While Fallout 4‘s main story focuses on a missing child and the fate of the Commonwealth, the huge RPG also offers a plethora of faction-based and side quests to keep the Sole Survivor busy. While some of those will be lighthearted, there are many that tackle the more serious aspects of a post-apocalyptic world. And then there are some that are just plain weird or even spine-chilling.
While the Brotherhood of Steel might send the Sole Survivor to hunt down tech and the Minutemen need another settlement defended, there are some side quests in Fallout 4 that can leave a lasting impression for other reasons. From uncomfortable discoveries to eerie environments, there is no shortage of strange adventures in the Commonwealth. Whether it’s because they were particularly creepy or left the Sole Survivor with head-scratching questions, these quests are worth playthrough at least once.
“Visions in the Fog” is part of the main questline for the excellent Fallout 4 DLC Far Harbor. The quest begins after speaking with Grand Zealot Richter, who will send the Sole Survivor to one of the Children of Atom’s sacred sites. The aim is to drink irradiated water and go on a vision quest in order to join the odd faction. However, the relatively straightforward goal is not what makes this a weird quest.
“Visions in the Fog” is an unsettling quest to complete as the strange effect of the water twists the world and how it is perceived. Shapes warp and shift as the Sole Survivor travels through the landscape, giving a feeling of vulnerability in the altered state. The overall effect can feel overwhelming, as suddenly every shadow feels like a threat and actual enemies can easily get the drop on the character.
Like all good RPGs, Fallout 4 includes its fair share of romance with plenty of the Sole Survivor’s companions available for a cuddle to gain the Lover’s Embrace perk. However, love isn’t limited to just the main characters and with the quirky side quest “Wedding Day,” there is the opportunity to help some lovebirds tie the knot. What makes this a little more unusual is that while the groom is a middle-aged human teacher, the bride is a robot.
While chatting to the Miss Nanny Diamond City schoolhouse assistant, Miss Edna, the General Atomics classic may start asking about love and romance. Telling her that love is worth the risk and could happen to anyone will be enough to convince her to tell her colleague Mr. Zwicky how she feels. After that, if Diamond City is returned to after a few days, the Sole Survivor might be lucky enough to see the happy couple exchanging their vows with Pastor Clements.
From creepy and atmospheric to just plain weird and confusing, and one of the oddest Fallout 4 side quests that the Sole Survivor can stumble across. While exploring the area south of University Point, a voice can be heard coming from a fridge. Opening the battered kitchen appliance will reveal Billy, a ghoul child who claims to have been trapped inside for 200 years since the bombs fell. Billy wants to find his parents and will need to be escorted back to the family home just outside of Quincy, where, inexplicably, both his parents are still alive and also ghouls.
“Kid in a Fridge” is a somewhat lighthearted quest, but even within the Fallout universe, it makes no sense whatsoever. There are no answers in the game to how he survived for 200 years without food and water in an airtight container, and the more Billy is thought about and analyzed, the more questions arise, which makes “Kid in a Fridge” definitely one of the strangest quests to encounter.
For good old-fashioned scary weird, then “The Devil’s Due” is a fantastic quest that can be picked up by overhearing gossip, usually from a guard in Diamond City. Located in the northeast of the Commonwealth, the Museum of Witchcraft is as spooky as it sounds, although not for the reasons one might expect. Outside will be the body of a Gunner and a holotape which will set the scene for this creepy quest.
It is once the Sole Survivor is inside that the fun really begins, with brilliant environmental storytelling and lots of triggered events. Growling can be heard while traveling through the building, with body parts occasionally dropping down to provide jump scares. Longtime Fallout fans will have already guessed who the culprit is long before the Deathclaw is revealed, but it is her reasons for being there that can add an extra level of tragedy to this chilling quest.
Longneck Lukowski’s Cannery is a factory located in the northeast of the Commonwealth, just a little south along the coast from Kingsport Lighthouse. Upon arriving there, the Sole Survivor will overhear an argument between the owner, Theodore, and a trader who is upset about her customers becoming ill after eating Theodore’s meat and the quest “Mystery Meat” will begin. After she leaves, Theodore will hire the Sole Survivor to clear out some mole rats, but tells them not to go into the basement.
Of course, when entering the basement, the reason becomes clear, as Theodore has been using mole rats in his meat to increase profits. Further exploring, though, will reveal why “Mystery Meat” is such a weird quest because, on top of the mole rats, Theodore is also using feral ghoul flesh in his product. After his disgusting secret is exposed, Theodore will become hostile, with the only option to stop his vile business being to kill him.
The settlement of Covenant is a curious place and strange all on its own without even delving into the quest “Human Error.” Located not too far from Lexington, the walled-off village sits directly between Mystic Pines and Taffington Boathouse. When first arriving, the Sole Survivor will be asked to take a test to be allowed entry and any who have played Fallout 3 will recognize this as a modified G.O.A.T. from the beginning of the previous game.
Things only get stranger from there as the settlement has an eerie Stepford Wives feel, which is compounded when speaking with a caravan guard called Honest Dan who is looking for some missing traders. A thorough investigation will reveal that the town is a front for anti-synth conspiracists who have been kidnapping people to try to perfect a test to detect synths. From here, Covenant can either be sided with and the “testing” continues or the captives freed, resulting in the settlers becoming hostile.
The Pickman Gallery can be visited either after speaking with Hancock and getting the short quest “Art Appreciation,” or by exploring the area north of Boston close to the Cabot House and Old North Church. Inside, the works of a deranged mind are displayed along with several very angry raiders who are looking for the artist. It seems Pickman has been killing their friends to use in his art, which is a collection of unsettling paintings and sculptures.
Exploring the gallery gives insight into the strange world of this artist until he is eventually met in the tunnels beneath, under attack from raiders. If Pickman is aided, he can be spoken to and his sinister calmness is disturbing as the serial killer will thank the Sole Survivor and promise a reward. This reward is equally creepy, as Pickman’s Blade will cause targets extra bleeding damage.
“Brain Dead” is a strange and funny quest that can be picked up during the Far Harbor DLC when returning to Far Harbor after competing “Walk in the Park.” Once back, a Miss Nanny named Pearl can be found asking for help in the settlement and following Captain Avery around. She will explain that there has been a murder and asks for the Sole Survivor to investigate at the Cliff’s Edge Hotel.
Upon arriving, the Sole Survivor will be led into one of Fallout 4‘s seven vaults, Vault 118, a luxury vault filled with affluent pre-war dwellers who are all now robobrains. What follows is a fantastically silly murder mystery with a great twist regarding the victim and murderer. With a great mix of humor, characters and a very different vault setting, “Brain Dead” is one of the best Far Harborside quests for XP.
“The Secret of Cabot House” is the final quest in the trio involving the mysterious Cabot family. The family lives in their pristine pre-war home in the northern area of Boston, just over the bridge from Bunker Hill, and will initially hire the Sole Survivor for seemingly odd jobs. However, as “The Secret of Cabot House” begins, they will be asked to accompany Jack Cabot to Parsons State Insane Asylum to prevent raiders from releasing the family patriarch.
The entire quest is packed with environmental storytelling as the true nature of the asylum and Jack’s role in his father’s imprisonment is unveiled. Things only get stranger when Lorenzo is met and the odd artifact is shown, with the Sole Survivor having to make a moral choice between father and son. “The Secret of Cabot House” is a wonderfully weird quest pulled straight out of Lovecraft, with hints of eldritch horrors or perhaps aliens behind Lorenzo’s crown.