Fallout 4: Difference between revisions

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** The excuses used by some of the Institute's members on why they shouldn't help Wastelanders are reminiscent of how residents of Western countries waive off supplying foreign aid to developing nations, right down to a few Institute scientists outright stating [[Somebody Else's Problem|"We shouldn't try to think about it, as it's much too depressing to discuss right now."]]

** The Institute's efforts to control the Commonwealth from the shadows, up to and including propping up proxies and creating manufactured crises {{spoiler|such as the Super Mutants}} to keep the region's populace divided are reminiscent of both Cold War-era covert operations and [[Conspiracy Theories]] involving enigmatic organizations like [[The Illuminati]].

** Related to the above, the conflict between the East Coast Brotherhood of Steel and the Institute bears several similarities to the Cold War and its related conflicts.

*** The Brotherhood of Steel represents the United States, being more conservative and racist (which comes across as largely institutionalized), but also having the most powerful military in the region, {{spoiler|utilize nuclear weapons in combat under the excuse that they will cause less lives to be lost in the grand scheme of things}}, and have command over the air, who also all genuinely believe that interfering in other countries/regions’ matters is for the good of the world and their own nation's progress.

*** The Institute represent the Soviet Union, with a massive yet untrained military force that they ultimately see as expendable, impressive advances in transportation technology (the Institute became only the ''second'' organization on the entire planet {{spoiler|to have developed teleportation technology}}, while the Soviets got the first man into space), are both relatively resource-poor, have a government that constantly monitors its own citizens and subjects to punish disloyalty, and are corrupted by a confused oligarchy currently in charge (the Institute’s Board of Directors and the Soviets' Communist Party).

*** The various Commonwealth subcultures and settlements (like Goodneighbor, Diamond City, and Bunker Hill) are analagous to the countless Third World nation absued by both powers "for their own good" without having any real say in self-governance or independence.

*** Finally, both of the two largest and most powerful nations are perfectly fine with infiltrating and interfering in the matters of other, weaker nations to make sure they follow their guidelines.

** The political arguments and rivalry between Piper Wright and Mayor McDonough are a deliberate parallel between Carl Bernstein & Bob Woodward’s reporting of the Watergate scandal, which eventually led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon. McDonough’s “I Am Not A Synth” speech is even based on Nixon’s famous “I Am Not A Liar” speech.

* [[Driven to Suicide]]: The dark secret of the once-exclusive Boylston Club. Where it's revealed that just after the Great War ended, the Club's patrons (made up of some of the most distinguished figures in the Pre-War Commonwealth) committed suicide rather than face the post-apocalyptic world.

* [[Elaborate Underground Base]]: The Institute is so well hidden {{spoiler|that the only ways to access it are either through special teleportation technology, finding a '''very''' obscure and well-hidden abandoned maintenance tunnel, or sending in Liberty Prime to the C.I.T. Ruins to simply blow a big hole in it}}.

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** Hancock remarks how the Raider boss known as Sinjin, given enough time, could become as big a threat to the wasteland as [[Fallout: New Vegas|''Caesar'']] was if he's not stopped.

** Part of the Brotherhood's rationale behind stopping the Institute, according to Elder Maxson, is to make sure that it doesn't become ''even more'' of a threat.

* [[Genius Bonus]]: The Brotherhood of Steel's airship - the ''Prydwen'' - is named after a famous ship used by [[King Arthur]] and his knights while searching for magical weapons.

** It's possible to find two men - Mikey and Moss - [[Serious Business|having a spirited discussion]] [[Seinfeldian Conversation|about the definition of a sandwich]]. This was the subject of a real life 2012 court case in Massachusetts.

* [[Grey and Gray Morality]]: There is no clear-cut "good" or "evil" faction in the Commonwealth - [[Absolute Xenophobe|the East Coast Brotherhood of Steel]], [[The Conspiracy|the Institute]], [[Underground Railroad|the Railroad]], and [[We Help the Helpless|the Commonwealth Minutemen]] all make pretty compelling arguments for why they should control the Commonwealth and guide humanity. Instead, the conflict between the Brotherhood and Institute falls more along the lines of [[Romanticism Versus Enlightenment]], with the Brotherhood as Romantics and the Institute as Enlightened. The Minutemen and Railroad, while not actively fighting each other, also fall along the above lines.

** Even [[Always Chaotic Evil|''Raiders'']] are significantly humanized via conversations the player can overhear between them when they haven't been detected, and terminals in various Raider-controlled setting show countless shades of villainy among them.

