Bethesda's Fallout series has garnered a massive global fanbase due to its mix of post-apocalyptic action and vast worlds to explore. While story is delivered by talking to characters and various big events happening, the games really shine when the player moves off the beaten path and starts discovering things for themselves.
This means that no two playthroughs are exactly the same and it creates an addictive “water cooler” feel, as you can talk about an interesting bit of lore you discovered or the random creature nest you stumbled into.
Fans have come to expect rich and detailed worlds from Bethesda and it's clear that a ton of effort has gone into meeting those high expectations.
As a result, some of these secret areas, events, and unique settings may be missed by players who aren't obsessive superfans.
With that in mind, we decided to showcase some of the most interesting, and just plain cool, corners of the games that are easy to miss in a regular playthrough.
Here are the 15 Hidden Areas You Never Found in Fallout.
15. Deathclaw Promontory (Fallout: New Vegas)
There are some hidden areas in the Fallout series that are not recommended to explore if you're at a relatively low level. The Deathclaw promontory in New Vegas is definitely one of those areas. Located on the East bank of the Colorado River, it's pretty out of the way, but super worth it if you're insanely brave and/or have enough firepower to level entire cities.
If you follow a dirt path over some cliffs, you'll come across an area teeming with Deathclaws, one of the toughest enemies in the game. What follows is a veritable smorgasbord of suffering, as the area spawns 30+ of the vicious clawed horrors for you to fight.
It's not just the normal ones either, as there are Mothers and Alpha Males scattered in the mix too, which make sure that you're kept on your toes the entire time. If you wanted to take on one of New Vegas' toughest challenges for yourself, seek out the promontory -- just make bring plenty of stimpaks.
14. Rocket Shed (Fallout 4)
If you're looking to kick back after a long day of killing things in Fallout 4, then we urge you to find the “rocket shed.” This area is located northeast of Relay Tower 0BB-915. If you look in the right spot, you'll see a metal shack overlooking a cliff.
Upon entering the shack, you'll find three ramps with gas canisters on them, pointing over the deep wasteland valley below. Once you take it all in, it becomes clear as to what you re supposed to do. The canisters can be shot off the end of the ramps, causing them to explode in the far distance.
While this is fun in itself, the great news is is that you have a ton of spares. This leads to plenty of explosive experimentation. There's not much more to it than that, but there's something to be said for the simple joy of setting off a bunch of rockets whilst jamming along to Diamond City Radio.
13. Message in a bottle quests (Fallout 4)
Since these miniquests are only activated by picking up bottles on the beach, we're not going to blame you if you accidentally byed them. There are six in total and each leads you on a small journey to find some hidden loot. They usually require you to dive underwater and retrieve steamer trunks that are packed with goodies.
While you are completing these quests, you'll discover some weird sights. For example, there's a crashed plane containing the body of a pilot who lost his mind and ate his own hand, having believed a fish. In another, there's a skeleton gripping a teddy bear in a submerged bathtub.
Fans of Die Hard will also get a kick out of the message for the “Dressed to Kill” quest, which simply reads “Come out to the coast, we'll get together, have a few laughs.” This is a reference to John McClane's sarcastic quip as he's making his way through Nakatomi Plaza's cramped air vents.
12. Lakelurk Cove (Fallout: New Vegas)
If Deathclaws aren't your cup of tea, but you still want to test your mettle against some of New Vegas' more disgusting inhabitants, look no further than Lakelurk Cove. You won't see it on any in-game map, but you'll know when you've found it. The terrifying sight of mutated snapping turtles lumbering forward will be a pretty big clue.
If you head east from Blue Paradise Vacation Rentals, you should be able to find this hidden nest of nasties. As Lakelurks are much slower than Deathclaws, the cove won't pose the same challenge of the promontory. Regardless, they are not something that should be taken on lightly.
Lakelurks are merciless and can be brutal in large numbers, so plan your attack carefully or you'll end up as chunks of fish food before you can say “Black Lagoon." Unlike some of the other hidden places in Fallout, there's no special loot to be found here.
11. Devil's Throat Cavern (Fallout: New Vegas)
New Vegas seems to be made of scattered areas of tough enemies that are ready to destroy you at a moment's notice. In fact, there are so many of these pockets of pain, it can seem like Obsidian is purposefully setting traps for unsuspecting players to fall in to.
Let's say that you've just finished a ferocious battle with the gross Centaurs in The Devil's Throat, a huge crater in the Mojave Wasteland. You finally land a sweet headshot on the Giant Evolved Centaur and breathe a sigh of relief. You patch yourself up to the best of your ability and limp exhaustedly to the north of the area.
