5 essential tips to get you started in Fallout 4
If you're new to Fallout 4 and you want some help with the game, here are some essential tips you should probably know about before heading into the wasteland.
If you're just starting out in Fallout 4 and you're looking for some tips, here are five essential ones to kickstart your post-apocalyptic adventures in-game.
There are lots of things to learn in the game, and a few recommendations that might not be immediately obvious to new players. That's why I've compiled five tips for you below if you're fresh to the wasteland and need a bit of advice. And remember, you can always use mods to enhance your playthrough even if it's your first time.
5 essential tips for new Fallout 4 players
Quicksave regularly
Like most Bethesda RPGs, Fallout 4 won't always save before every fight. That's why it's a good idea to regularly quicksave before any potentially dangerous situations.
You don't want to end up dying and returning to a checkpoint much further back, so quicksave often and you'll be good to go. This also means you can quickly return to a quicksave if something goes wrong and you want to retry.
I've been on the receiving end of many fights without quicksaving in games and it's never fun to have to re-do loads of stuff just to get back to where you need to be, so quicksave often.
Don't waste Stimpaks
Stimpaks are your main way of healing in Fallout 4. You'll only be able to carry whatever you find or purchase though, so you'll be pretty limited.
Since you don't always have a huge supply of Stimpaks you'll need to be careful about using them. You'll also need to use them for fixing broken limbs, which can be a common occurrence with the number of frag mines and other explosives/dangers out in the wasteland.
Food items can heal you a small amount if you need to heal a bit of health on the go, so don't waste Stimpaks unless you're missing a larger amount of health.
Don't go swimming
Swimming isn't a good idea in this game. You'll end up giving yourself rads, which need to be removed with RadAway or other methods.
It's not completely wrong to go swimming, especially if you need to do so to get away from an enemy, but be careful and look around for alternate paths across rivers as there's usually one around somewhere.
Use VATS often
Fallout works a bit differently from other FPS games when it comes to firing your gun - rather than aiming it traditionally, you can use the VATS feature to hone in on enemy body parts and target them in slow motion.
When you enter VATS everything will slow down around you. This gives you time to get free shots on an enemy and potentially hit them with a critical shot to deal more damage.
VATS is essential when you need to quickly dispatch an enemy. If you're about to get hit by a creature, use VATS and shoot it before it can get to you.
Choose the right perks/stats for you
Lastly, it's important to choose the right perks and S.P.E.C.I.A.L stats. The higher one of your stats is, the more perks you can unlock in that category. For example, if you have high strength you can get more strength perks.
Decide which kind of character you want to go with and focus on whatever stats/perks you need for that build. If you're interested in melee combat you'll want more strength points, but if you prefer to leave things up to fate you'll want to invest in the luck stat.
It's also wise to read the list of perks to see if any of them sound good to you. You might need to focus heavily on one stat before you can unlock a perk you really want, so invest points there early to ensure you can get it.
That's it for our Fallout 4 tips, but check out our Fallout homepage for more content. We've also got a full cast list for the Fallout TV show, and a rundown of some of the best mods to install in Fallout 4.
About The Author
Dani Cross
Dani is a Guides Writer for GGRecon. She graduated from university with a degree in Broadcast Journalism, then worked as a freelance writer before joining the GGRecon team as a full-time writer in 2023. In her opinion, the best game of all time is Elden Ring – but her favourite is Halo: Reach, a game that created lifelong friendships and somehow started her down the path to a career in media. She’s also way too invested in Pokemon cards, and a big fan of guinea pigs, cats and other cute creatures.
