Fallout 4 takes fans back to the United States's Eastern Coast. The Commonwealth isn't flourishing as much as the West Coast, and people have struggled to survive. As the Sole Survivor, you’re on your quest to find your son through the hordes of ghouls, Super Mutants, and Synths (who can’t be told apart from humans). Fallout 4 is a dark game in itself. There are a few humorous moments through dialogue, but there is a sense of overwhelming loneliness as you trek through the ruins of Boston.

The Sole Survivor isn’t the only person, or creature, struggling to survive. As Nate/Nora, most people you meet will immediately like you and ask you for help. It’s easier than you think for the protagonists to gain the trust of others in the Commonwealth. Other characters didn’t have the opportunity to rise to the occasion. They either died gruesome deaths, or the Institute made sure that they would never have the chance to tell their story.

The darkest moments of Fallout 4 are hidden from plain sight. You won’t discover the most heartbreaking scenes along in a straight line. These depressing scenes can only to be discovered on a side quest or in an unmarked location. Our list compiles some of the darkest moments in Fallout 4. Obviously, there are spoilers scattered about, so continue reading if you’re ready to cry your heart out.

20 When Parents Must Bury Their Most Beloved

Big John's salvage yard is a marked location near Goodneighbor. There are several large metal containers and cars stacked on top of each other. Immediately after entering, you'll gain access to the Miller family radio signal. This signal, much like several others in the Commonwealth, is seeking help. Radio broadcasts are often pre-recorded in Fallout 4, so it's hard to pinpoint exactly when it was created. Enter the bunker, and you'll immediately discover the fate of the Millers. Both the husband and wife are spooning on a dirty mattress. Inspect further, and you'll find two graves. One has a teddy bear and the other a baseball glove. It's a sad sight as you realize parents' greatest fear: having to bury their children.

19 Sympathy For The Criminals

Before the war, there were people sentenced to jail. Whether they were guilty or not, they were still locked behind bars. As you travel to various police stations, you'll see many skeletons laying on beds. Some may have been unwilling captives after the Great War, but most are pre-war skeletons. Many prisoners died immediately when the nuclear bombs fell, causing them a quick and painless death. Others may have survived and attempted to escape. By inspecting these jail cells further, there are broken walls, and skeletons holding spoons which were desperately trying to dig their ways out. Unfortunately, they didn't make it to freedom. All that's left of these prisoners is their slumped over body next to the wall, accepting their fate.

18 The Unluckiest Valentine

Nick Valentine is a resident of Diamond City, but many in the Commonwealth know him well. He is a Generation I Synth who was one of the first to be implanted with someone else’s memories. Keep him by your side and win his loyalty to discover the painful history of the “real” Nick. He will ask you to find ten holotapes that will give insight on what happened to the pre-war Nick. Valentine was a Detective who was hunting down a criminal named Eddie Winters. He was in charge of "Operation Winter's End" to take the mob boss down. Eddie decided to make Nick suffer. He killed his innocent fiancé, Jennifer Lands, in revenge. Synth Nick has had to live with the memory until you help him get revenge for his original counterpart.

17 When You Can't Trust Anyone, Not Even Yourself

Generation III Synths are the latest AI from the Institute. These robotic creatures have become so human that it's hard to tell them apart from the real thing. Many in the Commonwealth are now wary of strangers who might be a Synth in disguise.

In a random encounter, you'll hear two men shouting. A man named Art claims there is a Synth trying to take over his life. He's holding his twin at gunpoint. You'll have to decide which one is human or Synth. The kneeling Art is the Synth, and he will ask you to help him kill his human double. It's up to you if you want to let Art head back to his family or let a Synth take over his life.

16 Inches Away From Safety In The Glowing Sea

There were few warnings when the bombs began to fall. If you were lucky enough, you were near a radio, or better, watching the Ron Perlman voiced newscaster announce that instant death is coming. Nate, Nora, and Shaun rush to Vault 111, but not everyone was lucky enough to be accepted underground.

The Glowing Sea is one of the most radiated sections of the Commonwealth, and possibly, the entire United States. Within the sea are several ghouls, tipped over buses, and the remains of buildings. Most buildings are empty, except for a skeleton. In one office building, the employees were lucky enough to have an underground bunker. You'll see a skeleton on the floor, inches away from the hatch. He didn't make it along with his co-workers, but sadly, they also perished from the bombs.

15 One Vault Dweller To Rule Them All

If Fallout 4 was your introduction to the series, you quickly learn that Vaults were not meant to protect people. Vault-Tec used these giant bunkers to experiment on the residents.

In Vault 11, the inhabitants learned that every year, one resident must be sacrificed. The "lucky" vault dweller would be led into a single room and die for the greater good. If the dwellers refused, the life support system would be shut down, and everyone would die. The residents didn't argue and continued to kill off their friends and family until only five residents were left. They entered a pact. The vault informed them that they understood the experiment and were free, but in an audio recording, you find out they all died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds.