** There's also the conflict between Honest Dan and the [[Town with a Dark Secret|town of Covenant]]. {{spoiler|Dan is just trying to rescue Amelia Stockton as per his contract with Bunker Hill. However, the citizens of Covenant are made up of the survivors of Synth assassins, who infiltrated their families & friends before brutally killing them. As a result, they're trying to develop a psychological test to root out Synths. However, not only are they torturing dozens of innocent people in the process, but their test doesn't discriminate between the innocents rescued by the Railroad and Institute infiltrators. }}

** The ''Far Harbor'' DLC has the conflict between the Church of the Children of Atom, the inhabitants of the titular Far Harbor, and even {{spoiler|[[Town With A Dark Secret|DiMA's Acadia]]}}. Far Harbor's inhabitants are distrustful of outsiders (particularly the Children of Atom), but the main reason for their hatred and ignorance is that they've lost numerous loved ones as the radioactive Fog drove them to the docks. The Children of Atom, despite their [[Church Militant]] nature and wish to blanket the entire Island with the Fog at the expense of Far Harbor, are {{spoiler|'''not''' [[Not Me This Time|responsible for the Fog]]}} and only became more hostile due to being led by an extremist leader like Tektus. While DiMA and the Synths of Acadia live in peace and even provided Fog Condensers to Far Harbor to help them hold back the Fog, {{spoiler|DiMA himself killed Captain Avery and replaced her with a mind-wiped Synth in the manner of the very Institute he had fled from. Despite his reason for that being peace between Acadia and Far Harbor, he can get called out on being [[Not So Different|Not So Different]] from the Institute}}. The story ''does'' have a [[Golden Ending]], but it involves {{spoiler|either killing Tektus or [[Talking ~~The~~ Monster To Death|convincing him to leave]] so he can be replaced with a Synth to prevent a war between Far Harbor and the Children of Atom}}.

** The ''Far Harbor'' DLC has the conflict between the Church of the Children of Atom, the inhabitants of the titular Far Harbor, and even {{spoiler|[[Town With A Dark Secret|DiMA's Acadia]]}}. Far Harbor's inhabitants are distrustful of outsiders (particularly the Children of Atom), but the main reason for their hatred and ignorance is that they've lost numerous loved ones as the radioactive Fog drove them to the docks. The Children of Atom, despite their [[Church Militant]] nature and wish to blanket the entire Island with the Fog at the expense of Far Harbor, are {{spoiler|'''not''' [[Not Me This Time|responsible for the Fog]]}} and only became more hostile due to being led by an extremist leader like Tektus. While DiMA and the Synths of Acadia live in peace and even provided Fog Condensers to Far Harbor to help them hold back the Fog, {{spoiler|DiMA himself killed Captain Avery and replaced her with a mind-wiped Synth in the manner of the very Institute he had fled from. Despite his reason for that being peace between Acadia and Far Harbor, he can get called out on being [[Not So Different|Not So Different]] from the Institute}}. The story ''does'' have a [[Golden Ending]], but it involves {{spoiler|either killing Tektus or [[Talking the Monster to Death|convincing him to leave]] so he can be replaced with a Synth to prevent a war between Far Harbor and the Children of Atom}}.

* [[Great Offscreen War]]: Averted, as for the first time, you get to witness the Great War ''as it happened.''

* [[Ham-to-Ham Combat]]: It's possible for the Sole Survivor to do this against the Mechanist in the ''Automatron'' DLC while dressed as the Silver Shroud. The ensuing dialogue is practically a contest on who can overact who.

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* [[Jerkass Victim]]: The Mayor of Boston is revealed to have commissioned an underground shelter for himself, his family and a handful of guards using taxpayers' money. When the Great War finally happened, the survivors topside weren't too happy knowing about that, resulting in said Mayor, family and supporters dying a brutal death. Which would be tragic, if they weren't so sleazy.

* [[Just Before the End]]: The prologue sequence set in 2077, on the very day of the Great War.

* [[Large Ham]]: The Sole Survivor can be this, whether it's impersonating the Silver Shroud or taking too many chems. {{spoiler|Not to mention the rebuilt Liberty Prime, [[No Kill Like Overkill|who '''will''' guarantee]] that democracy is non-negotiable.}}

* [[Large Ham]]: The Sole Survivor can be this, whether it's impersonating the Silver Shroud or taking too many chems. {{spoiler|Not to mention the rebuilt Liberty Prime, [[No Kill Like Overkill|who '''will''' guarantee]] that democracy is non-negotiable!}}

** The Mechanist in the ''Automatron'' DLC is this to a tee. {{spoiler|It's also revealed to be a way for the woman behind the mask to cope with her social phobias, which becomes evident once she drops the act.}}

* [[Lighter and Softer]]: Than both ''Fallout 3'' and ''New Vegas''.

