Summary
- Fallout has had a number of excellent DLCs that are still worth playing through.
- Fallout 3's Broken Steel expands the base ending for more narrative closure, while Fallout: New Vegas' Dead Money offers an intense survival-horror-like experience.
- Far Harbor for Fallout 4 explores the synth's origins while Nuka World allows players to become a Raider leader.
Fallout has had some excellent DLCs that further fleshed out the setting and story of each title. These introduced new characters, locations, enemies, and items to Fallout's world. While each previous title received a handful of expansions, some of these stand out more than others. And with Fallout 5 likely still a few years away at least, these DLCs are the best of the bunch and remain worth checking out.
The following recommendations will include two DLCs from each of the three recent mainline entries and one honorable mention apiece.
Is the Original Fallout Worth Playing in 2025?
The Fallout series is one of the most popular RPG series, but few fans have tried the near 28-year-old Fallout 1 despite its historical value.
Best Fallout DLCs Worth Playing in 2025
Fallout 3
- Broken Steel
- Point Lookout
Broken Steel was arguably the most significant of Fallout 3's DLCs, as it expanded from the base ending, which some felt was a bit abrupt. Upping the level cap and providing better closure after the events of the main plot, Broken Steel has the Lone Wanderer tracking down and eliminating the Enclave's remaining forces while ensuring their father's legacy in Project Purity continues to aid the Capital Wasteland.
Point Lookout then sends fans on a riverboat trip to Maryland's backwoods and hidden bogs, where the creepy Swampfolk (who strongly resemble Red Dead Redemption 2's Nightfolk) dwell. The main thread sees the Lone Wanderer caught up in the schemes of the dapper and wily ghoul spy, Desmond Lockheart. With a subplot also involving a strange cult, Point Lookout offers a trippy, spooky vibe and a memorable location.
Fallout: New Vegas
- Dead Money
- Lonesome Road
Dead Money, the first DLC released for Fallout: New Vegas, follows the Courier as they are lured by the prospect of finding the lost and luxurious Sierra Madre Casino's legendary treasure. The DLC pits players against former Brotherhood of Steel Elder Father Elijah in a death-trap-riddled game of cat and mouse through the casino that has since become a decaying fortress. The Sierra being covered in a choking red smog and haunted by the unsettling Ghost People makes it feel like a survival-horror experience. Its theme of letting go of past regrets and moving on is also woven well into the tale.
The last of New Vegas' expansions, Lonesome Road, brings the tale of the Courier and Ulysses full circle. Filling in the gaps of their complex history, the Courier heads to the wind-swept ruins of The Divide to navigate the wreckage and confront Ulysses, bringing their stories home in more ways than one. It also adds some excellent new high-end gear and cool enemies in the form of the Marked Men.
Fallout 4
- Far Harbor
- Nuka World
Akin to Fallout 4's version of Point Lookout, Far Habor sees the Sole Survivor explore the foggy coast of Maine in a similarly semi-Lovecraftian framework. While there, players uncover more of the origins and culture of Fallout's synths through a plot strongly connected to one of FO4's most popular companions, Nick Valentine. It also features some unique and extremely deadly enemies.
Nuka World brings fans to one of the most colorful and fun locations in the titular amusement park. The DLC gives the Sole Survivor the option to become a full-on Raider leader and flip the settlement-building on its head. Like Lonesome Road, Nuka World is also full of great items and new mutants to fight.
Honorable Mentions
- The Pitt (Fallout 3)
- Old World Blues (New Vegas)
- Automatron (Fallout 4)
While not as top-notch as the above, these three are still solid. The Pitt established an interesting location far north of the Capital Wasteland in the remains of the steel mills of Pittsburg, PA, where a worker revolt is brewing. The Lone Wanderer can intervene and choose who to side with and how to handle a morally gray situation.
Old World Blues is an ode to pulpy 1950s sci-fi, something that was already deeply ingrained in the series' DNA. In it, The Courier heads to The Big Mountain installation to deal with a collective of pre-War scientists who have spent a little too much time with each other in their advanced facility obsessed with bizarre and unethical experiments. It's a bit more comedic, but also has an emotionally impactful story underneath.
Finally, though Automatron is shorter compared to most of the rest, it was the first story DLC for Fallout 4. It provides a fun take on the character of The Mechanist, a callback to FO3, while adding in more robot-themed mods and items.
Fallout 4
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 87 /100 Critics Rec: 89%
