Fallout 4’s Far Harbor Is Filled With Interesting Characters

When you grab Fallout 4’s Far Harbor, it might seem like the new island is the primary draw. You’re getting a whole new area to explore, with very different topography and inhabitants than the Commonwealth you know. Getting the opportunity to head to a different place is a good place to start, but some of the new characters we get to meet on the journey are what really makes this expansion pack shine.

The first person you’ll get to know is Kasumi. Except, you don’t get to know her in the traditional sense. Fallout 4’s Far Harbor takes a cue from Gone Home and has you getting to know the missing girl by exploring her surroundings and interviewing her family. Katie has inadvertently left journals, windows, into her life around her house. You find holotapes. They’re scattered around the house. The first few hint at her daily life with her parents and absentminded repair work around the house. The final few hint at an identity crisis and drive to find a place for herself, where she can be herself and belong. We see all the machines she’s worked on. Posters of cats and music are in her room.

Then, we get the fulfillment of seeing who Kasumi has become. It’s an interesting transition. If you can pass a persuasion check, you can try to convince Kasumi of certain truths, but she’s found a place for herself in Acadia. She’s happy, productive, and protective of her new home. She even tasks you with additional quests to help keep her place safe. She’s an interesting woman who searched for the truth and found knowledge that made her happy.

Longfellow is another interesting fellow. He’s a colorful, rugged man. He knows more about Far Harbor than anyone else and gets you to Acadia safe and sound, even with a few minor altercations along the way. He sings sea shanties when he’s your companion. Badly. Longfellow is someone who knows how difficult life can be on this island and keeping him around adds extra flavor to your journey and commentary on the indigenous groups. Pretend you have a grandpa who’s an ornery coot who likes guns, drinking, and blatant commentary. Hey, that’s Longfellow!

He also offers a perk that’s pretty helpful if your approval rating is high enough. When you earn his trust and friendship, he’ll share “Hunter’s Wisdom” with you. This means any animal you encounter’s damage and energy resistance will be reduced by 25%. Since most of the enemies you’ll encounter exploring Far Harbor are wildlife, it can be quite the helpful bonus. He’s not big on Children of the Atom and is okay with Synths and folks in Far Harbor, so keep that in mind should you have him tag along on your adventures.

Finally, there’s DiMA. As much as I love Longfellow and encourage people to bring him along on Far Harbor adventures, Nick Valentine is probably the best person to bring along to at least Acadia. DiMA is head of the Synth settlement and is, in a word, charismatic. When I met him, I was charmed. He seemed too good to be true. Through him, we learn so much more about the history of both Synths and Far Harbor.

DiMA’s such an interesting character because it seems like he genuinely means well. Even if what he’s done isn’t exactly right or wrong, you can understand why he’s made the decisions he has. It gets you thinking about what sorts of choices you would make. If you were a member of a persecuted group, what would you do? He’s thought provoking. When it came time to make decisions that would determine would would happen to certain people on Far Harbor, I’ll admit that DiMA’s personable nature helped influence many of my decisions.

Fallout 4’s Far Harbor presents us with a rather interesting situation. We have an island that isn’t capable of supporting much human life. Yet, we meet at least three memorable characters. It’s unexpected. Each one has his or her own personality that causes you to warm to them, identifying with them as they find their place, attempt to do what’s best for all residents of the island, or be their kooky old man selves. Make sure you take every opportunity to talk to people when exploring Far Harbor.

Fallout 4 and the Far Harbor add-on are immediately available for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows PC.