Unfortunately, this cavern has four Super Mutant Masters that are armed to the teeth. You ultimately get shredded by a mini gun and die. This leaves you with nothing else to do but load your previous save. The fact that the game seems engineered to create these moments is both cruel and hilarious.
10. The Yangtze (Fallout 4)
Whilst this area does have a side mission attached, it can still be missed if you're not careful. The location is just off the coast of the Commonwealth. A visit to the pier near the Shamrock Taphouse will result in you meeting the young Danny Kowalski, who excitedly talks about seeing the eye of a sea monster out in the water.
Upon further inspection you find out that it's not a monster, but a stuck nuclear submarine called The Yangtze. The vessel is populated by feral ghouls and is captained by Zao -- the only one who retained his sanity out of the entire crew.
Captain Zao's pretty cool and if you help him fix his beloved Yangtze, you get the ability to call in tactical nukes, which never fails to be entertaining. After the mission is over, you can choose to tell Danny the truth or keep his childish dreams alive.
If you choose the latter, you tell Danny a fanciful tale of the sea monster swallowing you whole and you having to cut open its belly to escape.
9. Rockopolis (Fallout 3)
Avid listeners of GNR's radio drama, The Adventures of Herbert “Daring” Dashwood, will have heard mention of Rockopolis. This turns out to be a hidden underground village turned kingdom that met a tragic demise. The story goes that the village was secure until it took in an adventurer named Herbert Dashwood and his manservant, Argyle.
Having a penchant for the ladies, Dashwood soon cozied up to King Crag's daughter, leading to their exile. Dashwood's flirtatious nature basically doomed Rockopolis as he later boasted that he had good friends hidden away in the mountains. Dashwood led another woman to Rockopolis, who turned out to be the leader of the slavers. Whilst she dies, her men took the inhabitants hostage later and the village was destroyed.
The entrance can be hard to find, but if you head west from Smith Casey's Garage and hit a ravine, you're in the right place. As most of the area has suffered cave-ins, you won't be able to explore too far.
However, you will discover the corpse of poor Argyle, who died thanks to Dashwood's bone-headedness. Next to his body, however, is the Unarmed Bobblehead, a reference to his martial arts expertise.
8. Mercenary camp (Fallout: New Vegas)
If you happen to be exploring the Northwest of the Mojave Wasteland, near the Horowitz Farmstead, you may find a rather nondescript mercenary camp. Everything is fine until you realize that these mercenaries are packing some serious heat and they should probably be dealt with as quickly as possible.
One of the mercs will have reinforced armor on. It's important to take him down and loot his corpse so that you get the sweet YCS/186 Gauss rifle, a powerful weapon that can obliterate enemies in a flash.
If the player has the Wild Wasteland trait active, they'll also see a hovering UFO at this location, similar to the one that crashes in in Fallout 3.
Not only that, but the player will be able to pick up an alien blaster that guarantees critical hits and can kill most threats with a single headshot. If you wanted endless, slow-motion VATS shots of heads exploding, like in Scanners, the alien blaster has you covered.
7. Vitale Pumphouse (Fallout 4)
Heading east from Finch farm, it's possible to find the entrance to a pumphouse that is home to some unique loot. The pumphouse consists of two rooms, one with the numbers “10451” written on the wall and another that requires you to input a code into a combination lock. Unfortunately, there are no prizes for guessing what that code is.
After opening the lock, you find a bloodied skeleton that is slumped next to a .44 Magnum. However, this isn't just an ordinary gun, this is The Gainer -- a powerful weapon that fires incendiary rounds. If you can't see the appeal of rocking a Magnum that sets things on fire, then this unmarked location won't be for you.
Interestingly enough, the code itself is an in-joke developer reference to several classic games, as the code 0451 has appeared in titles such as System Shock, Deus Ex, Dishonored and Bioshock Infinite.
6. Exploding scientist truck (Fallout 3)
Exploring some of the Capital Wasteland's many wrecked bridges can give you a great view of the game's bleak, yet beautiful vistas. If you happen across the bridge west of Broadcast tower KB5, you'll also be treated to some dark comedy.
Walking up to the top of the bridge, you'll see a red truck jackknifed across the road. If you approach it, you'll hear a loud explosion, followed by parts of an unlucky scientist being flung out the door. On closer inspection, the truck contains some decent supplies, including a very useful mini nuke.
Searching the scientist's pockets will reveal a copy of The Big Book of Science, which, considering the situation, the recently deceased should have paid better attention to. It's a genuinely funny moment that will go unseen by many, as it doesn't appear on the map. It's well worth seeking out, if purely for the Schadenfreude.
