Fallout 4: Nuka-World DLC Reviews

A few reviews for Nuka-World, the last DLC for Fallout 4, are now out. The critical assessments are generally positive in tone, though a few reviewers complain that the DLC is lacking in storytelling terms compared to Far Harbor.

IGN, 7.9/10.

Fallout 4: Nuka-World has a great setting that’s densely packed with spectacle, surprises, and tough battles (depending on your level), and the ability to conquer settlements back on the main map is a fun novelty, but the lack of meaningful decisions leave it feeling more like an actual theme park ride than a choose-your-own-adventure story. Next to Far Harbor’s intriguing storyline and moral decisions there’s not much nuance here.

Forbes, scoreless.

In my mind, this is worth $20 just to get back in the world of Fallout again, but while being heavy on action, it’s pretty light on story, and for that reason I think I prefer Far Harbor overall. I don’t know if I really care enough to re-take two dozen settlements I spent the first hundred hours of this game babysitting, but the fact that I can is a novel enough idea, I suppose. Nuka-World may not be the perfect finale for Fallout 4 fans are hoping for, but it’s probably worth your time as a fan all the same.

PC Gamer, 76/100.

While Nuka-World is raider territory, they’ve only claimed a small portion of it, and it’s up to you to annex the rest of the park. Most of this both dull and extremely dangerous, as you must enter sections of the park and wipe out the scores of enemies living there. One area is filled with a couple dozen Gatorclaws (they’re Deathclaws, but alligator-y), another is populated with Nukalurks (Mirelurks, but they live in rivers of soda, so that’s mildly different). There’s an area filled with ghouls, one patrolled by scores of angry robots, and another infested with giant subterranean worms that are essentially just reskinned molerats. Your first 10 hours in Nuka-World will be spent endlessly shooting and little else, as each threat must be 100 percent neutralized before the surprisingly cautious raiders will move in.

There are a few diversions in these unclaimed sections of park: some NPCs already inhabit them along with the monsters, and you can try to befriend them and convince to live alongside your new raider chums. Or, you just can kill them, as I did in one case because I enraged the guy by accidentally shooting the gorilla that raised him (fill in your own Harambe joke here), and in another case because the NPC in question wore a hat I thought would look better on my own head.

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Of course, a raider settlement is still a settlement, and while there are some new decorations and shops to add, you’re mostly just replacing settlers with settlers that wear raider gear. My new raider settlement was even attacked by other raiders just minutes after I’d first raided it. So, even being the bad guy, I still have to contend with bad guys. Who knows, maybe I’ll rejoin the Minutemen at some point and re-convert that raider camp. I’m a fickle Overboss.

iDigitalTimes, 5/5.

Outside of the main campaign, there are plenty of other distractions as well. Like Far Harbor, there’s another wacky religious cult. This time, however, the group acts as a sideshow, not playing into the overall story of Nuka-World. A few other sidequests and collectibles rounds out the DLC nicely, giving plenty of missions and content to tackle. Don’t forget to play some arcade games as well!

With Fallout 4 ending development now that Nuka-World is out, it’s good to see it going out on a high note. While the ending may drag for a bit, getting to explore all the hidden wonders of Nuka-World is some of the finest gaming Fallout 4 has to offer.

GameRevolution, 4.0/5.

Nuka-World may not have a storyline that is as significant and connective as Far Harbor’s, but it still ranks as one of the better expansions for Fallout 4. Instead of ending the game with a heavy, emotional finale, Nuka-World is a humorous excursion that’s feels like a well-deserved, fun-filled Nuka-vacation. (A Nuka-cation?!) As a world of refreshment, it certainly does the trick.

Attack of the Fanboy, 4/5.

Nuka-World is a fine new addition to Fallout 4. However, as the final piece of DLC it is a bit of a let down. It does offer a huge and interesting new area to explore, and the attention to detail in creating Fallout’s Disney World is very much appreciated. But there’s just not much here that hasn’t been done before in the series. The factions can largely be ignored, and many players will find that the role-playing aspect is almost non-existent this time around. But overall Fallout 4 Nuka-World provides a ton of new things to do and check out, which is enough to warrant a purchase from anyone who has exhausted what’s available now.