Fallout 4 follows the story of the Sole Survivor of Vault 111, 10 years after the events of Fallout 3, and more than 200 years after the bombs fell. Much has gone down in those intervening years. Civilization has ended and risen up to become something new. And it is all yours for the exploring.

Many people have spent dozens—or even 100s—of hours exploring all the core game and its DLC have to offer. But in a world where every rock or unassuming water ornament can be a story, it is hard to claim that you have seen it all.

There is a dark legacy of corporate-sponsored, human experimentation, extremely intimate human-cyborg relations, and even hot pink zombies. So there is plenty to explore for the person who can’t get enough of random post-apocalyptic hiking.

After this article, the next time you stroll through the streets of nuclear-devastated streets of Boston, I hope you think twice about skipping that random door. You will never find out how many plungers Bethesda will try and fit into a room full of precariously filled corpses.

So let’s get weird and check out some often odd, sometimes shocking, but always interesting facts you may have missed in Fallout 4.

20 These Mannequins Are So Good, They’ll Make Ya Head Spin… Spin-Off That Is

via: YouTube.com(Twothless)

Bethesda has a thing about doing messed up stuff with mannequins. Both Elder Scrolls and the Fallout series feature odd usages of mannequins. Head over to the Concord Speakeasy, and see how far the mannequin hole really goes.

You’ll find a corpse of a man lying in bed enjoying a beer with his arm wrapped around a female mannequin. Cool… Look behind you and you will find a decapitated corpse in a bathtub, surrounded by a bunch of plunger wielding mannequins. Riiiiight.

Now I don’t know what this fictitious character of Bethesda’s developers were thinking when creating this scene. But I do know, that mannequins are being exploited and I’m not gonna take it anymore!

19 You've Seen Some CREEPY Stuff My Man

via: YouTube.com(DanaDuchy)

Deacon, Fallout 4’s official man of mystery. Who doesn’t like a handsome, witty guy in shades? It turns out though that of charismatic companion has seen and done some really dark stuff in his day.

Once you get to know Deacon, he will drop all the fake pretenses and share his true past with you. Way back in the day, Deacon used to be a member of a synth-hating gang known as the University Point Deathclaws. However, one time they would end up attacking a generation 3 synth, however, he turned out to be an actual human.

Deacon was disgusted by this act and left the group. He eventually settled down with a woman and became a farmer. At this point, the Deathclaws found Deacon and murdered his wife, revealing that she had been a synth all along.

It seems Deacon works for The Railroad as an act of contrition for the things he has seen and done.

18 There Are Ghouls In The Mystery Meat

via: YouTube.com(BigZaNe08)

I stumbled upon Longneck Lukowski’s Cannery. And boy, am I glad that I did. This establishment is a textbook example of 1950s horror/thriller/comedy. Theodore Collins is the owner of the cannery, and he commissions the Soul Survivor to investigate the source of contamination that is making his clients ill.

Heading into the basement you find a bunch of mole rats hanging about, but not just hostile, but bodies neatly piled up… Concerning… Moving on, you will begin encountering ghouls now. And the corpses of them are also being stored... using meat hooks… Not good.

Turns out, to keep up with demand, Theodore had first mixed in a little mole rat meat. Then he began to slip in ghoul flesh. Clearly, you cannot be let to live, and Theodore attacks you with two butcher-bots.

Now I don’t know if this is cannibalism or not, but highly irradiated zombie flesh can’t be good for you.

17 I Really Like The Way The Light Shines Of Your Grey Matter

via: YouTube.com(UnknownMonkey101)

Are mannequins a little too stiff for your taste? Need a little more personality in your love life, but still like that artificial flavour (if ya know what I mean)? Then perhaps Gilda Broscoe is the “lady” for you.

For this evening of passion, you will need to head over to Far Harbour. Gilda is a 200-year-old brain of a once prominent and attractive actress who now resides in a robot body. She can be found rolling around Vault 118 in a cute sunhat.

After putting the moves on her with your epic charisma, she agrees to a sunset evening of wine. After this drink, the screen fades to black and you wake up with the Lover’s Embrace effect. This effect only happens when you have a sexual encounter with a companion…

Right on tiger! You just scored with a 200-year-old, barrel on tank treads… The world is your oyster.

