After the well received Far Harbor, Bethesda has brought us another story driven add-on to Fallout 4, Nuka World. This latest DLC thrusts the Sole Survivor into a theme park of Disney World stylings, owned by the Fallout Universe’s Nuka Cola corporation, that is now overrun with raiders.
From the outset of the DLC, it is clear that Bethesda set out to do something a little different. Long time Fallout players will be accustomed to fighting various faction of raiders, but Nuka World takes us in a slightly different direction. Ever wanted to terrorise a nuclear ravaged wasteland with your very own band of raiders? Well then Nuka World, is Bethesda’s love letter to you.
Nuka World takes you and your Sole Survivor to a brand new area of the Commonwealth, the aforementioned theme park and its surrounding area. Upon your arrival to the park, you end up at the helm of a tribe of raiders made up of three different factions. The Operators, The Disciples and The Pack. You are then tasked with restoring Nuka World to its former glory while managing each of the three raider factions.
The Nuka World theme park itself is a joy to explore. The park is split into different zones which you will need to liberate from various different threats to progress the main story. The Nuka Cola bottling plant, Safari Adventure, the Wild West themed Dry Rock Gulch, Kiddie Kingdom and Galactic Zone. Each zone provides various highlights from fighting Nukalurks and Gatorclaws, the new variations of popular Fallout creature types. Fighting off waves of Nuka Cola themed robots. And my personal favourite, a battle with a demented Ghoul magician in a creepy children’s theatre.
The true strength of the Nuka World DLC however, is how it breathes new life into Fallout 4‘s main world map. As the leader of the Nuka World raider tribe you begin raiding the various settlements dotted around the Commonwealth. Each settlement has its own area of influence and eventually forms your own raider economy. This was a master stroke on Bethesda’s part as it gives those of us who have already spent hundreds of hours exploring the Commonwealth something new.
While I felt the main story doesn’t pay off in as satisfying a way as Far Harbor did and that the new weapons and armour found in Nuka World don’t really offer much to high level players, this DLC is still a must for all Fallout 4 owners. Especially for those of us on Playstation 4 who are no longer getting mod support.