* [[Lovecraft Country]]: This vibe is given off more and more the farther north you go. The ''Far Harbor'' DLC takes this even further, being set in post-apocalyptic Maine.

* [[Medium Blending]]: The game's intro is done in live-action. While gameplay-wise, it not only builds on the RPG/FPS fusion introduced in previous entries, but also incorporates certain elements like settlement construction.

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** Both the Minutemen and Railroad are rather similar in their outlooks, to the point that it's possible for the two factions to join forces.

** To a degree, the Railroad and the Institute. As both, due to lacking resources in one way or another, have to resort to subterfuge, covert operations and generally keeping a low profile.

** Despite the fact that both factions despise each other, both the East Coast Brotherhood of Steel and Institute are a lot more alike than either would like to admit. Both factions rely on superior technology and limiting interaction with the locals (the Institute's the Commonwealth's boogeymen, and it's mentioned that unauthorized fraternizing with Wastelanders is a ''punishable offense'' within the Brotherhood), both believe they're the best hope for the Commonwealth (and, by extension, the rest of the post-apocalyptic world), and [[Fantastic Racism|both see Synths as less than human]] - though in the Brotherhood's case they see them as abominations to be exterminated, while the Institute sees them as mere tools with no actual free will.

* [[One Nation Under Copyright]]: It's implied that corporations under the Enclave's influence like Vault-Tec behaved like this in Pre-War America, to the point of feigning authority over the actual government in the event of nuclear war.

* [[Patriotic Fervor]]:

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* [[Scenery Porn]]: Both the Pre-War and 2287-era Commonwealth are a sight to behold, to say the least.

* [[Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right]]: The biggest reason why Vault 81 continues to thrive is thanks to the first Overseer {{spoiler|refusing to pull through with the Vault's true purpose, instead sealing off the few scientists who managed to make it in when the bombs fell with their lethal cargo. It helped as well that said scientists soon developed a conscience and accepted their fate}}.

* [[Shout Out]]: ~~The~~ ~~Silver~~ ~~Shroud~~ is an ~~[[Affectionate~~ ~~Parody]]~~ of ~~old-time radio serials and comics like ''~~[[~~The~~ ~~Shadow~~]].''

* [[Shout Out]]: As with any good ''Fallout'' game, it's pretty [[Reference Overdosed]].

** The Silver Shroud is an [[Affectionate Parody]] of old-time radio serials and comics like ''[[The Shadow]].'' His more violent attitude, however, is closer to [[The Punisher]].

*** The Silver Shroud's stoyline is heavily based after [[The Boondock Saints]], a film about twin brothers who become vigilantes and kill prominent members of Boston’s criminal underworld

** The [[Wolverine|Adamantium Skeleton]] perk returns once again.

** The Institute consists of [[Fullmetal Alchemist|a bunch of scientists living in an underground facility creating artificial humans led by a man named "Father."]]

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** One of Hancock's random conversations with unnamed Goodneighbor residents involves [[The Simpsons (animation)|a traveler attempting to sell the town a monorail]].

** The main Raider boss at Malden Center is named "[[The Beatles (band)|Helter Skelter]]."

** Captain Ironsides' vendetta against the Boston-based Weatherby accounting firms that [[Makes Just as Much Sense in Context|the ''U.S.S. Constitution'' repeatedly crashes into]] is a reference to the [[Monty Python]] short film ''[[Monty Python's The Meaning of Life|The Crimson Permanent Assurance]]'', which also features a gang of unlikely pirates (elderly accountants in the film rather than robots) in a flying ship who attack American accounting firms.

*** Relatedly, one of Codsworth's combat lines is [[Monty Python and the Holy Grail|"'Tis but a scratch!"]]

** As pointed out on the "Factions" page, the Robobrains have been reworked into [[Expy|Expies]] of the [[Doctor Who|Daleks]], and the information given about the experimental subjects is inspired by ''[[RoboCop|RoboCop 2]].''

*** In another example from ''Automatron'', the sequence of doors at the entrance to the Mechanist's stronghold is straight out of the opening sequence of ''[[Mystery Science Theater 3000]]''.

** At ''Nuka-World'', there is the “Vault-Tec: Amongst the Stars” exhibit found in the Galactic Zone. The exhibit also has Vault-Tec experimenting on both their employees and visitors to the exhibit. One of their employees is called [[Mystery Science Theater 3000|J. Hodgson]].