16 “What’d They Do To Me?”

via: nexusmods.com

I remember stumbling across Swan by accident. Here I was, just wandering around downtown… Oh look, a nice little pond, I guess I will just take a break and … OH SNAP!!! That pretty little plastic swan is attached to a 15 foot Super Mutant Behemoth.

While Swan is certainly terrifying, he has a tragic story. Before he became the terror under the pond, he was a criminal who volunteered to subject himself to tests in exchange for reduced prison time.

This criminal was a man named Edward Swann. He was unknowingly subjected to FEV. His transformation is recorded in a series of notes. Initially, he experiences enhanced strength and intelligence. However, as the weeks pass, his intellect is severely hampered, to the point that he can barely string together a simple sentence.

Eventually, Edward is reduced to the psychopathic rage monster you find under the pond.

15 One Last Hit… Just To Kill The Pain

via: giga.de

Cait is one of my favourite companions from Fallout 4. Her addiction to chems and the vulnerability she expresses when you speak about it really add a level of humanity to her character.

When She warms up to you, she confides that she wants to get off the chems and informs you of a pre-war, experimental procedure that was being developed in Vault 95. Located in the southern part of the Commonwealth, you will find a vault that was intended to house junkies in an attempt to cure their addictions. However, the reality was much darker.

Vault-Tec intentionally placed a cache of chems inside the vault. Once these were found, chaos ensued. Vault-Tec reps were slaughtered, and the users all over-dosed en masse. Exploring the vault you can find long dead corpses, slumped in chairs, sprawl over toilets, or curled in corners. All of them with a pile of chems nearby.

14 Dude Looks Like A Lady!

via: funnyjunk.com

He kept this face for a couple months. Was he undercover? Did he like it? What did he do as a woman? Let’s speculate and have some fun.

Deacon is a fun character to be around. He always has something interesting to say, is dressed differently every time you see him, and always with his ever-present shades. One of his more interesting stories involves him moonlighting as a woman.

This is a brief line of dialogue and can be completely missed. Deacon just drops that he had facial surgery to become a woman for a few months. And that’s it, no follow up, nothing.

Who sliced your face? What did you do with your man face while you were galavanting around wasteland? Why exactly should I have “seen the looks on the guys back at HQ?”

13 Dude… She’s Like Your Cousin...

via: nexusmods.com

This is the kicker, the fact that all synths come from cells based on your son’s DNA is. :p

Fallout 4 certainly has its share of synths. However, Curie is a unique case. She begins her existence as a medical variant of a Mr. Handy personal robot. However, through the power of science, she is able to have her memories imported into a female synth body.

Here intentions were to experience what it is to be human so she could better insight for her research. However, the needs of the flesh need to be addressed as well. As such, Curie and the Sole Survivor can become romantically involved.

Truly a beautiful story of Man and Machine overcoming their differences in the ultimate expression of unity. However, when you think about it, all organic generation 3 synths are made from the same genetic material as the protagonist’s son. So, while you may be saving the world, you also may be playing the weirdest game of six degrees of... "family fun."

12 Crazy Is Just A Matter Of Perspective… Ask My Socks About It!

via: YouTube.com(Justin New)

There are many vaults strewn across the Commonwealth Wasteland. These were advertised as a shelter in a time where nuclear war was a near inevitability. However, in reality, these facilities often housed bizarre physical, mental, and social experiments. Vault 114, though unfinished, still attempted to participate in one of these experiments.

Located at Park Street Station, you will find a vault meant for those occupying the upper crust of society. The oddity of this vault was that the scientists of the vault began interviewing people with no leadership experience whatsoever. Eventually choosing a homeless man named Soupcan Harry as overseer of the vault. Mr. Soupcan, who exhibited Schizophrenic tendencies, once ate a box of cleaner, simply because the label said not to do it.

The purpose of this experiment was to record what would happen the privileged under the “guidance” of an utter lunatic. Needless to say, the vault has a corpse problem.

