Fallout 4 Guide: Tips for Getting Started in the Wasteland

Fallout 4 is a massive game. To play everything you would easily have to put hundreds of hours into it. However, the toughest part of the entire experience is the very beginning. Getting started on your Fallout 4 adventure could be the difference between becoming totally addicted, or giving it up after just a few hours. You’ll have to figure out a bunch of systems, and get your character up to speed fast if you want to survive, so here’s a few tips for getting started in the Fallout 4 wasteland.

Do the Main Story Missions

Look, I love side-missions as well, especially in a Bethesda game. However, at the beginning of Fallout 4 you’ll want to do a few of the main story missions just to get yourself up to speed. Things like the Power Armor, and Diamond City, both integral to the Fallout 4 experience, are all discovered in the first few main story missions. Once you make it to Diamond City you can sort of veer off a little bit, but with tough enemies nearby it might be better to stick with the main story a little while longer. This will get you leveled up, geared up, and stocked with the right perks to make it on the tougher missions that you’ll stumble upon.

Grab the Right Perks

Perks are the way you gain new abilities in Fallout 4. Of course, if you pick the wrong ones you won’t be able to do and see all the things you want to in the wasteland. You’ll want to focus in on perks that allow you to gain new abilities. These include Hacker and Locksmith, which will let you hack computers and pick locked doors respectively. These, along with a few XP enhancing perks should be your first targets, as they will actually add new content to your experience. Charisma is also a good choice, as it will help you to persuade or intimidate people in conversations, which can change the outcome of entire missions.

Don’t Worry Too Much About the Workshop

A couple of hours into Fallout 4 and you’ll be introduced to the most complex part of the game. Back at Sanctuary, you’ll be tasked with adding features to the town via the workshop. This means collecting resources and building new things all around town. If you’re feeling confident then you can dive right into this. However, if you’re already getting overwhelmed, maybe give it some time before you really start working on it. The workshop is endlessly complex, and a whole lot of fun, but if you are still getting your feet wet with Fallout 4 then it might be too much for you at the beginning. Play a few missions and come back when you feel ready and it will be a totally rewarding experience.

Use V.A.T.S.

The V.A.T.S. or Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System is one of the best features of Fallout 4. Taking what would be a more first-person shooter style game and bringing it back to its RPG roots, V.A.T.S.makes combat more of a turn-based affair. Pulling up the V.A.T.S. screen will show you the chances of hitting your target, and give you the opportunity to aim for specific body parts. Want to take an enemy down quickly? Aim for the head and hope that you end up on the better side of that 50%. Just want to disable them? Go for their gun hand instead. V.A.T.S. is a great system once you figure outs its intricacies and get a character leveled up enough that shots actually hit. Getting used to it early will help you take out enemies and be ready for when V.A.T.S. becomes even more crucial. For more info check out our full guide.

Save Often

Fallout 4 features auto-saves, but they usually happen when you have to load something, or accomplish something in a mission. If you’re out and about, wandering the wasteland of Boston, then it’s likely that you haven’t had an auto-save kick in for quite some time. Luckily, there is a manual Quicksave features, so just hit Start and fire one off every few minutes, just in case you run into a rampant Deathclaw.

Sleep Often

Sleeping is the best way to regain health and heal wounds. This is because it literally uses no resources. Of course, you’ll have to find a bed, which can be a chore sometimes. If you’re on a mission and find a bed, make sure you’ve cleared out the nearby enemies and grab an hour of sleep. This will heal you completely, and give you the Well Rested boost, which gives you 10% extra XP for a while.

Go Wandering

Fallout 4 likes to play the song “The Wanderer” by Dion for a reason. You are the Wanderer, though not alone this time around. Fallout 4’s missions will show you most of the wasteland, but to see it all you have to do some wandering. If you’ve leveled up enough and feel like a break from the main story, just pick a direction and walk. You will almost certainly stumble upon some interesting new location, or get tasked with a cool mission that you would never have even known about had you not walked to that specific spot. You can also accomplish this by not using the Fast Travel system all the time. Just take the time to walk to your destination and you’ll probably find something interesting along the way.

These are just the beginning though, as Fallout 4 is a massive game full of things to discover. Let us know in the comments what your best tips are, and be sure to check out our many other guides, along with our full review.