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You can take a futuristic road trip through the Commonwealth in the “Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition,” which takes place broadly in Massachusetts.
Originally released in 2015 by Bethesda Game Studios, this new version of the game can out on Nov. 10 and still predominantly takes place in a post-apocalyptic future Bay State (except for a downloadable excursion to a fictionalized version of Bar Harbor, Maine), the Bethesda website said.
“Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition is available now on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4,” Bethesda said.
Even if you’re not the video game type, it is interesting to see just how many Massachusetts locations they managed to fit into the game.
Here are some of the most notable Massachusetts sights you can see in both real-life and in “Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition.”
Bunker Hill Monument
In “Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition,” the Bunker Hill Monument is a damaged version of its real-life counterpart. It also functions as the center of a fledgling community of traders and scavengers in the post-apocalypse. The make-shift town crowds around the obelisk, putting up ramshackle walls to protect themselves from super-mutated hulks.
In real life, the Bunker Hill Monument can be found at Monument Square in Charlestown, Massachusetts.
According to the National Park Service, this monument commemorates the first time New England soldiers encountered British forces on June 17, 1775. Of the approximately 2,400 fighters who battled, about 1,000 were injured or killed.
Faneuil Hall
In “Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition,” Faneuil Hall is a ruin inhabited by scores of irradiated and violent monsters, whom the player character has to either fight against or avoid entirely.
In real life, you can find the Faneuil Hall Marketplace at 4 South Market St. in Boston, Massachusetts. You can also find the Quincy Market building there as well as Newbury Comics and a Starbucks.
Boston Common
The Boston Common, much like most of the places on this list, is much smaller in the game than it is in real life. It also has a raging, giant mutated creature lurking within.
In real life, the Boston Common is a large public park that often hosts events, protests, and festivals.
According to the Boston government website, it was founded in 1634 by Puritan colonists.
Old North Church
In the game, the Old North Church is an abandoned church that (spoiler alert!) hides the secret headquarters of The Railroad, a covert group of militants who seek the liberation of sentient androids from a powerful and manipulative technocracy.
In real life, the Old North Church is an active Episcopal church. It is located at 193 Salem St. in Boston, Massachusetts.
In both real life and the game, the Old North Church is the oldest surviving church in Boston and part of the Freedom Trail.
The Old State House
The Old State House, in Fallout 4’s Commonwealth, is the seat of power for the charismatic mayor of a seedy town called Goodneighbor (a ruined future version of Scollay Square in a world that never saw the demolition of Scollay Square and conversion into Government Center.)
In real life, the Old State House is a historical landmark that many Bostonians walk past every day. You can find it at 206 Washington St. in Boston, Massachusetts.
“On July 18, 1776, Bostonians gathered under the balcony of Old State to hear for the first time the Declaration of Independence,” the National Park Service said.
Fenway Park
In the world of Fallout, the beloved baseball stadium Fenway Park has been transformed into Diamond City, a bastion of civilization in the Commonwealth’s post-nuclear wasteland. It was first established inside Fenway Park in the in-universe year of 2130, according to a Fallout Shelter description.
In real-life, Fenway Park is a baseball stadium owned by the Fenway Sports Group. You can find the home of the Boston Red Sox at 4 Jersey St. in Boston, Massachusetts.
What are other Massachusetts landmarks in Fallout 4
Other places in Fallout 4’s Commonwealth that share the exact names of real places include Lake Quannapowitt, Lake Cochituate, Walden Pond, Paul Revere House, the Dorchester Heights Monument, the Massachusetts State House, and the Boston Public Library.
There are some landmarks or locations in Fallout 4 that heavily resemble real-life Massachusetts places but are not named as exactly the same thing.
For example, the Charlies View Amphitheater in Fallout 4 is based off of the Hatch Shell on the Charles River Esplanade in Boston.
Another example would be the Museum of Witchcraft in Fallout 4’s Commonwealth is in the same geographic location as the Salem Witch Museum in Massachusetts.
There are also notable absences in the game’s version of the Greater Boston Area like the complete lack any real-life universities.
Todd Howard, the game director for Fallout 4, said to GameSpot in 2015 that Bethesda Game Studios chose Boston because it was foreshadowed in a previous game as well as another reason.
“And we felt that Boston has the right mix of American history and high-tech,” he said to GameSpot. “It’s very good for Fallout.”
Rin Velasco is a trending reporter. She can be reached at rvelasco@usatodayco.com.
