You load the game, create your character and begin your epic Fallout 4 adventure only to be thrown into what could possibly be the most challenging moment in the entire game: which faction will you choose to side with? Since this is Fallout 4, you should already know that your decision will affect the kinds of mission you take on and the ending you will experience but don't sue Bethesda for keeping you glued to your game.
Your choice will determine which other factions you can align yourself with and which faction(s) will be wiped out (if any) by who by the end of the game. Of course, each faction has its own set of beliefs and interests and your decisions carry the weight of morality - just like in real life. Still unsure which one to choose? Don't worry, we've got your back.
So what do you have to know in order to get the best experience as you play since, you know, there's no going back once you make your choice... or is there?
Why Choose?
When you play Fallout 4, you will be given the choice to side with one of the four available factions and each of those groups have their own "jobs" to complete. The factions are: The Minutemen, The Brothers of Steel, The Railroad and The Institute. As mentioned above, each of these factions has its own set of beliefs that it strongly adheres to, so that means there are conflicts among them. Your choice will pave the way for one faction to best another, whether by faithfully doing your duty as a member or fulfilling your own agenda. As a hint and spoiler, one faction's path will end in a more ideal state than the others but all paths will end with only two of the factions surviving.
How do you determine which faction would give you the best or worst experience? Well, you have to get to know all four factions and their convictions. That is the biggest clue to the path you'll take.
The Minutemen are probably the most zealous when it comes to building settlements and they're pretty much neutral because they just want to live freely. But of course, that doesn't mean they'll go peacefully with whoever knocks on their door. You'll still get to have an adventure with The Minutemen's missions because, even if they're not as crazy about certain convictions, they will still do what it takes to be able to have a life of freedom.
It doesn't take a genius to figure out that The Brothers of Steel (BoS) are obviously fighters. Just look at their awesome armor and firepower! That said, BoS are pretty passionate when it comes to fighting and they have a hero complex of some sort because they're overly active in collecting pre-war technology in order to save everyone.
The final two factions hold extreme beliefs with each other so you can probably figure out what will happen to the other if you choose to side with one of them.
The Railroad is also concerned about everyone but their "everyone" includes Synths which they insist are sentient beings that also deserve freedom. That said, you should know that they are radicals that would do anything to give Synths their freedom, even itf it means destroying another faction. Basically, joining the Railroad is like saying "Synth freedom is more valuable than human life."
The Institute, being the complete opposite of the Railroad, doesn't care about synths, no matter how human-like they are. They are also the most technologically-advanced out of all the factions and, for them, only biological human life is valuable and there is no need to abolish the slavery of synths because they are machines, even if they display near-human qualities. Siding with The Institute is basically saying "you're either with us or against us and if you're against us, we'll wipe you out even if you are human."
The Ending
Don't worry, we're not going to spoil it. However, we want you to know that one or two paths will allow you to double cross the faction you chose and transfer to another when you play a specific mission. We won't say which, though, but at least you know there's hope in case you change your mind later on.
In case you were wondering, by the end of the game, you'll be the leader of the faction you choose.
