Summary of "Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition Is Worse Than You Think"

Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition Is Worse Than You Think – Summary

Overview & Context

Fallout 4 Anniversary Edition was released to celebrate Fallout 4’s 10th anniversary (originally released in 2015). It includes:

The base game
All DLCs from the Game of the Year Edition
150 new pieces of Creation Club content

Most of the new content is cosmetic (skins for weapons, armor, and Pip-Boys), with very few genuinely new items or meaningful additions. Many of these “new” items are recycled from previously available Creation Club content. Only about 6% (9 items) of the 150 creations are truly new.

Positive Note

The Anniversary Edition includes a free update that fixes a major problem from the previous next-gen update. Previously, stepping out of the Vault triggered a flood of unrelated quests immediately, ruining the iconic opening moment. Now, quests and content are better integrated, requiring players to find and interact with them in the world before they appear in the Pip-Boy.

Content Breakdown & Criticism

The 150 new creations mostly consist of:

Numerous Pip-Boy paint jobs (about 36, roughly 25% of the total)
Weapon and armor skins counted individually as separate creations
Some references to other Bethesda games (e.g., Prey’s Morgan space suit, Skyrim, Doom)

Key criticisms include:

Most new weapons and gear are vastly overpowered for their early-game locations, breaking game balance and progression.
- Example: The “Quantum Stag” mission rewards a rifle that outperforms all early-game weapons by a large margin.
- Another weapon, the saw blade launcher, is extremely powerful and disrupts weapon progression.
Armor and weapon paint jobs are poorly designed in terms of previewing before applying, especially armor skins.
Some content is simply dropped into the world with no associated missions or context, making it feel unpolished.
The “Tale of the Beast Hunter” creation is a notable exception, offering a New Vegas-themed dungeon with voice acting and a storyline. However, it is not included in the 150 creations and must be downloaded separately (for free).

About “Tale of the Beast Hunter”:

Features a storyline about a New California Republic Ranger turned beast hunter, battling deathclaws and uncovering a dark secret in Boston’s sewers.
Includes new enemies, traps, and rewards.
Considered one of the more enjoyable additions.

Gameplay & Mission Highlights

Early missions are located in very low-level areas but reward players with high-level gear, breaking balance.
Missions often involve simple “fetch and kill” objectives with minimal challenge.
The “Quantum Stag” mission involves tracking a legendary beast and rewards powerful weapons.
The “Tale of the Beast Hunter” dungeon is more fleshed out, with logs telling a backstory, traps, and a final deathclaw boss fight.
Players can use powerful weapons and tactics (e.g., flashbang grenades, Fat Man launcher) to handle tough encounters.
Voice acting and story elements in “Tale of the Beast Hunter” stand out compared to other Creation Club content, which mostly uses notes and logs.

User Interface & Mod Management Issues

Bethesda introduced a new Creation Club content manager, but it is flawed:

You can enable/disable creations but cannot disable the Creation Club content itself once downloaded.
There is no official way to uninstall or remove Creation Club content except by manually deleting files from the game’s data folder (which is difficult or impossible on consoles).
Some Creation Club content from the next-gen update was “baked into” the base game but is actually just enabled Creation Club content.
Deleting Creation Club files removes problematic content like the overpowered saw launcher and associated quest areas.

Final Thoughts & Recommendations

Fallout 4 Anniversary Edition is largely pointless and at worst makes the game worse by breaking balance and adding bugs.
The cosmetic additions do not justify packaging mostly recycled content.
Bethesda appears to have put little thought into balancing or integrating the new content properly.
The new Creation Club content manager is a poor substitute for a true mod manager.
The “Tale of the Beast Hunter” dungeon is a rare bright spot but is not included by default.
The reviewer strongly recommends avoiding the Anniversary Edition for first-time players.
Instead, players should stick with the Game of the Year Edition and selectively add Creation Club content if desired.
The reviewer personally reverted back to the Game of the Year Edition by deleting all Creation Club additions.

Key Tips & Strategies

Beware of overpowered weapons early in the game that break progression.
Approach new Creation Club missions with caution; many are simple and unbalanced.
Use powerful weapons and consumables (e.g., flashbang grenades, jet, psycho) to handle tough enemies in new dungeons.
If playing on PC, consider manually removing Creation Club content to restore balance.
For a better experience, download and use Creation Club content individually rather than as a bulk package.

Sources & Featured Gamer

Video and commentary by John, Many A True Nerd (YouTube channel).

Summary: Fallout 4 Anniversary Edition adds 150 new Creation Club items, mostly cosmetic and recycled, with a few new missions that are poorly balanced and disrupt game progression. The standout content is a separately downloadable dungeon, “Tale of the Beast Hunter,” with a decent story and gameplay. The edition introduces bugs and a flawed content manager, making it a disappointing package overall. The reviewer advises against playing this version, especially for newcomers, and recommends sticking to the Game of the Year Edition with selective content additions.