Fallout 4’s survival mode breathed a new life into the game as fans of the series rushed to play it. This new mode is called survival mode, which introduces some new mechanics into the game and makes existing ones harder. So, we’ll be discussing some Fallout 4 survival mode tips in this guide.
You can get a good idea of what kind of game mode it is by the name alone. The players who wanted a challenge are welcome to select this mode at the beginning of the game. But how is survival different from the regular Fallout 4’s story? Let’s find out!
What’s Survival Mode in Fallout 4
Survival mode has landed on other Fallout games, like in New Vegas by the name of “Hardcore Mode”. It’s more of a difficulty than a mode that completely disables auto-saving and fast travelling. So next time you feel like being brave in survival mode, do check if there’s a mattress nearby to save first. In addition to saving, ammo has weight, and your character takes 200% increased damage.
So is there any way to make your journey through this treacherous mode a bit easier? Well, here are some Fallout 4 survival mode tips we recommend you try. So in no particular order, here are Fallout 4 Survival Mode Tips.
Fallout 4 Survival Mode Tips
Tip#1 Be Wary of Your Environment
One of the most crucial and obvious tips is to watch for your surroundings. The enemies you face will be more challenging, meaner, and take you down in 2-3 hits. The old running and gunning tactic won’t work and instead, using stealth to creep across the map is your best bet at survival.
Knowing when to engage and when to watch from the sidelines will help you gain a considerable advantage in the game. If you are thinking to engage, always make sure there’s a bed or a nearby settlement so you can save. This tactic can keep you from losing hours of gameplay.
Tip#2 Remember to Collect Pre-War Money
One of the most valued currencies in Fallout 4’s survival mode. Since every item you loot in the mode weighs something, well, good news, this money doesn’t. It was a junk item in the main game, but it sells for 8 caps in survival mode. You can easily acquire stacks of these and cash them in for caps.
Or if you have enough caps, they also act as a cloth resource so you can make beds with them in your settlements. This is another example of how the survival mode changes your playstyle compared to the main story.
Tip#3 Preparation is Key to Survival
As discussed earlier, enemies in Fallout 4’s survival mode are much more brutal than in the main story. But besides them, you’ll also need to worry about your health, exhaustion, and dehydration. When roaming about in the world, you need to have items that will keep your stats in good shape.
Packing up an ample supply of food and water with you is crucial. You’ll also need to bring weapons and a sleeping bag if you have enough room. Besides these basic items, make sure to stock up on healing items like the Anti-biotics that can cure your illnesses.
Micro-managing your inventory is essential so hoarding up on items ins’ an option here. Plan well and only bring selective items with you on your journey.
Tip#4 Manage Your Settlements
Since food, water, and sleeping beds have become the top things you need to survive, building your settlements is now more important than ever.
Every settlement you build should have at least one bed for you to sleep and save in. In addition to a bed, you should have a water pump, cooking, and a chems station to ease your journey through survival mode.
This helps you with the thirst and exhaustion mechanic discussed earlier. You can fill up those empty Nuka-Cola bottles with water and bring them along for the ride.
While you’ll find stagnant water around the wastelands, using purified water from pumps in the settlements is much safer to use. And it’s cheap to build (only 3 concrete, 4 steel, and a screw), so why not?
Similarly, crafting beds requires a screw, 5 cloth, and 4 steel but the well-rested perk you get after 8 hours of sleep is worth it. Well-rested perk gives you a 10% XP grain increase so YAY! So better invest some time and resources into building settlements because they are going to help you in the long run.
Tip#5 Don’t Be a Jack of All Trades
Alright, let’s talk weapons now. And this is also one of the best Fallout 4 survival mode tips for you. Try not to start specialising in several weapon types; instead, stick to one. For starters, this way, you’ll carry less but only powerful weapons with you. Secondly, other mechanics need your attention, so specialising in different weapons will only add unnecessary grind.
An effective approach to this is you can specialize in two different types of weaponry. For example, you could use an assault rifle and a marksman/sniper rifle. This way, you’ll be ready for short, mid, and long-range encounters. You could try mixing and matching to see what works for you.
Tip#6 Always Aim For a Headshot
It’s universal game knowledge that headshots packs the most damage when it comes to weapons. This tip is especially great for survival mode since you’ll be rationing ammo and your health items.
However, this tactic only works in conjunction with tip#1, which means being aware of your surroundings and being stealthy. A moving enemy can make it considerably harder for you to land a headshot.
It might not always go in your favour since heads are the smallest target on an enemy. But practicing will get you there, and you’ll be nailing those critical headshots in no time.
Tip#7 Most Helpful Perks
Perks in the game are specialised skills that make a significant impact on how your gameplay pans out. Using the right set of perks can shift the survival mode tremendously in your favour. This is one of the most important Fallout 4 survival mode tips, so here are some of the best perks.
Aqua-girl/boy: This is a really helpful perk that turns the contaminated waters of wasteland into your ally. With this perk enabled, you’ll be able to submerge yourself into the water and become undetectable to threats. Since you’ll be taking no radiation damage, you can easily swim across distances as well.
Strongback: It will help you endure the extra weight of your inventory so you can carry an increased number of items with you. This means you can carry more food, water, healing items, weapons and bullets with you to aid in your travels.
Scrapper: Crafting defences, mods for armor and weapons need components. Scrapper allows you to yield more components after harvesting useless weapons and loot.
Local Leader: This is a perk that complements tip#4, which emphasizes building settlements. This will allow you to create supply lines between settlements. It will link all the resources and inventories of the two settlements.
More Fallout 4 Guides: Fallout 4 Best Starting Stats: Complete Guide On Perks And Builds
Tip#8 Don’t Answer Call for Help
I know what it looks like but believe me, it’s for your own good. In this mode, it’s more about the survival of the fittest rather than being an overpowered killing machine. You’ll get distress calls from a nearby settlement being attacked but facing enemies head-on is a suicide mission.
If it makes you feel better, the settlement residents cannot be killed by the attackers. Sure some items will get damaged here and there, but you’ll be able to tend to them as long as you are breathing.
Tip#9 Charisma Is Vital
You are already limited on caps in the game, so charisma stat will help you get some vital bartering skills. It will allow you to have much better buying and selling prices from the vendors. On top of that, you’ll be able to make more peaceful conversations with others that won’t escalate into conflict. Because in survival more, avoiding conflict at all costs is the key.
There are some clothes that increase your charisma amount so you won’t have to invest points into the attribute itself. A nice outfit with glasses, a hat and clothing can increase your charisma by 4.
Tip#10 Don’t Overwhelm Yourself
Hearing survival mode’s name often puts off less frequent players due to giving off a sense of difficulty. At the end of the day, it’s just a game and enjoying it thoroughly is the main goal.
Planning and strategizing is great but don’t overwhelm yourself with all the mechanics at once. Ease your way into the playstyle and let the tactics come to you naturally. And even if you die, you can always start at the last saved location so it’s not like survival is a perma-death mode.
So, try to use these Fallout 4 survival mode tips to your advantage and have fun gamers!
Update: The Fallout 4 Survival Mode Tips Guide has now been updated with more tips to help you win the games!
Good job! Please give your positive feedback 😏
How could we improve this post? Please Help us. 💡