14 Using Propaganda Among The Most Innocent

The tale of Storytime Simon is told through three holotapes. He tells the story of "The New Squirrel" who wanted to venture out from his home. His family warned him that squirrels from other trees were killer thieves. One day, a red squirrel appears at the bottom of the tree, asking for help. Ricky wants to help him out and convinces his friends and elders to take him in. Ricky hoped he and the new resident could be friends. Instead, he discovers that the red squirrel led a group of cats to the tree. They killed all of the tree's residents, except for Ricky. The children's story was meant to be propaganda that warns of the People's Liberation Army of China and that anyone who was "different" can't be trusted.

13 Cruel Intentions For Recovering Addicts

Of all the vaults in the Commonwealth, Vault 95 had devious intentions. They collected addicts and placed them together. The residents relied on each other for recovery. In one room, you will see a circle of fold-up metal chairs where many of these recovering addicts were having a therapy session. Of course, this seems like a good place focused on helping people live again.

Someone in the vault had a different idea. Instead of continuing to help the residents, they decided to perform a devious experiment. A large supply of drugs was opened in the vault. As expected, most of the residents swarmed the illegal substances and ended up overdosing. The bodies are littered within the Vault. Many can be seen sitting in one place with various syringes still on their arms. The addicts had seriously relapsed, and the vault residents all perished.

12 Sacrificing Everything To Save One Last Memento

Can love bloom in the Commonwealth? Along the Chestnut Hillock Reservoir, you'll find a small cabin. There is a holodisk that tells the tragic tale of two lovers. A man named Edwin recalls meeting his girlfriend Annika at the cabin. She threatened to kill him but ended up falling in love instead. He thinks back to the good times they spent together, like sitting on the dock and staring at shooting stars. Edwin is trying to move on with his brahmin, Bess, who has problems being harassed by Bloatflies. Edwin eventually discovers that the only memento he had of Annika, her locket, is lost. He desperately searches the bottom of the lake. When you arrive, you find Bess dead and Edwin's body holding the locket in the lake.

11 Lonely Hearts Are Breaking In The Commonwealth

The Commonwealth is a lonely place. Most people might be so afraid to interact with others that they wind up alone. Others might have good intentions, such as the Brotherhood of Steel going in as a group to take down an unknown threat. A poor new Initiate ends up separated from his team.

In an old military bunker called Listening Post Bravo, a soldier was instructed to listen to radio signals. He had to stay put for a month, living in fear as he heard noises and bangs on the elevator. Behind the terminal are song lyrics, in which he expresses how he felt at death: lonely and filled with overwhelming darkness. His fate is unknown, but we can only assume no one relieved him of his duties.

10 Even the Evilest Enemies Have Someone They Love

Though they shoot at you and call your mom horrible names, raiders are people, too. You quickly discover this in the Nuka-Cola DLC, but you'll also find them scattered around the ruins of Boston. If you have Nick Valentine with you, they'll be so happy to see you that they'll let you pass and trade items.

Raiders often travel in packs, so it's not unusual for them to form close bonds with their teammates. Find a cemetery, and you'll discover a raider kneeling at the grave of one of his friends. It's a solemn, sad scene that reminds you of their humanity. Get too close, and he'll instantly become aggressive. It's best to move on and leave the raider to remember the good times that didn't involve fighting.

9 A Liar Until His Last Breath

Robert MacCready first appeared as a young boy in Fallout 3. In Fallout 4, he's now older, wiser, and filled with regrets. After getting kicked out of Little Lamplight, he joined the Gunners, which are similar to Raiders. His days were filled with robberies and killings until he met a beautiful farm girl named Lucy. Immediately ashamed of his past, MacCready never told Lucy of his real occupation. MacCready lied and said he was a soldier. The two were married and had a son together named Duncan. While escaping from ghouls, Lucy was ripped apart, while MacCready and his son survived. MacCready has to continue his life knowing Lucy never knew the truth. If you become close to him, you can at least help him save Duncan so that MacCready won't repeat the same mistake.

8 Vault Fight Club, But With School Children

Children often suffer due to the wars adults begin. The cruel executives decided to further hurt them by inviting the youngsters to Vault 75. Every family that had a student enrolled at Malden Middle School were allowed to enter, including teachers. Immediately upon entering, the children were separated from the adults. All of the adults were killed before entering further. The surviving children were then subjected to various tests to see who was most fit to contribute to the gene pool. When the children turned 18, they were killed on their birthday, or their bodies were used for experimentation. Eventually, with the help of an older scientist, the children revolted. The children did their best to escape the vault. Unfortunately, everyone was killed in the stand-off. When you find the vault, Gunners have taken over, and only the skeletons of the undead children remain.

