Fallout 4 Locks An Important Mechanic Behind DLC & It Hurts The Base Game

There's a lot to enjoy in the base version of , but one particular feature that didn't show up until DLC definitely should have been included for free. has always had a somewhat contentious space in the franchise, and a big part of it is a feeling that the game falls into a one step forward, two steps back problem. Enhanced gunplay and settlement building are just a couple of the significant new attractions, but missing roleplaying elements and fewer narrative complexities can be disappointing compared to prior titles.

When it comes to DLC, follows the other games in adding several significant story expansions, and in particular certainly has its share of fans. Less fundamentally involving are the several workshop add-ons available for, which mostly add extra content for settlement building. These can be exciting for fans of that particular aspect of the game, but anyone who doesn't spend much time on the settlement side of things might easily look past them. Unfortunately, however, ignoring the workshop add-ons entirely ends up missing out on a key game feature.

The mechanic in question can be found in the DLC, which grants purchasers access to the Ammunition Plant in-game. True to its name, this provides the only method of crafting ammo in, a nice complement to the weapon crafting options found in the base game. It's hard to understand why it's locked behind an extra purchase, however, as ammo crafting would have been a useful feature to have in the base game. At any rate, it's a feature with wider appeal than additions focused purely on settlements, making the way its bundled a generally frustrating choice.

An unflattering point of comparison can be found in, which showed up by including a robust ammo crafting system in the base game. It's an improvement from, which also stuck the feature into a DLC, and returning to the DLC approach feels like a regression in a series that should continually be moving forward. was developed by Obsidian Entertainment rather