No, it’s not the setup for a gag, it’s a legitimate query: how do I get to Far Harbor in the new Fallout 4 DLC?
First things first, you’re going to need to actually own the add-on; this isn’t one of those free updates like the hard-as-nails Survival mode. You can buy Far Harbor individually for $24.99 / £19.99 – which for such a massive add-on, bigger than most games, isn’t really bad value – but if you pick up the season pass, or already own it, then it’s included in there too.
Far Harbor unlocked today, at various times depending where you are internationally, but it should be available for everyone to download now. If you start your game of Fallout 4 and visit the ‘add-ons’ section in the main menu, you can see what DLC is currently installed; if you can’t see Far Harbor listed, then you might want to check your downloads in whichever platform you’re using, and try restarting the game (or rebooting your device, at a push).
Once you’re all set from a technical perspective, you’re going to need to actually find it in-game. In the past access to DLC has been a little disjointed – it might have been selectable from a menu or visitable as a transfer point in the game world, often visible but inaccessible until the DLC unlocks – but Bethesda have done a cracking job of integrating Fallout 4’s DLC into the world, with Wasteland Workshop being seamlessly available, Automatron triggered by a new radio station in the Commonwealth, and Far Harbor? You get to Far Harbor via one of the game’s many quest-lines.
Specifically you’ll need to have completed ‘Getting a Clue’ in the main quest, which involves finding, rescuing, and befriending Diamond City’s finest private dick, Nick Valentine. Once you’ve done that you’ll have access to cases in the Valentine Detective Agency’s workload, which generally involves Nick’s secretary, Ellie, sending you off to solve mysteries. Which usually means finding people/things in the Commonwealth. Yay, fetch quests!
The quest you’ll want, to allow you to get to Far Harbor, will send you off to the Nakano residence, which is in the North-East of the Commonwealth. When you head there, you’ll find a boat, and you’ll be able to make your way to Far Harbor – the largest landmass Bethesda have ever created for add-on content – for paranoia, synths, and even deadlier mutated creatures. Just don’t make the mistake of heading over there and thinking you’re ready just because you’ve completed the ‘Getting a Clue’ quest: you might be as low as level 10 for ‘Getting a Clue’ and you’re going to want to be seriously tough and well-equipped before you go off to Far Harbor.