** The Deliverer, a unique silenced pistol given to the Sole Survivor by the Railroad (the faction of the Commonwealth most heavily based on espionage agencies) is heavily based on the Walther PPK, the iconic pistol used by [[James Bond (film)|James Bond]].

** [[Continuity Nod|Just like in]] ''Fallout 3'', the Church of The Children of Atom’s religion is based around nuclear technology in a similar way to the worship of unexploded nuclear bombs in [[Planet of the Apes|''Beneath The Planet Of The Apes'']]. Also, many of their newer and more antagonistic mannerisms are deliberately based after various cults from the works of [[H.P. Lovecraft]].

*** [[Author Appeal|And it wouldn't be a Bethesda game without a ''ton'' of Lovecraft references!]] Let's go into some of them!

**** One side mission has you looking for a [[Mad Artist]] [[Serial Killer]] named Pickman, who makes macabre and disturbing paintings and has creepy tunnels under his studio.

***** Pickman himself, being a [[Serial Killer Killer|Serial-Killer Killer]] and [[Soft-Spoken Sadist]], also seems to draw from [[Dexter|''Dexter'']].

**** In the [[The Dunwich Horror|Dunwich Borers Quarry]] (itself already a [[Shout-Out]] to H.P. Lovecraft), there's for some reason four Feral Ghouls all named after famous rock musicians.

**** A ''third'' reference to Lovecraft is the Kingsport Lighthouse. Kingsport was the earliest fictional town in what became known as [[Lovecraft Country]], and in ''The Festival'', a group of cloaked cultists perform pre-human rites there.

**** A ''very'' obscure one involving Cabot House. {{spoiler|The House may be named after the Cabot Museum from the H.P. Lovecraft and Hazel Heald story ''Out of the Aeons''. The museum is located in Beacon Hill and used to be a mansion before its conversion.}}.

**** The Mirelurk Kings seem to resemble the [[The Shadow Over Innsmouth|Deep Ones]], with their human-fish-frog look. Another (lesser) example would be the Lurkers.

** The Bloodworms found around Nuka-World (especially at Dry Rock Gulch) are more or less the Graboids from the [[Tremors|''Tremors'']] franchise, albeit scaled down heavily in size.

** The caricature of Father that appears in the quest pictures looks exactly like [[Mega Man|Dr. Light]].

* [[Tech Demo Game]]: Has become one for Bethseda, who have recursively used the improvements made in the engine for a backport to Skyrim, as well as serving as a test bed for their own built-in mod support and delivery platform. Nvidia even used the game with Bethseda's approval as a platform to show off their graphical capabilities with the ''Vault 1080'' mod.

* [[Town with a Dark Secret]]: Vault 81 is a rather benevolent example. On the one hand, it's a rather upbeat time capsule of Pre-War America that's a control vault in all but name, though it's (rationally) wary of outsiders. {{spoiler|But its original purpose, as a testing ground for diseases and bioweapons, was never implemented in the first place. The first Overseer sealing away the few scientists meant to conduct the experiments, while said scientists developed a conscience and willingly accepted their fate}}.

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** The Hubologists, [[The Bus Came Back|previously seen]] in ''[[Fallout 2]]'' make a return in the ''Nuka-World'' DLC, only this time even more deluded. Somehow.

* [[Weak but Skilled|Weak But Skilled]]: The Institute makes up for their lack of resources with a massive spy network and being excellent at espionage warfare.

* [[Whole-Plot Reference|Whole Plot Reference]]: The entire set-up of ''Fallout 4's'' story is virtually lifted wholesale from ''[[Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?]]''[[Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?|.]] It's a future where humanity has been devastated by a nuclear apocalypse, a group of people simply decided to leave the wasteland (though these guys live underground) and make android slaves that are almost perfect "replicates" of humans to where you can't even tell their identity unless you kill them, many attempt to escape to gain freedom, often having their memories replaced to do so, only to be hunted down by other androids and hired bounty hunters. And that's not even the half of it.

* [[World Half Full]]: Compared to the [[Crapsack World]] that's the Capitol Wasteland and even the (relatively) thriving Mojave, the Commonwealth has quite a bit going for it. Only one nuclear warhead was ever launched at Boston...''and missed it''. Despite the chaos and turmoil (as well as the deliberate machinations of the Institute), there is a stronger sense of continuity with the Pre-War world as well as a more stable semblance of civilization getting back on its feet.

** Applies in a meta sense to what the player can do to change things, since they were unable to have a direct hand in actually rebuilding civilization, with they can now do, with the effects immediate and apparent due to the settlement mechanic.