11 Nice Wheels Ya Got There… Are They Safe?

via: cgmeetup.net

Ya know those rusted vehicles you see abandoned and scattered throughout the Commonwealth Wasteland? The ones that often explode into a mushroom cloud if a firefight gets too close. Have you ever wondered where Bethesda got inspiration for their design?

These cars are based on the Ford Nucleon, which was a concept car from way back in the 1950s. These cars would have featured a compact nuclear engine! That’s right, now you too can experience the devastation of a nuclear meltdown with every fender bender!

This is a cool little reference as this concept car falls in line with the perpetual 1950s-esque timeline the Fallout franchise is known for. A nice way to add just that little extra bit of immersion to the experience.

10 This Is Kinda Like The Lord Of The Flies

via: moddb.com

Malden Middle School is another monument to the heinous acts committed by Vault-Tec corporation. Located in the North East of the Commonwealth, you will find Vault 75 buried below the school.

Parents and children were rushed into the vault as the bombs fell. However, soon after the doors were sealed, the parents were separated and promptly executed. What ensued next was a twisted survival of the fittest experiment.

The goal was to discover which child had the most superior genes. Those deemed “the fittest ” were harvested for their genes. While the most intelligent were pressed into service as vault scientists. One of these recruits discovered the truth and led a coup against the overseer.

By the time the Sole Survivor reaches Vault 75, the remaining “children” have escaped to the surface, all that remains of this twisted experiment are notes and terminal entries that are guarded and occupied by a group of Gunners.

9 Of Course, It’s The Institute! It’s Always The Damn Institute...

via: fallout.wikia.com

So Fallout vets know that the Super Mutants on the West Coast of the US are the product of the US Military experiments, and the mutants in Washington come from Vault 87. But how did they get to Boston? Surely they didn’t walk over. It seems the Institute is responsible for these abominations.

While the Institute was improving their synths into generation 2, they felt they needed more genetic material to reach the next level. To acquire this, the Institute kidnapped people from the surface and exposed them to FEV. This process continued for 40 years! And rather than disposing of their specimens, the ever curious scientists released them onto the surface, just to see what they would do.

So all the murder, raiding, and destruction caused by these roving bands of Super Mutants was the result of overzealous and unscrupulous Institute scientists. It could have been a nicer world, filled only with murderous raiders, and giant killer lobsters…

8 Oooooh, That Detail Though

via: reddit.com / alifrafikkhan.blogspot.com

To the southwest of the Nucleus, you will find an abandoned church. Climbing to the top of the bell tower, you will find the corpse of a sniper. Climbing down to the area the corpse was sniping at. You will find two vehicles parked perpendicular to the sniper nest. Perhaps cover?

Indeed! This a reference to the sniper scene in Saving Private Ryan, in which Vin Diesel’s character is shot by a German sniper, and the rest of Diesel’s squad has to hide behind some carts.

The attention to detail on this easter egg is as subtle as it is detailed. The sniper looks like he died in a prone position like he was killed by a counter sniper; just like in the film. The vehicle placement makes sense, as you cannot see behind the vehicles through your own sniper scope.

Nice work guys.

7 I Knew That Kid In Another Life

via: fallout4.wiki.fextralife.com

It is always fun to see old characters pop up into newer games. And Fallout 4 provides us with a nice little blast from the past.

As you may know, Fallout 4 takes place 10 years after the events of Fallout 3. But while these titles are temporally separated, they both take place on the US, Eastern Seaboard. So Boston is likely to have people that were walking around Washington 10 years prior.

And this is just the case as MacCready from the city of children, Little Lamplight can become a follower in Fallout 4.

This was a nice surprise when I came across MacCready in a dive bar in Goodneighbour. It’s especially amusing when you hear him shout “Tunnel Snakes Rule!” on occasion. Another callback to a bully from Fallout 3.

6 Psycho Is One Heck Of A Chem

via: YouTube.com(SpectralStar)

Fred Allen is Goodneighbour’s local chem dealer. He isn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer, but he runs a tight ship. He likes to perform a little quality control on his product. And like a responsible owner, he has recorded his experiences while under the influence of various items in his inventory for our amusement. Shall we?

