Fallout 4 mods are a constant source of inspiration. In the almost eight full years since the launch of the Bethesda RPG game, devoted Fallout 4 fans have utterly transformed the Commonwealth into, well, just about anything you can imagine. But this is something special; an enormous, ambitious, and unique Fallout 4 mod which crosses Cities Skylines with a brand-new story, missions, characters, and more to essentially deliver an entirely new game. We’re all eager for the Fallout 5 release date, but this will more than suffice in the meantime.
Fallout 4 Sim Settlements 2 is the massive sequel to the original mod of the same name. At its core, it overhauls the fussy settlement building mechanics of the base Fallout 4 game, with one simple gimmick.
Instead of meticulously constructing everything yourself, now, like in Cities Skylines and other city-building games, you set zones, targets, and plans for your settlements then sit back while the local population constructs them on your – and their own – behalf. The entire game suddenly feels much more organic and lifelike, as your NPC pals put up their own houses, shops, and utilities.
But Sim Settlements 2 doesn’t stop there. This is a management game with a story. Told across three sweeping chapters, you complete new quests, team up (and kill) an original cast of fully voice-acted characters, and tweak and rebuild your settlements as the plot evolves.
In the third and final part, just released, your ongoing skirmish with the Gunners spills over into a full-scale war. Using the soldiers and wastelanders you’ve gathered and housed throughout parts one and two, you need to prepare your settlements for large-scale gunfights.
There are multiple endings, new weapons, and you can even govern how the residents of your settlements will fight, instructing them to shoot to kill or, if you’re feeling a little more generous, attempt to take prisoners.
You can also claim territory across the Commonwealth map, not just the predetermined settlement locations from the base game. Recruit followers with specialist abilities, lead them into battle, then secure the area with patrols and begin to build.
Sim Settlements 2 is truly something special. If you haven’t tried it yet and want to start from the beginning, or if you’re a hardy veteran ready for the final chapter, you can find everything to get going right here.
Alternatively, try some of the other best games like Fallout. You might also want to zip over to the Mojave for a change, with the best Fallout New Vegas mods for 2023.