Video games creators prove that expanding the game content doesn’t have to be about adding new locations or abilities only. Fallout 4 developers have shown that creativity is a tool that can’t be replaced by the latest technological trends. The multitude of references to pop culture mixed with historical and literary references creates a unique world. World that offers something more than refined mechanics and beautiful graphics.
Let’s go through the Fallout 4 secrets and Easter Eggs that the majority of players might have missed during the exploration of the Commonwealth.
Fallout 4 Secrets: Movie References
Just like New Vegas and other parts of the Bethesda series, the post-apocalyptic wasteland of Fallout 4 shows developers’ fondness for films and TV shows from the 80s and 90s. Fallout 4 features some clever references to the world of cinema. Obviously, they are not visible to the naked eye. Yet, faithful fans couldn’t have overlooked them.
Prost Bar
Fallout 4 Prost Bar is a direct reference to a real bar located in Beacon Hill popularized by the 1980s sitcom Cheers! The plot of the show focuses on the bar owner, former Boston Red Sox star. Together with his friends, Sam Malone spends several hours a day in a bar, talking about life.
The design of the place in Fallout 4 largely resembles the Boston bar, including the baseball memorabilia and two familiar skeletons.
Nostromo Registry Number
Alien is an American 1979 classic science fiction horror film. The crew of the Nostromo spacecraft receives a mysterious signal and lands on a small asteroid,where one of its members is attacked by an alien life form.
In Fallout’s mission for Brotherhood of Steel, Scribe Haylen will ask you to gather some items spread across the Commonwealth. The Reflex Capacitor clearly relates to the Back to the Future (American Sci-FI adventure comedy film).
However, the Flux Sensor nod may not be that obvious. Nevertheless, the inscribed code sequence CM-88B 180924609 should ring a bell. The movie fans discovered the correlation between the code and the reg number for the Nostromo spacecraft.
A Kid Hidden in the Fridge
In the fourth part of the Indiana Jones film series, the main character (played by Harrison Ford) hides in a refrigerator. The scene takes place just before the explosion of an atomic bomb. As it turns out a few moments later, this extraordinary shelter managed to somehow save the hero. After the movie premiere, the scene was heavily criticized not only by fans but also by Japan's Foreign Minister.
In the post-apocalyptic world of Fallout 4, we can find a confusingly similar fridge. It’s located east of Jamaica Plain. The reference is even stronger as it’s hiding a ghoul child who also found shelter inside. A conversation with the kid starts a side quest as the task is to take him back to his parents.
Death Maze
Another interesting place in Fallout 4 with some film connotations is Death Maze. It’s located between Milton General Hospital and Fallon’s department store. Although the white arrows pointing at the door don’t look appealing, some volunteer players had the guts to examine the path carefully. Well, good luck, we are staying here!
As it turns out, the traps awaiting the Sole Survivor in the maze resemble scenes from the horror movie Saw. At the end of the maze, there are two cages. The cables on the bars suggest that entering them may not end well. Surprise, surprise — getting into one of them sets the other in flames.
Blade Runner
The next movie that Bethesda referenced in Fallout 4 is Blade Runner. By going to Mass Fusion Containment Shed In Diamond City, players can find a representation of the final scene of this 80's Sci-FI action movie. The spot is located between Breakheart Banks and General Atomics Galleria.
The scene is not clearly visible from the nearby cliff, so you need to climb to the roof of the building. There, the two characters, referring to Rick Deckard and Synth, are sitting in positions reproduced from the final scene of the film.
Fallout 4: Literary References
The post-apocalyptic Word of Fallout 4 shows that Bethesda is not only fond of classic movies, but they are also literary experts. Listing all of the literary references would need a separate text. Thus, we will focus on our favorites that can be noticed while traversing the wasteland as the sole survivor.
Edgar Allan Poe — The Cask of Amontillado
While completing the Old Guns mission to unlock the old Minutemen headquarters armory, players encounter quite a scary sight. But... Can we talk about a scary sight
in the game presenting the post-apocalyptic world? Well, this is a debatable question.
Returning to the topic — while visiting the castle, it is impossible to overlook a big hole in the wall. It is occupied, although rather not by choice (as the chains may suggest), by a skeleton. Apart from that, a box of Amontillado wine stands on a nearby desk. This is yet another Easter Egg.
This one is a nod to Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado.” In the short story, the narrator treats his rival to wine and then traps him alive in a wall. Just as in the scene from the Fallout 4 base.
The Dunwich Borers
Another location with clear literary references is Dunwich Borers. In the underground, players may face some shady creatures, which refers to the H.P. Lovecraft’s the Cthulhu Mythos. What is more, the name of the location itself resembles the title of the short story “The Dunwich Horror.” And that is exactly what players can expect when exploring the Dunwich Borers dungeon. However, we don't want to spoil the "fun", so we won’t go into details. Head there and see for yourself!
Walden Pond
While exploring Commonwealth areas, players may come across the mysterious four walls. The narrative of Nick Valentine refers to them as "the four most important walls in the Commonwealth." As you get there, listen carefully to the in-game characters and the speaker device in front of the house. You’ll hear that it was a house of transcendental philosopher and writer, Henry David Thoreau.
As befits a Thoreau philosophy, it is in vain to look for luxuries inside. In addition to a bed and a few chairs, there is a fireplace with two bottles of bourbon on it. From the
speaker's information, we can say that the author lived in the cabin for over two years.
