The irradiated wastes of the Fallout series make for some of the most memorable and interesting open-world experiences in gaming. Players have been drawn to the dusty plains, the ruins of once great cities, and the ghoulish bases.
While some of these locations are fun and engaging with a wealth of lore, others are little more than shacks or the rotted remains of houses. Here are some of the best and worst each Fallout game has to offer in terms of places to explore.
Only the numbered Fallout games, including Fallout 76, and New Vegas will be covered.
12 Best Area Fallout: Mariposa Military Base
While there are plenty of interesting places to see in this game, Mariposa Military Base has to be the most memorable. It is here that the Master, Super Mutants, and the concept of Unity were first founded. This large facility housed the Forced Evolutionary Virus that would cause so much chaos and destruction in the post-apocalypse.
Aside from the chilling logs that the player uncovered here, there was also the sprawling dungeon of enemies to take down. Players could either go in guns blazing or sabotage the robots in the area to do the work for them.
11 Worst Area Fallout: Khan Base
The Khans are a powerful force to be reckoned with as they raid and pillage their way across the wastes. Yet this nomadic lifestyle has caused them to be very sparse with their base of operations. As a result, the Khan Base is little more than a single building surrounded by four tents.
The boxing ring is kind of cool and the easter egg that occurs if the player’s character is male, wearing a leather jacket, and has a Luck state of nine is entertaining, but that’s it. Players won’t spend a lot of time here and it isn’t very memorable, a shame considering this is the home of a powerful clan of warriors.
10 Best Area Fallout 2: Vault City
Vault City is a shining example of mankind’s perseverance and ingenuity when given the right tools. The denizens of Vault 8, one of the few fully functioning vaults not sabotaged by Vault-Tec, have become a major powerhouse in the region.
Granted, life isn’t all roses given the strict rules and oppressive leadership that comes with living in Vault City. Still for those looking for a safe place to live, wealthy trading partners, shops, good healthcare, and don’t mind being unofficial slaves, it’s a clean and well-maintained option.
9 Worst Area Fallout 2: Vault 15
Vault 15 is almost the polar opposite of Vault City in every way. Where one is a metropolis of success and safety, the other is a ruined husk. Part of this is due to the fact that Vault-Tec loaded it up with people of radical and differing ideologies as part of a social experiment.
After being abandoned by the original inhabitants, Vault 15 was retaken by squatters and later the New Khans. It’s a dead vault with little to offer and not a lot to see or find, even after the player fixes it up a little.
8 Best Area Fallout 3: The Pitt
The once proud city of Pittsburgh is now The Pitt, a sprawling city of raiders seeking power and survival in the wastes of Fallout 3. Founded by former Brotherhood of Steel initiate Ishmael Ashur the city became a hub of production and industry.
Admittedly few would actually want to live here given the toxic water, radiated spots, savage inhabitants, rampant slavery, and brutal leadership. But as an explorer, this Mad Max inspired dystopia is full of danger, violence, and adventure.
7 Worst Area Fallout 3: Girdershade
Girdershade is a small settlement of two houses located underneath a broken down overpass. These two buildings aren’t remarkable, there is little in the way of defenses and the overpass doesn’t even cover one of the houses.
To make matters worse, creatures like radscorpions or yao guai can be found wandering on the property. Not only is this area boring to look at, but Girdershade is also completely ineffective at keeping the horrors of the waste out.
6 Best Area Fallout New Vegas: Sierra Madre Casino
The Sierra Madre Casino in Fallout New Vegas is a pre-war structure that remained surprisingly intact and unscathed. In fact, walking into this location is like stepping back in time before the bombs fell. It’s also a terrifying location straight out of a horror movie.
With a red fog hanging over the place, flickering holograms, wandering Ghost People, and lethal security, the Sierra Madre Casino is a place of nightmares. The ‘City of Gold’ was a place that made the player want to never set foot inside and simultaneously explore every inch.
5 Worst Area: Fallout New Vegas: The Gray
While survival is paramount in the post-apocalypse, it’s odd that anyone would choose The Gray to live in. A small residential building, it is drab, plain, and depressing.
Sure, the place has plenty of room for a community wanting to survive. There is also a likely tactical advantage in a square building with minimal entries and a second floor for shooting at creatures and invaders. But with all the places a person could choose to live in New Vegas, The Gray seems like the most boring option.
4 Best Area Fallout 4: Dunwich Borers
Dunwich Borers is a marble quarry in Fallout 4 that seems dull on the surface, but in its depths is a dark secret that reveals the cultish nature of the company that was excavating it. It turns out the mine was created to gain access to an ancient temple created to worship the eldritch god Ug-Qualtoth.
Descending into the depths triggers flashbacks showing occult rituals and human sacrifice. The entire place is a reference to The Dunwich Horror by H.P. Lovecraft, which was published in the Weird Tales pulp magazine. The cult, the name of the location, the eldritch god in the temple below, and a copy of Astoundingly Awesome Tales found as loot are all references to this chilling short story.
3 Worst Area Fallout 4: Sunshine Tidings Co-op
Sunshine Tidings Co-op is a settlement that appears to have been a commune before the bombs fell. It’s full of small cabins, a small working farm, and not much else.
While there is a Mister Handy robot offering security which is helpful, it was “liberated from slavery” and reprogrammed to be Professor Goodfeels. The robot wanders around the commune spouting catchphrases like “groovy” or “far out.” Needless to say, this place gets old real fast.
2 Best Area Fallout 76: Lucky Hole Mine
One of the more interesting areas in Fallout 76 is the Lucky Hole Mine in the Savage Divide. Originally it was nothing more than a lead mine, but local members of the Cult of the Mothman thought it was more. They were convinced it was meant to serve as a place to worship The Interloper or the Firstborn of the Wood.
These Mothman cultists excavated the mines further using the rooms the miners had abandoned and constructed effigies, coffins, altars, and other occult creations. It’s another location referencing H.P. Lovecraft, but the crazy thing about this one is that the slumbering Interloper can actually be found in the mines.
1 Worst Area Fallout 76: Fraternity Row
Fraternity row is a small neighborhood where collegiate-based homes are located. The buildings are largely unremarkable, the backstory is a bit silly, and the loot isn’t anything special.
Granted, the secret distillery and the reason for it is a bit amusing. There’s also a subtle reference to the first Saw film in the Pi House. But other than that, Fraternity Row is little more than a time capsule of dumb college students and binge drinking.
NEXT: Every Fallout Game, Ranked By Total Map Size