7 Friends Until The Literal End

The Boylston Club was formerly a club for the richest gentlemen in Boston. Membership was only given to a select few, including politicians, heirs to fortunes, or anyone willing to pay the annual $500,000 fee. When the bombs fell, the men all survived and got together for a Memoriam Gala dedicated to the pre-war days. The gala had dark intentions. The men decided that they didn't want to live in a post-apocalyptic world where their pre-war money was useless. They decided that as a club, they would all die together with one final toast. At midnight, all of the members drank a drink mixed with a deadly substance. Enter the club, and you'll see the remains of the men sitting in chairs, enjoying their last moments of life.

6 Worst Severance Package Ever

During Fallout 4's prologue, you get a glimpse of Nate, Nora, and Shaun's, life. They're about to head to a gala celebrating veterans. Before you can get dressed, a Vault-tec salesman appears at the door. He's not taking your money now, only your information. When the bombs strike, you can sense his surprise. His bosses never warned him. He runs to Vault 111 trying to gain access, just like your family. He's denied, but you're allowed inside.

When you enter Goodneighbor, you can find the salesman in a hotel by the Memory Den. He is now a ghoul but instantly recognizes you. The salesman informs you that his company never warned him and abandoned him at his time of need. After everything you've been through, it's hard to forgive him, but it's hard not to feel a bit sad for the poor ghoul.

5 No Point In Fixing That Giddyup Buttercup Now

The Slog is filled with ghouls who weren't accepted anywhere else. In a small storage area beside the main building, you'll find Arlen Glass tinkering with some toys. He asks you to find some parts for an old Giddyup Buttercup toy in Atomatoys HQ. Look around the bosses office, and you'll discover "Marlene's holotape." The holotape is heartbreaking. Arlen was a workaholic and all Marlene wanted was her father to come home. He was at work when the bombs fell, which killed his wife and Marlene. He returns to what's left of his home, cries himself to sleep, then awakens as a ghoul. He deeply regrets working so much. If you give him Marlene's holotape, he will make peace with what happened and leave The Slog.

4 Think Twice Before Entering That Settlement

Did you find it odd when you first entered the Covenant, only to be grilled with weird, random questions? These S.A.F.E. questions are as obscure as the employment test of Fallout 3, but it still has a purpose. These questions are asked to weed out humans from Synths. If you pass the check and prove you're human, you're allowed into the settlement. The settlement acts as a trap for both humans and Synths. Anyone who is slightly suspected of being a Synth will be taken captive. Their bodies will involuntarily be used as experiments. The answers the test provide are used to make the S.A.F.E. test more accurate. The Covenant will make you think twice before entering any random settlement.

3 Can't We Have Square Pizzas Instead?

Even before the bombs fell, companies were experimenting on children. At the Suffolk County Charter School, the principal and Vault-Tec agreed to work together on the Nutritional Alternative Paste Program so the school could get more funding. Without the prior authorization from teachers and parents, the children were fed an unusual pink substance for lunch. Children did not have the option to bring in food, or they would be punished. Everyone, except for the principal, was furious about the mysterious pink substance. Their skin began to become pinker as a result of eating the paste. The school was a victim of the bombs of the Great War. Due to the radiation, everyone inside turned into ghouls. Due to the chemicals in the paste, these ghouls have a pink skin tone.

2 Runaway Never Finds Her Sanctuary

Pre-war America had a different set of socially-accepted behaviors. As soon as you leave Vault 111, you'll discover Ranger Cabin, a small shack west of Sanctuary. Among the Radroaches is a skeleton lying on a bed. The remains are one of many skeletons you'll discover in the game, but this particular body has a sad background. There's a holotape beside the bed, and you can find out more about them. Before the bombs hit, the skeleton was a young teenage girl who was pregnant. After telling her parents of her pregnancy, she was shamed into leaving her family. She never told her boyfriend about the pregnancy. Her family never found out what happened to her, just like we can only assume her family perished. She died with her arms in the position of holding her baby bump.

1 You Were The Monster All Along

The Prydwen is the Brotherhood of Steel's central headquarters. If you join the faction, you'll travel here several times. Inside the airship are a variety of doctors, scientists, soldiers, and children, who were Initiates. If you decide to join the Institute instead, you will have to take down the giant airship. Everyone on board will die, and there's no proof anyone survived.

Most players don't choose to join the Institute since they are seen as the most significant antagonistic threat of Fallout 4. Even if you decide to take down the Institute, there are Synth children that will be killed in the process. Synth children may not impact you as much if you believe they're not real kids. In a game that strongly disapproves killing children and outright removes it in Fallout 3 and 4, you can kill numbers of them in most endings.