Exploring the Commonwealth is a great deal of fun in Fallout 4, but it becomes quite predictable after a while. The solution, of course, is to expand on the game by installing a series of mods that add new locations for players to explore. Thankfully, there are some truly excellent ones out there that deserve a spot on the load order.
Some of these mods expand the explorable Commonwealth, while others allow players to travel to completely new and separate locations. Many of these mods include new quests, loot, and settlements to explore, which further adds to the fun of replaying one of Bethesda's highest-rated games.
Atomic World
Atomic World is simplistic in the fact that it merely wishes to expand on the Commonwealth's explorable areas. It's meant to flesh out the game world a little more and offer a host of new things to find. Interior locations are included in this mod, and more should be added as the mod is updated in the future.
The mod author attempted to take otherwise barren areas and pepper them with new additions. Players will bump into abandoned camps, cities, or parks, which will hopefully add a more dynamic feeling of exploration to the base game.
Wanderlust - A Journey West
This mod encourages gamers to go west in search of adventure and all the danger that comes with it. It's a desert-themed environment nicknamed the Burning Lands which hosts a conflict taking place between two factions, the Tri-City Union, and the Confederated Cities.
There is no hardline quest to follow, but rather, an explorable area with multiple locations to discover and a host of new loot to raid. Players will battle Raiders, Unionists, and several other factions while checking out everything that the Burning Lands have to offer, which is a nice change of scenery.
Forgotten Cove Island
Sometimes, the best mods are not, in fact, the biggest or most ambitious. Forgotten Cove Island is well-liked by Fallout 4 gamers for its simplicity, atmosphere, and adherence to immersion. It may be tiny, but it's definitely worth adding to a load order to expand the game's explorable locations.
Forgotten Cove Island is all about details that help immerse the player in the atmosphere. It hasn't been updated since 2016, which means this mod is probably finished as intended, but it does offer a welcome respite for players who want to get away from the post-apocalyptic video game world.
Fallout 4 Northern Springs DLC
Northern Springs is one of the most ambitious location mods for Fallout 4, by far. It is estimated that the mod rivals both Nuka World and Far Harbor combined in terms of size, which is no small feat. This huge new land contains plenty of quests, loot, and settlements to find.
The aim was for the Northern Springs to act as an unofficial piece of DLC that integrates nicely with the base game. Adding this to a load order can significantly boost the longevity and playtime of Fallout 4, which is a major boon for gamers who want to do something new during their next playthrough.
South Of The Sea
The Glowing Sea is widely regarded as the creepiest spot in the Commonwealth, and for good reason. It's an irradiated wasteland with horrors lurking over every mountain of debris. This mod expands the Glowing Sea in a huge way with a massive amount of content, making it feel far less barren and boring.
South of the Sea adds an astonishing 65+ new locations both within and below the Glowing Sea area. The modding team has indicated that they cannot continue work on the mod, but they have released all permissions for others to pick it up and continue the work. Be that as it may, South of the Sea is definitely worth checking out.
Beyond The Borders - New Lands Mod
Skyrim has a lot of mods that add new locations to the game such as the popular Beyond Reach. Fallout 4 has a similar mod in the form of Beyond the Borders, which expands the explorable area to the north with 20+ new locations to discover, a selection of voice-acted NPCs, and new loot.
The mod is considered complete at this point, which means gamers can install and enjoy it as it was fully intended. There's enough to see and do to make it enjoyable, even for veteran Fallout 4 players who have run through the game several times already.
Shipwreck Isle
Creepy islands are fun to explore, especially within the Fallout 4 setting. Shipwreck Isle capitalizes on this by introducing a new island with a lot of dangers and tons of beneficial loot. The mod requires the Far Harbor and Wasteland Workshop DLC packs in order to function.
The island itself feels more akin to something out of the Elder Scrolls universe, which isn't actually a bad thing. The only sign of civilization is a lighthouse in one corner, which adds to the overall creepiness of the mod. It's worth checking out simply for the change in scenery.
Journey To Ipswich
Journey to Ipswich is a new worldspace built inside a marshland, and it features more than a dozen locations to discover and explore. The mod is designed to be challenging, and the author recommends that players visit it only when they've hit level 25 or above.
There's a bit of a story tacked onto the mod, but, at its heart, it's more about exploring a mysterious and ominous new land. There are lots of treasures to discover if gamers are eagle-eyed enough to spot them, which makes up a large bulk of the mod's fun factor.
The Wilderness
This particular location mod boasts a worldspace apparently as large and detailed as Nuka World, which is reason enough to sit up and take notice. It is a story-driven location mod centering around a strange curse afflicting a new land.
The new land contains tons of abandoned buildings, secret areas, new music, and more. The horror theme is a nice, and fitting touch, and the amount of detail sprinkled throughout the mod is very impressive.
Project Lunar
This Fallout 4 location mod is probably one of the most outrageous, by far. It deposits the player on the moon, where they must take on Institute Synths while building a lunar base, which is a definite change from traditional gameplay. The player arrives via Institute teleport, which is where the adventure begins.
In addition to offering the most radical worldspace change, Project Lunar introduces mechanics like low gravity combat, which is a major plus. The lighting and atmosphere are top-notch and feel authentic as players scour the surface of the moon during the course of the adventure.