“Oh, man. JET! That’s why they call it JET, man! Woo! I’m flying! FLYING BABY!”

“... I was on this Psycho high and I was typing and I just… man, it was like I couldn’t NOT be angry. Just started PUNCHING the keys, man! PUNCHING THEM! AND PUNCHING THEM…”

Whoa there pal. I think you need to take a nap their friend.

These entries are not part of a quest or anything. They are just another immersive detail left in the background for the curious explorer to stumble across.

5 You Put What In There? 

via: fallout.wikia.com

Vim! Cola signs can be seen all across the island of Far Harbour. But what a minute… isn’t Nuka-Cola the ubiquitous beverage choice all across the wasteland? Perhaps not everywhere.

Nuka-Cola was indeed trying to dominate the market, and Vim! was one of the last major companies to resist takeover. The owner, Doyle Reed commissioned a team to “capture the flavour of the island.” This lead to experimentation on developing a new recipe.

Exploring the Vim! Pop Factory, you will discover two very interesting facts. Terminals contain research that Vim! was experimenting with putting seafood into their cola to capture that harbour flavour. Also, notes left behind by a super mutant say consumption of the cola seemed to allow him to think straighter.

So what we have here is a fish-flavoured pop that helps super mutants with their anxiety. But is it refreshing?

4 An Unfortunate Real Life Parallel

via: todayfromfireflyfarms.wordpress.com / depressedpress.com

In true pre-Great War US fashion, everything was fair game when it came to experimentation, including children. In a joint experiment between the US Government and Vault-Tec, children were subjected to a food substitute experiment.

At the Suffolk County Charter School, you will find roving bands of hot pink feral ghouls and trays of pink goo. Clearly, the goo is being eaten by the ghouls, but what’s in that goo?

Well, it is never directly said, all we know is that it is a food replacement that has a 100-year shelf-life. But this is 200 years after the war, and you can consume it yourself… gross dude.

One can speculate that this goo is a reference to the pink goo scandal that rocked American ground beef producers in the 2010s. In which extra meat parts (also gross) were put in a machine that fired pink slime out the other end, which was then dumped into ground beef.

3 Point It AWAY From Your Face!

via: flickr.com

So, what if I told you that the Fatman personal Tactical Nuclear Catapult is based on a real weapon. This a cool, if not slightly disturbing little easter egg.

It’s true, the Fatman is based on on a prototype. This awesome piece of insane tech was called the Davy Crockett Tactical Nuclear, Recoilless Rifle… Sounds official. This was developed in the 1950s, and intended for use in Korea.

It’s good to know that real life scientists were just as irresponsible as the maniacs Fallout universe. Especially seeing that even the smallest Davy Crockett bomb was more powerful than any conventional bomb at the time. Seems like a safe thing to have near your face...

2 The Crows Are Not What They Seem

via: fallout.wikia.com

You ever wonder why there are crows at many milestones in the game? They are in the trees when you come out of the Vault. They are perched on streamers when you reach Concord early in the game. And they are watching when you arrive in Diamond City. Perhaps they are just opportunists, death is everywhere in the wasteland. However, exploring the Institute may change one’s mind.

If you explore the Synth Retention Bureau at the Institute, you will see many monitors with perspectives that are too high up for humanoids; a bird’s eye view if you will. YouTuber, Oxhorn seems to think so, as he made comparisons of these screen perspectives, to the in-game locations.

It seems that Father is very interested in the goings-on in the life of the Sole Survivor.

1 A Captain Never Leaves His Ship

via: fallout.wikia.com

There is a kid hanging around the Boston Harbour who speaks about seeing a monster poking its head up from under the water. Of course, you go and investigate. You will discover that it is no monster, rather it is the periscope of a 200-year-old Chinese nuclear sub.

Inside you will find an old, sentient ghoul named Zao, who is the captain of the submarine known as the Yangtze. This is hands down my favourite quest in the game. I have always been fascinated by what happened after in other parts of the world.

Zao, speaks of his intentions, his home, and his regret. He was the one who launched the missiles that created the Glowing Sea and destroyed Boston. It is a fascinating and very human quest. A nice bit of seriousness in the sometimes goofy world of the Wasteland.