There’s been a lot of criticism about how Fallout 4 has rolled out its DLC plans, but personally I’ve felt it’s been just shy of achieving what are the greater examples of post-release content. Packs like Wasteland Workshop fit better as more was added on, although nothing was done to combat the feelings players had upon finishing the rather short Automatron. And even Far Harbor had its fair share of problems, even in its wide scope. In summary, every Fallout 4 add-on has contained senses of quality and success, but they still haven’t stuck together into a fair or worthy package. And sadly, Fallout 4 Contraptions Workshop, doesn’t change this for the better or worse.

Gameplay:

You’ll never want to play the game without this!

If you’ve lived under a rock Fallout 4 wise for the past couple of months, you might be disappointed to know that half of Fallout 4’s additional content rests in its settlement features, which didn’t exactly impress in the base game. Yet, Contraptions Workshop contains some hints that Bethesda actually listened to the criticism of the more useless and dumbed down items implemented in the last post-release package.

For example, one of Contraptions Workshop’s best additions is a conveyer belt. While sounding simple in practice, it offers a far easier way of transporting items if you haven’t leveled your character enough to be a trash carrying hunk. On top of this, there are also elevators, catapults and more. It’s still a bit silly, but has less novelty and more seriousness than Wasteland Workshop, which is a good thing.

Story & Design:

Players will likely fool around with Preston once they lose patience

One thing that players will immediately notice about Wasteland Workshop, is the fact that you’ll have to hunt for a lot of wood, metal, and overall scraps in order to truly progress your settlement needs. It’s truly a game added on top of a game, and if you aren’t a fan of Fallout 4’s exploring or the world, I can see this being a definite chore.

Another thing is how clunky the machinery can be to set up upon collecting all your resources. This is even worse with console controls, and you simply feel like an idiot after not being able to align certain objects properly after numerous tries. The fantastic end result is still there, but dear lord do I still have some flashbacks.

Presentation/ Visuals & Audio:

More customizable armor!

Fallout 4 Contraptions Workshop also has it’s fair share of cosmetic items, but these meld better with the other features instead of feeling like a lazy aside. The glory of building signs and lights is back once again, and this will definitely tickle the fancy for players who want to have their cake and eat it too.

Conclusion:

Fallout 4: Contraptions Workshop could have been an acceptable DLC if the work wasn’t so strenuous. It’s great to see everything in motion, but simply not worth the effort. I understand that Bethesda can’t crack out great story DLC every second and have to cater to every players needs, but this is an insignificant step in making settlements great again.

Fallout 4: Contraptions Workshop gets a 5/10 (Flawed)

We’d like to thank Bethesda PR for giving us a code!

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