It's almost been one whole year since Fallout 4 launched, believe it or not. Thanks to a total of six downloadable content offerings, it's safe to say that Bethesda's done a good job of keeping Fallout 4 relevant over the last 10 or so months. Every new DLC release has been met with widespread media coverage, and the title continues to be a huge hit over on YouTube, where you can find tons of channels dedicated solely to the post-apocalyptic adventure. There's no doubt that Fallout 4 has been a commercial success, and its steady stream of additional content throughout 2016 has certainly helped contribute to that fact.
But has Fallout 4's DLC lived up to expectations? Has Fallout 4's season pass, which got a price hike back in March, been worth the money? These are just two questions that we'll be attempting to answer in this very article, as we take a look back at the game's post-launch support, which concluded with the recently released Nuka World.
To start with, let's take a quick look at the content that Fallout 4's season pass includes:
Fallout 4: Automatron
Release date: 22nd March 2016
Price point: £7.99 / $9.99
Click here for our review
Fallout 4: Wasteland Workshop
Release date: 12th April 2016
Price Point: £3.99 / $4.99
Click here for our review
Fallout 4: Far Harbor
Release date: 19th May 2016
Price point: £19.99 / $24.99
Click here for our review
Fallout 4: Contraptions Workshop
Release date: 21st June 2016
Price point: £3.99 / $4.99
Click here for our review
Fallout 4: Vault-Tec Workshop
Release date: 26th July 2016
Price point: £3.99 / $4.99
Click here for our review
Fallout 4: Nuka World
Release date: 30th August 2016
Price point: £14.99 / $19.99
Click here for our review
Essentially, Fallout 4's DLC swings one of two ways: it's either a traditional expansion, adding new quests and new locations, or it's a Workshop add-on, which focuses on the game's settlement system. The three most expensive DLC packs, namely Automatron, Far Harbor, and Nuka World, can be considered expansions, while the cheaper packs – Wasteland Workshop, Contraptions Workshop, and Vault-Tec Workshop – put an emphasis on adding new stuff to fiddle around with in your settlements.
Given that Fallout 4's settlement system divided opinion in the vanilla game, it's no surprise that many players have expressed disappointment with the title's season pass. Three of the six DLC packs come in the form of Workshops, and while Vault-Tec Workshop does feature a small set of quests, it's ultimately just another creative outlet.
However, is it really fair to disregard Fallout 4's season pass purely because it includes three Workshop add-ons? In our opinion, not really. If anything, the Workshop DLC was thrown in to bridge the gap between each expansion – it's definitely filler, but we don't think that the inclusion of the Workshop trio is the biggest reason to be disappointed with the season pass.
Indeed, we reckon that the overall quality of the more traditional expansions is the real issue here. Automatron largely feels like a standard side quest that's been padded out, Far Harbor launched on PlayStation 4 with some unforgivable frame rate problems, and Nuka World isn't quite the grand finale that it should be.
Okay, so Automatron was never billed as an epic new adventure, Far Harbor's frame rate problems were eventually fixed, and Nuka World is actually a pretty meaty slice of content – but the fact of the matter is that none of these expansions blew us away. Now, you could say that our DLC disappointment is a byproduct of Fallout 4 itself – a game that's been on the receiving end of much criticism for its lack of role-playing elements and often shoddy storytelling – but we'd argue that's just one aspect of the bigger picture.
With Fallout 4's DLC, Bethesda had more than one opportunity to improve upon the base release – to provide answers to the criticism that had been slung in its direction. In some ways, the studio did just that; Far Harbor, for example, emphasises player choice and branching narratives, offering an involved plot that has you shape its outcome. Likewise, Nuka World lets you go full bad guy – something that's not really encouraged in the base game – allowing you to rule over the Commonwealth as a tyrannical Raider warlord.
Both Far Harbor and Nuka World are solid expansions, and there's no denying that they're nice to have around for the reasons outlined above, but when you consider that they alone are Fallout 4's two main additions, it's hard not to feel like more could have been done – and this feeling partly stems from expectations set by past Fallout titles.
Looking back at Fallout 3, Bethesda's first crack at the franchise, its selection of DLC still looks enticing even today. Featuring five separate expansions, two of which add whole new settings to explore and one of which expands upon the title's main story, the sheer variety that's on display is impressive. From pre-war virtual reality and giant robots to mutant hillbilly swamps and alien spaceships, it makes Fallout 4's offering seem horribly uninspired by comparison. The same can be said of Fallout: New Vegas' DLC line up, which is arguably every bit as creative.
