idea.
Fallout 4, Far Harbor, DLC, what's new, everything you need to know

On the gameplay side of things, Far Harbor gets a lot of things right. New weapons are among the best new elements. As a person who normally plays the ranged game when dealing with threats, I was excited to discover how melee became a very viable option for me. The developers didn’t just add new versions of the same weapons. They created entirely new ones with brand new Legendary Perks. Swinging a huge, radioactive hammer and watching my enemies crumble into bones and meat chunks is an experience that I will never stop liking.

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There are also a lot more “checks” to be found. Your S.P.E.C.I.A.L. stats did little during the base game other than determine what skills and perks you could unlock. But now decisions both inside and outside of missions add much more weight to each option. You may find yourself too stupid to trick a mechanic, or too weak to achieve a certain goal. This doesn’t necessarily bar you from anything, but it does mean you will have to be more active in figuring out how to go about completing quests.

Exploration is much more engaging as well. You still basically walk around, but the fog and abundance of water will cause you to be more aware than you probably would’ve been. Fog is lighter the higher you go, causing players to seek paths that allow them to look out and survey. There are also very useful treasures hidden beneath the surface. Each area has its own story as well, leading to plenty of excursions spent listening to Holotapes and reading notes.

far harbor

There is one little snafu to the experience, on console at least. The framerate suffers in areas with really intense fog. At times the game would even lock up completely for a few seconds. It never lasted so long to the point that I grew fed up and quit, but it was an issue during certain hectic scenarios. The last thing you want to happen while trying to take down a Legendary Fog Crawler is for your game to lock up and you to lose all control. I do have to say, though, that although it did happen it wasn’t very often. It is something to keep in mind, however.

Still, even with that slight technical issue, Far Harbor is an expansion by every stretch of the word. The new land does more than provide new ground. It adds depth and gravity to the adventure that awaits players. An adventure which puts one of the game’s most interesting companions in the spotlight while also providing more reasons to stop and think about the lives you interact with in Fallout 4.

It is a deep experience, entrenched in mystery, and doused in activities and hunts for fans to get into. Bethesda wasn’t lying when they said they had something big in store, and this visit to a faraway land shows that the team went above and beyond.

Score: 5/5 – Exemplary


Pros

  • New Area is unique and engaging.
  • Skill Checks add new level of challenge and choice.
  • Story is deep and well thought out.
  • Monsters fit the new area as well as the Fallout universe.

Cons

  • Some framerate issues on console.
  • Damn those Fog Crawlers.

Editor's Choice smallest

 


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Author
Ishmael Romero
Just a wandering character from Brooklyn, NY. A fan of horrible Spider-Man games, anime, and corny jokes.