The Ultimate Game-Changing Quest in Fallout 4 Sets the Bar High for Future Bethesda Titles

Fallout 4 is known for its numerous and diverse quests, ranging from main storyline missions to side quests and downloadable content stories. However, due to the sheer quantity of quests in the game, some may be overlooked or not given the recognition they deserve.

As Bethesda looks to their past titles like Fallout 4 for inspiration in their future projects, one quest stands out as particularly influential: the Shipbreaker quest. This quest sets itself apart from the others for a significant reason.

The Replayability of Fallout 4's Shipbreaker Quest

Shipbreaker, a legendary Fog Crawler creature that has long caused chaos on Mount Desert Island, became a prominent feature in Fallout 4's Far Harbor expansion in 2016. This DLC was praised for its daring exploration of new landscapes and unforgettable experiences, and Shipbreaker was undoubtedly one of its most remarkable highlights. Players could stumble upon the Shipbreaker quest randomly while exploring Far Harbor's locations or receive a peculiar radio frequency that triggers the quest. Additionally, if settlements were established in the area, NPCs would inform the player character about the infamous Shipbreaker.

As a highly mutated Fog Crawler, Shipbreaker possesses the unique ability to emit radio frequencies, which is what sets the stage for the intriguing start of the quest. What makes this quest particularly fascinating is that the location of Shipbreaker can vary, depending entirely on the player's whereabouts when they receive the radio signal. This adds an unprecedented and individualized twist to the Shipbreaker quest, with each person's overall experience and perception of the quest changing significantly. Given its unpredictable nature and enticing rewards, it is no surprise that Shipbreaker stands out as a remarkable highlight of the Far Harbor expansion.

How Fallout 4's Shipbreaker Can Inform Future Bethesda Games

Bethesda's upcoming projects, including the highly-anticipated Starfield, are known for their ambitious nature. As these games follow the RPG formula that Bethesda is renowned for, the company is determined to make its quests truly exceptional.

Starfield's vast scale necessitates careful consideration, especially with its impressive roster of over 1,000 planets waiting to be explored. As a result, the game's release is expected to offer an unprecedented number of quests, even if a majority of them are considered supplementary. Taking inspiration from the Shipbreaker quest, a similar approach would be ideal for Starfield, particularly due to its utilization of procedural generation.

Given the procedural generation of many Starfield planets, there exists a remarkable opportunity to incorporate unique quests for each player. By designating specific starting points for quests on these planets, players can encounter vastly different locations and experiences with each playthrough, effectively employing Shipbreaker's formula on a much grander scale.

Bethesda RPGs have a loyal fan base that frequently embarks on multiple playthroughs, making the need for replayable and unpredictable quests even more crucial. The Shipbreaker quest, despite being released seven years ago, is still highly memorable, sparking excitement about the potential application of such concepts in a more contemporary and expansive game. Quests like Shipbreaker hold valuable lessons for future Bethesda titles, especially in the context of procedurally generated worlds like Starfield, which provide the ideal platform to push these ideas further. Fallout 4 is currently available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.