Expectations are, of course, dangerous things to have knocking about, and can colour your perspective to a significant degree – but with Fallout 4 and its DLC, expectations came as part of the package back when Bethesda jacked up the price of the season pass before Automatron had even released, on the basis that the studio was apparently going to include more content than it had initially planned.
Originally, the season pass sold for £24.99 / $29.99, which, in hindsight, is a fairly reasonable price when you consider the amount of content that's included – but the revised price of £39.99 / $49.99 now seems a little ridiculous, doesn't it? That's just about the cost of the base game at launch, and for what? Extra crafting clutter, a level pack, and two good-but-not-great expansions. Now matter how you look at it, that's questionable value right there.
So, has Fallout 4's season pass been worth it? We suppose that it depends on what you enjoy about Fallout 4. If you're big into the settlement mode, you'll get a lot more out of the Workshop DLC than most, but if you think that the vanilla game isn't up to scratch to begin with, then we don't think that any of the additional content will change your opinion. And, while the two main expansions certainly add to the base release and are enjoyable in their own right, they're just not quite on the same level as some of Bethesda's previous efforts.
Ultimately, we'd label Fallout 4's post-launch content as decent, but disappointing, and honestly, it's difficult not to feel as though one last expansion – one last hurrah – may have been enough to tip the balance.
What are your thoughts on Fallout 4's DLC? Have you enjoyed your post-release adventures, or do you think that more could have been done? Vote in our poll, and try not to pick up too many rads in the comments section below.
Has Fallout 4's season pass been worth it? (69 votes)
- Yes, I think the DLC has been great
- Kind of, the DLC has been hit and miss
- No, I think the DLC has been poor
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Comments 27
I got the base game + season pass for about $50 a week or so after launch, so it's been 100% absolutely worth it for me. I didn't REALLY get into the game until a couple weeks ago, but I've been looking forward to playing it daily... which isn't super common in a game these days for me.
I thought Fallout 4 was brilliant and the DLC was extra icing on the cake. I don't really understand why hardcore fans complain about the game so much.
I agree that the original $30 was reasonable. I would've been upset if I paid $50 for what was made available. I enjoyed Automatron and Far Harbor after the patch and I'm going through Nuka World now. The Vault-Tec workshop was fun too but I didn't care for the other add-ons. Like Ramsey said, one last hurrah might've made the difference here. Either way, Fallout 4 was awesome.
I got the season pass at the original price and have really enjoyed all the dlc, so yes it's been great value for me. Now all the dlc has been released it's clear that the revised price is a bit ridiculous and was completely unjustified.
I've really enjoyed Fallout 4 and it's comfortably the game I've spent the most time with on PS4 even if it is some way behind the standard of both Fallout 3 and especially New Vegas. I just hope that for the next instalment they remember that most fans of the series love it because of its deep RPG roots and not just pander to the mass market by turning it into an fps with some dialogue
First fallout game I did not purchase ALL the DLC for, actually I did not purchase any of it. Nuka World seems okay, but its not enough to draw me back into the game.
The dlc was lame i hated settlement building and i think most would agree
It was a pretty uninspiring game from start to finish. The witcher 3 ruined it for me.
Boring cliched story, monotonous quests and even worse. Pointless branching to the story and that's before you even start with the ugly graphics engine. A dinosaur stuck in the ps3 era.
Original $30 cost? Yes. Jacked up cost of $50? No.
My opinion of the season pass would be much better if Far Harbor cost $15 or $20, released with good frame rates, and had way less fog and better weather.
Seriously, the main game location has more than enough odd annoying weather cycles of rain, fog, and haze as it is. So there needs to be a large dlc area with even worse rain and fog? Now add 10 frames per second. Geeeez!
At the original price it was worth it if you enjoyed the settlement building. At the increased price I don't think it was worth it. I would guess that more than half of what was in the workshop packs were textures and models already in the base game so very little work required. Also it is completely justified to compare DLC from Fallout 3 to 4 and that don't even compare.
@solocapers I have the same. The Witcher 3 showed everyone what a high profile RPG should look like in 2015. Fallout4 fell incredibly short compared to that. And I say that as a big FO3 fan
Yet this game was hyped and praised as the second coming.
