Guide to surviving survival difficulty in Fallout 4

Survival difficulty is the ultimate test of a Fallout player. This difficulty setting takes Fallout to a whole new level, making the game as realistic (using the term loosely) as possible.

Just to name a few differences -- you need to eat and drink to stay alive. There is no fast travel, and no saves except when sleeping. Ammo has a carry weight, enemies are not located on the compass, you need to keep your immune system in check. Radaway and stimpacks also have negative effects, and enemies deal more damage.

It can get pretty rough out there. So here are five tips to make life easier when surviving the Commonwealth. 

5. Take things slow

It might seem like a dumb or boring tip, but it is a good one. On survival mode, it is very easy to die -- and with little opportunities to save, death can mean playing long sections over again. Taking things slow and moving at a slower pace can mean the difference between life and death.

Rather than running around and waiting for enemies to shoot at you first, take it slow. Craft a quality sniper rifle and use a silencer. This will allow you to take out enemies at a distance without drawing attention to yourself. Using armor with the shadowed mod also helps. because it will make you harder to detect.

Also, just because you get detected doesn't mean you should stand up and run away. Doing that will draw lots of attention towards yourself and can alert enemies who might not have seen you otherwise. If you are spotted make your way to some form of cover and fight. Remember -- silencers are your friend. 

4. Craft beds and use them often. 

Your best friend in survival mode is a bed. Beds will seem like a godsend for players, because they offer a place to sleep and a place to save the game. When wandering the Commonwealth, beds can be pretty far from one another. So dying will become a pain when you have to replay sections over and over again and you can't find a bed.

If you see a bed use it, regardless of how long ago you used one. Even if you used one two minutes ago, use it again. That's two minutes you don't have to play over again. Always craft a bed at every settlement no matter what -- even if you don't plan on using the settlement or ever sending anyone to it. That's one more bed that you know the location of and it will come in handy, trust me. 

3. Pick up all the pre-war money you find

Pre-war money is one of the most underrated items in Fallout. Not only does it count as cloth when making beds, but it can also be sold for a decent amount of caps. Each piece of pre-war money can be sold at any vendor for 9 caps each, 100 pre-war money and you got yourself 900 caps in the bank. The other good thing about it is that it doesn't weigh a thing, so you can hoard it all you want. 

2. Food is your friends...and it's food

This one is pretty self-explanatory. You need food to survive so collect all the food you see. This includes meat from things that you kill like Radroaches and Deathclaws. Grill up the meat and eat it or save it for a snack on the road. It gives you a lot of health and takes away from your hunger. 

1. Don't use power armor

This one may seem surprising to some of you but stick with me. Power armor is great, don't get me wrong. The stat boosts are a life saver -- and let's be honest, you look like a badass. But, it has its drawbacks as well. Fusion cores have a carry weight on survival mode, and having a lot of them saved up to power your armor can weigh you don't quite a bit.

You are easier to spot in power armor as well, making you a bigger target and easier to hear approaching. It can also break, forcing you to walk somewhere (since there is no fast travel) to fix it and waste your time. It might seem like a crazy thing to do, but you get used to taking cover and taking your time to be careful. 

There you have it, five easy tips to help you survive just a little longer in the Commonwealth. I hope that these tips helped you or someone you know in any way. Good luck and godspeed.