The Project Valkyrie mod for Fallout 4 describes itself as a “huge quest/companion adventure” which is like saying that Fallout 4 is a game. That’s exactly what it is but doesn’t quite grasp all of it. It is part of what its author, Thuggysmurf, describes as the Thuggyverse. It’s part of a collection of Fallout 4 Quest mods that radically change the way the plot progresses by adding new dialogue and characters, and as a collective, they do it better than anything else.
The other mods in the Thuggyverserange from Depravity, which allows the player to be a morally bankrupt psychopath to Outcasts and Remnants, which adds five new factions to the Commonwealth. All of them are worth playing by themselves but they change the game massively as a collective.
What the Fallout 4 Project Valkyrie (and the Thuggyverse) Quest Mod Changes in the Game
Elder Maxon saying a new line of dialogue.
Picture credit: Thuggysmurf on the Fallout 4 Nexus
Picture credit: Thuggysmurf on the Fallout 4 Nexus
The alterations that the Thuggyverse makes to the game are especially impressive considering what Fallout 4’s original story was like. While the game launched to positive reviews, there was plenty of criticism levelled at the game for how it limited the player’s options for roleplaying and their ability to impact the world.
Sure, the Sole Survivor could pick one of four factions to end the game with but not all of these factions are mutually exclusive. Considering the amount of influence the Sole Survivor could wield by the end of the story, it’s hard to believe that they couldn’t have metaphorically or literally slapped some sense into the different factions that they work with.
One of the endings even has them leading the institute but unable to force them to work for the benefit of the commonwealth.
The Thuggyverse addresses that issue. Fallout 4’s Project Valkyrie fully embraces the influence that the Sole Survivor has over the factions that they assist and they can enact meaningful change. It uses factions from Outcasts and Remnants to mess around with the vanilla factions.
In my own playthrough, one of the Outcasts and Remnants factions, the Brotherhood of Gold, can be used to depose the Brotherhood of Steel. In someone else’s playthrough, they could do away with Brotherhood of Steel by just blowing up the Prydwen, their headquarters, using the Depravity mod.
The player’s interactions with existing characters are changed dramatically as well. It is possible to give Father the proverbial middle finger during conversations and refuse to acknowledge him as your son. Similarly, Preston can be exiled or executed by the player, removing him from the game.
The sweeping changes to Fallout 4’s quest structure let the player have the control of the story that the plot suggests that they could have. It’s possible to be the general of the Minutemen and lead the Institute at the same time which only makes sense. The player can control enough of the Institute’s operations to stop them from doing anything that would upset the Minutemen.
It’s also worth noting that Fallout 4 Project Valkyrie manages to recut all of the existing dialogue to suit the new conversations. It’s honestly amazing to observe in action and makes it integrate so much better with the original main questline.
What the Thuggyverse adds
One of the new NPCs having a serious discussion in a strip club.
Picture credit: Thuggysmurf on the Fallout 4 Nexus
Picture credit: Thuggysmurf on the Fallout 4 Nexus
Everything mentioned above is about how Thuggysmurf’s Fallout 4 quest mods serve to change the way that Fallout 4’s main questline functions. What is just as important is the ways that they add new content for the sake of it.
Not only is there an entire new region in the game added with the Fusion City mod, the different Thuggyverse mods add new dungeons and buildings for players to look through. Not only do they contain some challenging combat encounters but they introduce some fan-made lore that seamlessly fits in Fallout 4 by being both well-researched and entertaining to read.
The Thuggyverse is also more light hearted than Fallout 4’s story in its own way.
The writing is at times immature, hilarious, and a little R-Rated. While it shines most in Depravity, some parts of it present in the main quest line border on glorious stupidity. One notable example would be striking a deal with a strip club that allows them to set up in the Institute proper which doesn’t get old. Neither does hearing an NPC tell Elder Maxon to get freaky with the locals.
Most of this article has been talking about the story changes but the mods add their own companions. Some, like Valkyrie, are wholly unique and bring new perspectives to the game. There are a few children to bring onto the battlefield which raise some eyebrows but are an interesting addition. And then there is Liberty Prime. Fallout 4’s iconic giant robot can, under the right conditions, become a follower as well in all its nuke-throwing glory.
Final thoughts on Fallout 4 Project Valkyrie
Project Valkyrie and the other Thuggyverse mods are some of the finest Fallout 4 quest mods one can find. Not only do they make the main quest more interactive than before, they add new lore to the game and new areas to explore. The writing is good and even hilarious at times. It’s a must-have if you’re a returning Fallout player that wants to try out some mods.