Then later people come to their senses and say, "oh uh, ya, it was kinda meh"
It's like this for almost every hyped game nowadays though, provided it's not a massive disappointment. But every single time- Assassin's Creed Unity also comes to mind, which scored very well yet now is looked back on as pretty meh.
It was worth it about as much as the PS4 was worth it
If they kept it at the original price, its been a horrible DLC season otherwise. NukaWorld 7/10, Far Harbor 6/10, and I guess Automatron 4/10. The workshops, could/ should have been added as a mod/ free download. Building a vault is ok, should have been able to create a bigger vault is my only complaint (Ps4).
@Bad-MuthaAdebisi my thoughts exactly.
The season pass went up to $75-$80 (depending on platform and where you looked) for Australia. Disgusting price for three and a half (Vault-tec was okay) good DLCs.
@JesWood13 Because compared to Fallout 3 and especially New Vegas the game has been downgraded in almost every aspect. The only things I can think of that I like are the improved graphics, handling of the guns, town building, and using power armor. Almost everything else is a downgrade, New Vegas is a vastly superior game. Fallout used to be a proper RPG but 4 is more of an open world FPS with RPG elements.
That's not to say I don't enjoy my time with 4, but coming from New Vegas I was extremely disappointed in Bethesda.
As far as DLC goes, I thought it was cool but including the workshop stuff in the season pass was a bit of a joke.
Should've never put the price up, as there wasn't enough content for the new higher price.
I would say it was just barely worth it at the original $30, which I was lucky enough to get in on in time. For $50? No. We only got two proper story expansions and they jacked up the price on them to justify the season pass. I mean, Far Harbor was $25 on its own? Holy crap! I mean, I liked it well enough, but damn.
I know that at least one other game has increased the price of its season pass after launch. I bet this becomes a regular thing. It's a great way for developer who are willing to mess over their customers to discourage the "wait and see" attitude that is the natural response to a season pass whose content is a total mystery.
I wonder if part of what Bethesda was charging for with the season pass was to help fund the work they did to support mods on consoles. Just a theory and sadly it doesn't look like this feature is going to make it to PlayStation.
I loved the vanilla game, but the DLC has either been irrelevant (silly settlement stuff) or boring (the rest).
As others have said it was a solid deal at the original price but not after price increase.
Well, I have yet to beat the main game, much less the added content, so I am going with to say it was worth it, initially. But the price increase really seemed a bit much.
To be honest I think this highlights the current disgusting practice in DLC to take money up front without detailing exactly what you're paying for. To me the price hike was only there to encourage people to gamble at the original price. Personally I think to even justify the lower price we needed at least one more sizeable story area and I am glad I didn't put any money down for this.
On the same level as the game, so it's really bad.
@JesWood13 Probably Because After The Amazing Fallout 3 And The Brilliant New Vegas People Were Expecting Better.. the characters were terrible the story was boring or just feels like a complete let down. The previous games.were so.buhgy that they were night on unplayable but yet,, the story and acting just kept pulling you back and forcing you into 8 hour a day 6 days a week marathons
Only paid $30, so I can't complain. Yet to do FH or NW, but I'm sure I'll at least get a kick out of them when I get to them
I got the dlc before the hike, but this set has been underwhelming. Previous games provided full immersive experiences with new environments, dangers and creatures. This just felt like the same game rehashed into smaller segments and sprinkling in settlement dlc for added disappointment
even though The Witcher 3 was fresher and spoiled us in terms of story/characters..., and compared to Fallout New Vegas, Fallout 4 was rpg-wise simplified, still loved Fallout 4 and was my personal GOTY (with TW3 & BBorne close behind), but only when playing/surviving on the highest setting (even if it ment a few retries and deaths)..., just the "survival" mode update was too hardcore for me, prefered that mode on FNV.., switched to very hard after the survival patch update
enjoyed the DLCS a lot, but F4 could have gotten one more big expansion, Automation felt small... (but if it means a new TES can come out earlier, don't mind that much, since the DLCS were cool, 2 of which were really good, what I'm used too from the other Fallout Dlcs, F3 and FNV each also had 2 big DLCS I enjoyed)
since I loved F4, thought the DLCS were worth while..
btw, wouldn't mind a Fallout 4 spin off like New Vegas, from Obsidian again...
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