Fallout 4 Secret Loot and Locations
Bethesda proved that they know how to gain players’ love with each of the previous Fallout games. With a lot of interesting missions, dozens of hidden locations, surprises, and other goodies, the release of Fallout 4 is no exception. Let’s have a look at the things that users may have missed during the gameplay.
Cat Cabin
Fallout 4 players may be used to fighting maniacal enemies trying to take their life. However, this cat cabin is a spot that seems not affected by the apocalyptic war. Probably it’s one of the last places we would expect in an open world full of disgusting creatures. The cat cabin is located near Walden Pond. And it looks like a perfect home for these pets, with their portraits on the walls and comfy spots inside the room.
X-01 Power Armor location
If you would like to explore the deepest corners of the Wasteland open world, you should take care of the right gear. Having at least level 30, players may obtain the X-01 Power Armor without looking for set pieces around the map. To get this item, head to the building called 35 Court near Faneuil Hall. Then, use the elevator, and get rid of the robot enemies. As you find two red buttons, hit them and check if a full X-01 Power Armor suit appeared.
Carhenge
One of the Easter Eggs presents a landmark that should satisfy the Fallout 4 British fans in particular. Does “Carhenge” sound familiar? Well, It is nothing else than a reference to the famous prehistoric monument, Stonehenge. However, Bethesda decided to present it in a slightly different form, hence it's built from cars.
One of the legends about Stonehenge says that the stones were transported from Ireland thanks to the wizard's magic and then assembled by the giants. A kind of reference to this is the presence of a mutant behemoth in the Carhenge. But be careful! His appearance suggests that he may not be very friendly...
Hubris Comics
Hubris Comics is a store with comic books located In the ruins of Boston. As you may know from Fallout 3, reading the ‘Grognak the Barbarian’ comics increases a player's melee weapons skill. However, the sequel has been enriched with some more Barbarian content.
Heading to the comic book shop, you may find a Gnognak costume as well as his axe inside. Getting these two in your gear turns you into a Conan-like barbarian. This makes an obvious reference to the famous Conan the Barbarian series of books, films, and games. A barbarian hunting down ghouls and zombies in the post-apocalyptic wasteland? Sounds fun!
Freefall Legs Location
Freefall legs is a thing that may help with discovering other Fallout 4 secrets. This mod is so great because it negates all the falling damage. It means that you can jump from the highest structure in Fallout 4 without getting hurt. They are obtainable from the Mass Fusion building, north of Goodneighbor and west of Faneuil Hall.
However, to get them, you will need some stuff with you. Get yourself a piece of power armor, a jetpack, and nuka cola quantums. As soon as you arrive there, take
the elevator as high as you can. Your task is to get up to the glass ceiling by the hole in the roof. At a certain point, a jetpack will be necessary. Use the nuka cola quantums to get to the furthermost platforms. It is well-presented in one of the YouTube fan videos of user Oxhorn, so have a look in case of any difficulties. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZ0qx8OorCY&ab_channel=Oxhorn After reaching the top, you’ll see a computer terminal and a dead body who created the freefall legs technology. The legs are hidden in the safe. Now, you can test them on the way back!
Crashed UFO
While traversing the Commonwealth, south-east of Oberland Station and south of Beantown Brewery, the player may encounter a burning spacecraft. The flames suggest it must have crashed recently. Upon closer inspection, we realize that this is nothing but a UFO ship. On the ground next to it, there are stains of green blood. They lead us to the cave entrance. Surprisingly, a supposed UFO pilot somehow survived the crash. Well, not for long. By eliminating the green guy, we can loot a powerful weapon — the Alien Blaster.
Nirnroot in Fallout 4?
Fans have come up with a theory that this easter egg proves the connection between the Fallout world and The Elder Scrolls universe. The Experimental Plant to a high extent resembles the Nirnroot from the fantasy world of Skyrim and the entire ESO series. You can find it in the biolab area on the Prydwen.
What is more, the plant is referenced as NRT-001 in the lab terminal. That may indicate the potential connection between these two worlds.
How to Get Cryolator Early?
Cryolater is a fun and powerful weapon for the early game. However, it is hidden in the Vault 111 behind a high-level door. Nevertheless, there is one trick that some people are not aware of. The secret is that you can ask Dogmeat to fetch the item and he should bring it to you. It may not work for the first time, so try to leave the Vault and return in a moment so it resets.
Summary
Taking everything into consideration, the game provides a great open world rich in Fallout 4 secrets and cultural references. Fallout 4 leaves a lot of room for creativity as players can create their theories and associations. It would be difficult to name any other PC games that feature so many nods, which only proves the great work of Bethesda.
What is more, all the Fallout 4 secrets hidden in the game world have been found yet. These are facts as the game designer Todd Howard mentioned himself that no one had solved a super mystery yet. All in all, he appreciates all the engagement and love of the players.
As we know that the game includes more Fallout 4 secrets hidden somewhere. Thus, there is still a chance that you will be the player who finds the way to the super quest.
And what is your favorite secret of Fallout 4? Let us know in the comments below the article!
What is the best weapon in Fallout 4?
The best weapon in Fallout 4 is the Overseer's Guardian.
Is Fallout 4 never ending?
According to Bethesda’s comment, “Fallout 4 doesn't end when the main story is over and there is no level cap.”
Where is the old gullet sinkhole in Fallout 4?
One of the places hiding Fallout 4 secrets is the gullet sinkhole, located to the South of Mass Fusion Containment Shed, and North of Malden Middle School.