I have heard and read on several occasions that looking at the past is a way to gain more perspective to face present and future events. “History is doomed to repeat itself” and other motivational phrases that you have surely come across on Instagram. That they are used with images made with Artificial Intelligence and with the theme “Sadness and Sorrow” from Naruto does not make them any less true.
After exceeding 50 hours in the PS5 version of Fallout 4, I have come to three unequivocal conclusions regarding the franchise: 1) It shows that it has nine years behind it, although not as long as many say. 2) I miss Fallout 76, but I still think it has softened me a lot. 3) What I really want is for them to release Fallout 5. Even so, let it be known that I am having a lot of fun.
The Shining Sea, where the legends of Fallout 4 are forged
The Shining Sea is one of the most horrible hells in the Fallout saga, a huge area located southwest of the Commonwealth in Fallout 4. Without wanting to sound insensitive for the digital victims, it was where the big bang that created the video game scenario fell.
In case you haven’t noticed, the structure of the map of Fallout 4 is very different from Fallout 76. Things get much more dodgy and radioactive as you descend through the Commonwealth: to the east a swampy area of radioactive waters and to the west a huge radioactive plain of biblical proportions, surrounding the epicenter of the crater that generated the bomb.
X, position of the next capture. Or, mission objective
Most players who don’t know it tend to think that it is a place reserved for the endgame and they are right… although there are some exceptions: there is a main mission that requires going to the farthest end and beyond. Yes, beyond the limits of the map. And shortly after you have to return, which is another walk of not opting for fast travel.
Enter the Shining Sea It’s no nonsense on Easy and Normal difficulties, but it becomes a real nightmare when you do it on Hard and Survival. For starters, you can’t enter without a protective suit, Power Armor, or stuffed with drugs to the point that Pablo Escobar would blush. His name is not a pose: he literally glows because nothing survives the levels of radiation… except mutations and machines.
Fallout 4 capture on PS5 (2024)
The area is filled to the brim with the worst of Fallout 4: Bloodthirsty, Mutascorpius, Radioactive Ghouls… The only insane people who dare to live in that place are a sect of humans and they do so in the epicenter of the explosion: inside the crater.
My goal (and yours, if you play) is to reach the position I have marked on the map. I tried to delay this quest, but there came a time when I ran out of active side quests and had no body to explore. I took a look at the inventory and I had 6 Energy Cells, one half spent that was already in the Power Armor I got at the beginning of the game.
Capture of Fallout 4 on PS4 (2015)
It doesn’t matter which option you choose to enter: the Protective Suit doesn’t let you wear armor and I don’t have to tell you what happens if the Servo parts break. I opted for the armor, leaving Piper at home and taking Valentine. She’s a Synth, so she doesn’t care exactly about radiation. Additionally, she can distract enemies in case of conflict.
My idea was to reach the objective in stealth with Power armor. I know what you’re thinking and you can stop laughing inside, because I did it. I tried to go as straight as possible and always using the third-person camera to have more field of vision. Even with the servo, the geiger counter resonated at times.
I moved forward for the first few minutes, praying that I wouldn’t encounter any bugs. That’s when I realized how much it has softened me Fallout 76. I’m not saying that it is better or worse as a video game, but rather that it has taught me not to be afraid of walking through the wasteland. The only really dangerous area (and almost not even that) of Appalachia for a high level is the reddish forest of the southeast. If you are not a high level, it is joined by the swampy area to the east, but nothing else.
Fallout 4 and PS4 (2015)
The first enemy I encountered was a Deathclaw. He was walking in the middle of a road that he had to cross. My instinct made me turn right and pass between a couple of cars. I thought he was safe, but he was on high ground and at one point he stood up (like the bears) to see what was moving in the distance. I stayed completely still between the cars and prayed very hard that he wouldn’t see me.
I was hammering the L1 so that the VATS would detect anything that escaped my sight. It’s not complicated with so much radioactive fog. The next obstacle was a small stream with radioactive water. I approached slowly so that nothing would surprise me due to the unevenness. There were several Mutscorpions on both sides. I didn’t want to get caught by the bug that you can’t escape from, because it gets under the ground and chases you to infinity.
I began to feel my trapezius area tightening due to fear and nerves. After thinking about it for a few seconds, I opted for the easy option: straight line and whatever Odin wanted. I don’t know how they didn’t see me. I didn’t stop to find out either. I continued forward. “There’s less, there’s less…”
Fallout 4 and PS4 (2015)
I thought several times about stopping to take some screenshots to tell this story, but it was one of those (few) times when I thought: “Let’s face it, I’ll accompany the text with anything. I’m not crazy about stopping here.” “. And with this thought, I reached the final stretch of my first stop: a large esplanade before climbing one of the faces of the crater. There were seven or eight radioactive ghouls. It is not difficult to avoid them, but it is enough for one to see you for them all to attack.
He had come too far in stealth to mess up at this point. I circled the area to the right, although it was a longer path, and finally reached the internal area of the crater. It was already there. Finally… But at that moment a flashback came to me: it was only the first stop, now a Son of the Atom (the sect) was sending me to a cave beyond the limits of the map. And I also remembered that there is always a Deathclaw in front of the entrance!
I climbed the crater again to the southwest. I couldn’t accumulate more fear and tension, so my confidence (after having arrived in stealth), transformed them into total alienation: “If I run, I’ll arrive sooner. I’m wearing Power Armor, what can happen?” I started running like crazy, down the slope of the crater and straight towards the cave.
Fallout 4 and PS4 (2015)
The light bulb went on again: there is a path through the mountains where I could reach the cave from above, drop down and enter directly without alerting the Deathclaw of the entrance. I did that years ago and doubted Bethesda would have bothered to reposition the Deathclaw. I didn’t find any more enemies and I got around the guard, who was sleeping.
Few moments make me feel more relieved Fallout 4 like when the announcement of the discovery of that cave comes out. Not only because I had arrived without any enemy seeing me, but because I can fast travel whenever I want. It should not be like that. The Shining Sea should have that mechanic locked on all difficulties, but I’m not going to complain too much either.
If you have enough level (or plenty of courage if not), I recommend you thoroughly explore the Shining Sea. Not only because it is a challenging area and full of very interesting objects, also because it hides several of the best secrets of Fallout 4. A pity that Fallout 76 don’t have your own Shining Sea. In the absence of PS5 material (I apologize, I was very tense), I have rescued some old PS4 screenshots to encourage you to explore. Luck!
Fuente | Main Image
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