Often thought to be nothing more than a legend, the existence of the pirate colony of Libertalia outside of literature has long been debated. This legendary location has featured an exciting piece of pirate lore in several games, namely,Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag, the strategy gameEuropa Universalis 4, the 2016 titleUncharted 4: A Thief’s End, andFallout 4. However, in the case ofAssassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag, this exciting pirate lore was only mentioned but it did not play any significant part in the game.Uncharted 4features a colony named Libertalia, based entirely on the well-known pirate legend. However, whereas the other games feature the location as an in-game historical location,Fallout 4takes things a notch further with its portrayal of the pirate utopia.
Fallout 4incorporatesthe lore of Libertaliainto its own universe by presenting its own version of the colony. The original Libertalia legend speaks of a free pirate settlement founded by Captain James Misson, where people of all colors, creeds, and beliefs were to be free of any scrutiny. InFallout 4,players encounter a still living breathing post-apocalyptic settlement known as Libertalia, which is basically a Raider Encampment. While other games simply presented this legendary location, the fourthFalloutgame built a post-apocalyptic version of the legend from scratch.
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Why Fallout 4’s Version of Libertalia can be Considered a Great Take on the Pirate Myth
Quite intriguingly, the backstory of this particular Raider Encampment in the gamepresents the birth of piracy in the in-game Libertalia. In a way, the forsaken land led to the redemption of the inhabitants when they turned to nautical raids for their survival. Libertalia was created byWastelanderswho gathered rusted abandoned ships and debris from docks, creating a stronghold. Subsequently, this settlement was inhabited by Minutemen who turned to Mercenary work for a livelihood. However, they ended up being exploited by their employers, and James Wire ultimately tried to establish some sort of a barter system where they would help new settlers in return for food and caps. But as food supplies reached the minimum, it proved to be an impractical plan.
This was when Wire’s people realized it was time to adopt a different alternative to Mercenary work. Two of Wire’s best men started practicing raids on passing caravans. Wire disapproved of the plan so much that he had these two executed, before reluctantly turning to it after caravans repeatedly exploited his men on their escort jobs. Gradually, a post-apocalyptic version of the pirate myth came to life inFallout 4at Libertalia.The nautical stronghold became a fortress for the Raiders, who, by 2283, were being paid off byBunker Hillas protection. However, it subsequently fell under the control of an escaped Synth, Gabriel (or B5-92), at the beginning of the Synth Retention.
Much like the original legend, Libertalia inFallout 4is rich in loot as well. Players can find the seventh issue of the U.S. Covert Operations Manual, a perk magazine that grants the Covert Operations perk to the player. In addition to this, players can findthe Le Fusil Terribles combat shotgunhidden beneath a life preserver, as well as a Mini Nuke in the captain’s cabin in Libertalia. During the Synth Retention, players can get the Libertalia password from Gabriel, which would give them access to the terminal on the ship.
Not only doesFallout 4pay homage to one of the most well-known myths of all time, but it also builds its own story around it and a pretty interesting one at that. While Libertalia has been used by many other games over the years, most of them presented the original myth (Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag) or an existing Libertalia as a historic location (Uncharted 4). However, a Raider encampment built with abandoned ships and debris has pirate written all over it. Moreover, the rusty aesthetic of the raider encampment does its best to present a post-apocalyptic version of the mythical land. Here is where the treatment of the pirate utopia inFallout 4differs from that of the other games.
The title took a well-known myth and recreated it in a way that just fits right in with the setting. Not for once does Libertalia feel like a concept alien to the world ofFallout 4(the game does not have anything to do with pirates and treasures per se).Bethesdasurely deserves kudos for the way the story of Libertalia grew organically within the ongoing plotline, with references to the known history of the original pirate myth. It is not just the replacement of pirates by Raiders, but it also presents what a pirate utopia would look like in the world ofFallout. Stranded Mercenaries turning towards a lifetime of raiding after facing exploitation in their jobs is exactly how one would imagine piracy would be like in a lawless post-apocalyptic world. Sure, the game had its own shortcomings (the abundance of glitches being one of them), but the detailed storyline along with the settings and characters make it, or rather the entireFalloutfranchise, worth its while.
The Elder ScrollsandFalloutaretwo of the most iconic franchises from Bethesda and feature some of the most critically acclaimed storylines. The amount of detail in the background of the Libertalia story arc is one of the examples that go on to prove whyFallouthas always been one of the top-tier post-apocalyptic games.
Fallout 4is out now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
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