The first DLC for Fallout 4 delivered some sense of the scale players could expect for future add-ons to the epic Bethesda game. It put in place some great ideas that might be handy additions to Fallout 5 and later titles.
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Rise of the Assaultron
The first thing players are likely to notice after booting up Automatron is that robots gained new abilities. Mr. Handy now comes in a vast array of different flavors, with variants including more lethal saws, spiked plates, and plenty of armor. The Sentry bot and even lowly Eyebots found themselves all with massive upgrades, but the star of the show was the Assaultron. A bipedal bot armed with at least two melee blades and a beam cannon that, when fully charged, could cut through heavy-grade power-armor like Fancy Lads snack cakes. It had stealth abilities too. This game changer reappeared in Fallout 76 and is sure to make a comeback in later titles.
Players have been clamoring for more companion customization since Fallout 3. Bethesda delivered right out of the gate with Automatron. By unlocking the Robot Workbench and scavenging the wastelands for upgrades, Fallout 4’s Sole Survivor can now build a new robot companion entirely from scratch. Players can modify its voice, weapons, armor, and even method of movement. Tracks, thrusters, or legs are all up to the creator. Stealthy players can build stealth fields, melee monsters can get healing bots, and the list goes on. Robotic companions, including those with Mr. Handy, Ms. Nanny, Assaultron or Robobrains at their cores could get more than a makeover. The vast array of options added hours, if not days, to the gameplay for tinker-minded enthusiasts.
Not only could these robots become companions, but players could build entire robot colonies or trade networks with custom creations. Keeping caravan lines safe with long-range blaster bots capable of withstanding heavy damage and defending areas with patrols to keep Fallout 4 settlement happiness high became much easier with this level of customization.
The robots themselves didn’t add to settlement happiness, and too many bots could prevent high levels of productivity because of it. So a balancing act was needed for players hoping to integrate machine and man in settlements. The robots may have seemed self-sufficient, but that didn’t stop Preston Garvey from calling Fallout 4 players every so often with defense missions, but it does seem likely settlements will return in Fallout 5 and custom companions would be a huge boon.
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The Rust Devils and Automatron’s Storytelling
Also introduced in the Automatron DLC, the Rust Devil faction believes in becoming one with a machine by stripping off its outer layer, wearing it, and pretending to be a robot by yelling incoherently while charging into battle. They’re not the sharpest knives in the Commonwealth, but they can build a bot. Their quirky costumes include coring an Eyebot for head armor or slapping spikes on robot plates. Even as throwback costumes, these would make great set pieces for Fallout 5.
Where they really shined was putting more spikes, more tools, and more explosives on a robot such as Ahab the Sentry bot. This resulted in at least one highly memorable fight, notable as much for the scene setting as for the battle proper. Future games could even make a go with the Devils as a coherent faction, but they seemed a relatively small detail in the overall scheme of things.
The way the game eases players into the DLC should come as no surprise to long-time Fallout gamers. Another channel joins the Pip-Boy radio, a distress call goes out, and the Sole Survivor hops into action. Where the story begins really work lies in its ties to the tales of the Silver Shroud and earlier mentions of the DLC’s main villain, the Mechanist, in the Fallout 4 storyline. Players who picked up that story are free to continue their adventures, donning the Shroud attire and engaging in Silver-Age comic hijinx. Those who skipped the Shroud storyline can still jump right into the action from the outset of the attack. This element flows perfectly and should definitely work in Fallout 5.
Spare Parts of Automatron to Leave Behind
Fallout 4 fans might not want all of Automatron in their next adventure, though. The necessity of having a robot repair kit instead of a stimpack usually resulted in players either hoarding hundreds of them from random robot drops or never having one to revive custom companions when they were most needed. Similarly, the Rust Devils may have been part of a strong story, but it almost happened in spite of instead of because of them. Ahab and Jezebel stole the scene, not their raider companions. Ada also arguably never really measured up to fan-favorite Curie for top robot companion.
Each Fallout game builds on prior titles in the series, and DLC upgrades tend to introduce new and often experimental features that may or may not stick. Fallout 4’s Automatron DLC offers much to players of that game, and it might have a thing or two for Fallout 5 as well. The strong story integration, heavy customization, and array of upgrades to existing elements make it a solid feature of the Fallout franchise worthy of revisiting for both new Vault Dwellers and seasoned Sole Survivors.
Fallout 4 is available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One, with PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions in development.
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