The Most Sinister Ending in Fallout 4: It’s Not About Joining The Institute

The Most Sinister Ending in Fallout 4: It’s Not About Joining The Institute

As the journey of the Sole Survivor concludes in Fallout 4, players may observe a Commonwealth that has flourished under their influence. The game presents various endings which subtly differ based on the faction alignment chosen; however, there’s a unique and rather mischievous method to achieve an ultra-evil conclusion that intriguingly does not entail aligning with the Institute, often labeled as the primary antagonists.

In typical playthroughs, gamers tend to favor one faction throughout the story. Yet, examining inter-faction interactions can lead to unexpectedly captivating outcomes. A recent Reddit discussion shed light on a particularly devious strategy to engineer the worst possible scenario in Fallout 4. The best part? This approach utilizes in-game faction missions and seamlessly fulfills the main objective of the game without the need for any cheats or mods, ensuring total chaos in the Commonwealth.

Fallout 4 Endings Lack a True Evil Alternative

Simple Factional Choices Lead to Standard Endings

Preston Garvey in Fallout 4
Elder Arthur Maxson from the Brotherhood of Steel
Desdemona in Fallout 4
Shaun in a meeting at the Institute

A key attraction of role-playing games is the immersive experience of stepping into another character’s shoes and reacting to the game world as that character would. In Fallout 4, the Sole Survivor’s backstory allows for a dynamic adaptation throughout the gameplay. Nonetheless, due to the overall narrative design, the game lacks a genuinely malevolent ending. Most players either choose to annihilate the Institute or partner with them to forge a brighter future for humanity.

The primary endings reflect basic decisions among Fallout 4’s main factions and their respective ideologies. The Brotherhood of Steel’s resolution involves the eradication of the Institute, albeit for vastly different reasons than the Minutemen’s conclusion. The Railroad embarks on its distinct mission, while even siding with the Institute—generally seen as the villains—doesn’t amount to an evil ending, as their members genuinely believe they are working for the greater good.

The Institute sees itself as humanity’s best hope, despite its dark history that includes creating Super Mutants and orchestrating the abduction of numerous individuals over many years.

While resorting to sheer violence might seem appealing, Fallout 4 offers numerous chaotic consequences through its various quests. Fully evil narratives can be attempted, but they often hinge on clever strategies and prior knowledge of outcomes. With meticulous planning, players can see the Sole Survivor departing the Commonwealth in a much more devastated condition than initially found, lending a strangely gratifying twist to their playthrough.

Cultivating Anarchy in the Commonwealth

Steps to Achieve the Worst Ending

Nuka-World scene in Fallout 4
Shaun in his sick bed
The Brotherhood of Steel airship, The Prydwen

A Redditor, ave369, explains an intriguing strategy to achieve the most disastrous ending. Initially, the Sole Survivor should align with the Brotherhood of Steel and follow their questline until reaching “Tactical Thinking,”which sends them to the Old North Church to assist in eliminating the Railroad.

With one faction down, the plan is to utilize the Minutemen in the subsequent questline to ultimately destroy the Institute, thus removing another significant player from the Commonwealth.

Comment by u/MrHutts from discussion in fo4

The plot thickens post-Institute defeat, where the Brotherhood will then be betrayed. This betrayal triggers the Minutemen quest “With Our Powers Combined,”enabling the Sole Survivor to employ the Minutemen artillery to obliterate the Prydwen, thereby confronting the remaining Brotherhood forces. Following this, alliances can be struck with the raider groups in Nuka-World, allowing for a complete capitulation of the Commonwealth to raiders who terrorize its inhabitants.

Players can betray the Brotherhood by attacking their ranks, with targeting Elder Maxson being a particularly effective method, as looting his battlecoat can also provide additional rewards.

The Minutemen can decimate the Brotherhood at any time after the Institute’s destruction, even if they were allies during the final confrontation. However, if the Liberty Prime questline is completed, this powerful robot will remain active and patrol the Boston Airport indefinitely. Hence, to avoid facing an unkillable giant robot, transitioning back to the Minutemen before wrapping the “Spoils of War”quest is advisable.

Actions Hold Greater Weight Than Endings in Fallout 4

Countless Evil Possibilities Among Side Quests

Destroying the Nucleus in Fallout 4 DLC Far Harbor
Lorenzo examining dead ghouls
Malcolm, a dangerous cannibal in Far Harbor
Billy, unhappy about being sold
John Caleb Bradberton's head in a jar from Nuka-World

Although pursuing a particular ending in Fallout 4 can yield achievements or specific results for various factions, it’s essential to recognize that these conclusions are merely a part of the overall experience. All the DLC expansions can be engaged with post-main quest, enabling players to adopt a chaotic approach just as effectively as in the main storyline. The Sole Survivor’s adventure continues long beyond the primary narrative, potentially reaching a staggering level of 65,535. This longevity emphasizes how individual actions throughout the game outweigh the significance of any singular ending.

The core quest represents just a sliver of the comprehensive experience, excluding the plethora of quests and side endeavors available in the DLC expansions. When embracing a gameplay style centered around chaos, the potential for villainy within Fallout 4 abounds—ranging from heartless decisions like selling children to forming alliances with cannibal sects. The game offers a diverse array of chances for players to embody nefarious or cunning personalities, providing a refreshing and entertaining avenue to explore unforeseen aspects of the game.

Utilizing similar strategies as suggested, players can also decimate every faction in the Far Harbor DLC through faction quests, leaving the island in total disarray.

Despite being released nearly a decade ago, Fallout 4 remains a beloved title, continually engaging both seasoned and new players. The driving force behind its enduring popularity lies in the myriad of choices available throughout the game. Every playthrough offers a unique experience, with countless variations even among minor unmarked side quests. The open-ended design, exploration opportunities, captivating quests, well-crafted characters, and the freedom to address scenarios in multifaceted ways contribute to an RPG rich in nuance, where even aligning with the apparent villains might not constitute the most sinister choice.

Source: ave369/Reddit

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