Imagine Skeeter Davis’ haunting voice soaring out over the Fallout wasteland, blasting out from the small, old-timey radio left behind in whatever abandoned building you’ve discovered next while traversing the desolate landscape now known as the Commonwealth.
One of the most fantastic things that Bethesda gives us in the historic fourth installment of the Fallout video game franchise is the soundtrack, tying it in perfectly to the postwar environment of the game.
From the cheeky song selection and nostalgic rotation to the lore behind the only entertainment station broadcasting, to the additional side quests to follow, Diamond City Radio perfectly encapsulates how deeply music enhances the overall atmosphere in Fallout 4.
Continued Broadcasting in the Commonwealth
Diamond City Radio is an exceptionally strong component of Fallout 4, for more than just providing creature comforts in a wasteland filled with nuclear hazards and ghoulish creatures of its own. Switching the dial on that very first Pip-boy -scavenged near the entrance of Vault 111- opens up the story narration provided by Diamond City’s resident radio DJ, Travis Miles.
His stuttering broadcasts provide some nice bits of comic relief during the gravity of the situation, reminding us that despite one song’s pleadings, we should not, in fact, attempt to “Crawl Out Through the Fallout.” You know, because of ‘hazardous nuclear waste’ and all that jazz.
Travis As A Main Character? Sort of.
Looking deeper into the voice behind Diamond City Radio, Travis Miles is an interesting kettle of fish and a somewhat polarizing figure in the Fallout community. His side quest is a little more full than you might anticipate for a non-companion character but makes sense when you consider just how often his voice is in our heads (or our speakers) throughout this game.
His quest (appropriately titled Confidence Man) has drastically different results for the playthrough of the game depending on how you choose to influence our young hero. Choosing to maintain his awkward, highly introverted persona (in this case, losing the fight) will still allow players to see the second part of Vadim’s “fool-proof plan” to bulk Travis up.
Following the quest through to the end of the fight after helping Travis take down Bull and his buddy allows players the chance to continue flexing his newfound courage to rescue Vadim at the Beantown Brewery. Expect a radically different Travis from here on out even if it doesn’t end up working out with him and Scarlett.
This is a clear example of the Fallout lore expected of Bethesda, along with the autonomy to decide not to bother with Travis Miles at all. As typical of Fallout 4, players can choose to be agents of chaos and get rid of the stumbling DJ altogether. Killing Travis results in a new voice taking over the booth for the remainder of the playthrough: Sheng Kawolski, the precocious young water salesman of Diamond City.
Tying It All Together
These quests pertaining to Travis Miles and Diamond City Radio are arguably an integral part of Fallout 4, personal opinions on Travis aside. Fans are used to Bethesda inserting side quests in the Fallout universe at this point; it’s almost a rite of passage when a new edition comes out. The strength of this quest certainly indicates the continued development of lore as a key ingredient to future games and additions to the series.
Fallout 4 itself is currently seeing a resurgence in popularity thanks to the recent Fallout television series. Bethesda returning to the scene and releasing a second massive update for a game that was released approximately ten years ago is a clear indication of the impact both new and returning players have on the series.
Bethesda seems to realize how to capitalize upon a winning strategy when it sees one. As the new Fallout series has brought renewed interest, talk of the next installment begs the question: how long until then?
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