Go Neck-deep in Robots with Fallout 4’s Automatron Expansion

If there’s one way to spice up any danger-filled jaunt into the irradiated wastes of post-apocalyptic New England, it’s sprinkling a cornucopia of psychotic killer robots into the mix. With Fallout 4‘s adventure being set in and around the heart of a Boston – home to Boston Dynamics, MIT, and some of the country’s leading robotics experts  –  it only seems fitting that this latest entry in the series ramps up the mechanical mayhem to often-crazy levels.

So far, many of the most exciting and stress-inducing encounters during my time wandering the commonwealth wastes have been from run-ins with droid-folk of one sort or another.

Skirmishes with the eerie Terminator-like Synths in the Northeastern reaches outside the city whet my palate for bot pugilism early-on  –  this, of course, was before getting promptly curb-stomped by my first Sentry bot. A romp deeper into the city limits for a pit stop at Hester’s Consumer Robotics turned into delicious chaos amidst a room full of angry Mister Handys, another heavy-duty Sentry, and an ultra-aggro Assaultron. Pro-tip: Blow the legs off those things, and they’ll still keep crawling at you. It’s more than a little unsettling.

Other times, robot encounters provide great moments of comic relief. Stumbling across Professor Goodfeels and his hippy-dippy “just be” mode was worth a chuckle, as are the many one-liners that your robot companion Codsworth cheerily spits out as he’s buzz-sawing enemies to death.

If you haven’t yet waded deep into the wayward nooks and crannies of Fallout 4‘s map, you should know that it’s already a goldmine of robo-shenanigans. That’s only a taste of what’s to come, too.

Automatron DLC Details

Available now, Automatron is the first of Bethesda’s upcoming planned Fallout 4 content drops, and it has some special treats in store for bot-lovers out there, ranging from new quest encounters to fresh goodies and ways to use the scrap you scavenge.

Fans of Fallout 3 may recall running into a quirky character called the Mechanist, an average Joe mechanic who went crazy when his favorite bot was destroyed by the AntAgonist – a costumed character with the power to control giant mutant ants. Depending on who you speak with (and believe), the Mechanist is either a heroic defender, or a lunatic menace to society with a killer robot army. We’re leaning toward the latter.

Automatron marks the return of the Mechanist, who sets loose a mob of nefarious robots across the Commonwealth countryside. Dealing with the mysterious villain and his droves of deadly bots will no doubt offer wacky and entertaining thrills. What’s particularly interesting about this add-on is that it lets your scavenge the parts from any rampaging bots you wreck, and use them to modify your own robot peeps.

From what we know right now, it sounds like you can swap out and improve everything from armor, systems functions, limbs, and weaponry to aesthetics like paint skins and robotic voices. Also: We’ll be getting our hands on at least one new weapon – the lightning chain gun – so prepare for some fresh pew-pew!

Already armed with a Fallout 4 Season Pass? Buckle up; it’s about to get all “death droids of doom” in here.