With multiple big factions fighting over the Commonwealth in Fallout 4, it can be hard to pick a side. Each of them have their own idea of what's good for post-apocalyptic Boston, and not all of them are agreeable from a neutral standpoint.
The Railroad and the Institute are very closely tied together. The existence of the former was more or less born out of the actions of the latter, and the friction between the two factions have reached a boiling point over the years. If you aren't sure which Fallout 4 faction to join, here's an overview of the Railroad and the Institute to help you make a choice.
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The following contains spoilers for Fallout 4 endings related to these factions.
Should You Join The Railroad or The Institute in Fallout 4?
Unlike the Brotherhood of Steel in Fallout 4, the Railroad opposes the Institute with the freedom of Synths in mind, not their destruction. They believe that Synths deserve the same rights as humans. Meanwhile, the Institute doesn't care at all about their creations, and they treat Synths as simple slaves and tools for conducting experiments.
Apart from the obvious moral dilemma, the Railroad and Institute both have other perks to offer to players. Here's a closer analysis of the two factions, including the more tangible benefits players can enjoy from them.
The Railroad
As mentioned, the Railroad has the moral high ground here. Their main concern is to help Synths gain freedom. How they achieve this goal, however, can be extreme at times. They aren't afraid to resort to violence in order to achieve their goal, but since they don't have the firepower of the Brotherhood nor the numbers of the Minutemen, they're forced to use stealth and subterfuge as their main weapons.
Joining the Railroad will net you the Deliverer, one of the best pistols in Fallout 4 for stealth builds. They also give you easier access to the Railway Rifle and mods that make regular clothing much more resistant to damage. If you lead the Railroad to victory, the Institute and the Brotherhood will be destroyed, and Synths will roam free in the wasteland, for better or worse.
The Institute
Compared to the Railroad, the Institute is far more advanced in almost every aspect. If you join them, you'll get access to high-tech guns and gadgets, clean food and water, and a fast travel point right in the middle of the map. Progress further into their questline, and you'll get the ability to call Synths as backup.
Lore-wise, victory for the Institute is a net loss for the entire Commonwealth. This organization has never cared for the people of the wasteland, and if you give them more resources, they'll be able to conduct even more unethical experiments and possibly carry out more heinous acts, like the massacre of the CPG in Fallout 4.
Fallout 4
- Platform(s)
- PC , PS4 , PS5 , Xbox One , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S
- Released
- November 10, 2015
- Developer(s)
- Bethesda
- ESRB
- M FOR MATURE: BLOOD AND GORE, INTENSE VIOLENCE, STRONG LANGUAGE, USE OF DRUGS
