Factions play a huge role in the overarching story of Fallout 4. The fate of the Commonwealth hangs on whoever seizes control over it, and while the wasteland is bad enough with all the mutants and marauders, it can still get worse depending on who's sitting on top.
Out of the four major factions in the game, the Brotherhood of Steel and the Institute are arguably the most threatening ones. Both are capable of full-scale, head-on war, and unless players want to beat Fallout 4 with a rolling pin, they can get themselves some great guns and gear by committing to one of these groups. If you're not sure which faction is stronger or has the moral high ground, here's a quick look at both of them.
Fallout 4: The 15 Hardest Encounters In The Entire Game
Fallout 4 may not be as difficult as the series' first few entries, but there are certainly a few enemies able to give players a run for their money.
Fallout 4: Should You Side With The Brotherhood Or The Institute?
Players can join all factions in Fallout 4 with no consequences until they reach certain points of no return.
The faction you decide to commit to will ultimately have a direct impact on the ending of Fallout 4. Apart from this, you'll also gain benefits related to each faction, from access to their unique gear, entry to their bases, and other perks. However, to sum things up, joining the Brotherhood of Steel is generally the better option for both roleplaying and practical perspectives.
The Brotherhood of Steel and the Institute are similar in one way: they both want to improve the Commonwealth, but they don't exactly have the best intentions in mind for the people of the wasteland. Here's an overview of these two factions, including the gameplay benefits they provide for you.
The Brotherhood of Steel
This highly-militaristic organization's main agenda is to collect and preserve technology in hopes of preventing man from causing another apocalypse. Led by Elder Maxson, the Brotherhood of Steel's main goal in the Commonwealth is the complete eradication of Synths, robots designed to pass as humans. They believe Synths are abominations, and that their continued existence will eventually push humanity to the brink of extinction once again.
Members of the Brotherhood are armed with top-of-the-line weapons and equipment. Joining them grants you access to said equipment, including some of the best Power Armor suits in Fallout 4. After players finish the Show No Mercy quest given by Elder Maxson, they'll also be able to call in Vertibird aircraft, which they can ride and use to travel to different locations on the map.
This group is present in almost every in the Fallout series. Even so, the Brotherhood of Steel is not a benevolent faction — they will save the Commonwealth even if it means sacrificing a few people. Its members are not afraid to use force as a means to meet their goals, and the Commonwealth will likely end up as a totalitarian state under the Brotherhood's governance.
The Institute
The Institute is a secret society of scientists with a long history that aims to rebuild the wasteland using their advanced technology, albeit with no regard for ethics or human life. They are often referred to as the Boogeyman of the Commonwealth due to their tendency to kidnap people and replace them with Synths.
Joining the Institute grants you the ability to use Synth Relay Grenades, which will summon friendly Synths to help you out in a fight. You'll also get access to faction-specific gear sold by their vendors. Neither of these amount to much, however, as the common Synth's combat prowess isn't that impressive, and you can always call back up from the Minutemen, assuming you signed up with them.
Becoming a member of the Institute won't do anything for morally-upright players either. This faction does not care about the people of the wasteland. They don't even care for their own Synths either. The Institute creates their own creations, even the sentient ones, like mere tools. All this implies that if this organization was to take over the Commonwealth, the people of the wasteland will all suffer one way or another.
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
