Let's be real: Bethesda kinda dropped the ball on the Enclave in Fallout 4. Sure, we got some X-01 power armor scattered around and a few mentions in the Far Harbor DLC, but the big bads of the wasteland were mostly a memory. Then came America Rising 2 - Legacy of the Enclave. It isn't just a mod. It's basically a massive, professional-grade expansion that stitches the Enclave back into the Commonwealth in a way that feels like it was always supposed to be there.
I’ve spent hundreds of hours in the Commonwealth. Most of that time was spent wondering why I couldn't join the "villains" who actually have a plan for the country, even if that plan is a bit... genocidal. Thomas_Mitchell and his team didn't just add a few quests. They rewrote the rules of the game.
What is America Rising 2 and Why Does It Matter?
If you played the original America Rising from 2017, you know the drill. You find a cryopods, you wake up some Enclave remnants, and you start rebuilding. But the sequel? It’s a complete overhaul. We’re talking 24 major quests. Fully voiced characters. A literal oil rig.
The mod integrates directly into the main questline of Fallout 4. This is the part people usually get wrong—they think it’s a post-game thing. It’s not. You can actually finish the entire game as the Enclave, blowing up the Institute or the Brotherhood of Steel in the name of the United States Government. It’s wild.
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The Lore Integration is Actually Insane
The writing here bridges the gap between Fallout 2, Fallout 3, and the current Commonwealth. You aren't just a random soldier. You are helping General Ward—voiced with incredible gravitas, by the way—re-establish a foothold.
The story starts at the Government Monitoring Station 1-AF, a location most players probably walked past a dozen times without thinking twice. Once you kick things off, the mod introduces the "Atlantic Caves" and eventually the "Oil Rig." Yeah, a freaking Oil Rig off the coast of the Commonwealth. It’s a massive world space. It feels heavy. It feels official.
How It Changes the Power Dynamic
Usually, the Commonwealth is a three-way tug of war between the Minutemen, the Brotherhood, and the Railroad. The Institute is the boogeyman in the basement. America Rising 2 adds a fifth chair to that table.
If you side with the Enclave, the world reacts. You'll see Enclave patrols in the wild. You’ll have Vertibirds that actually look like the classic VB-02 models from the West Coast.
- The Brotherhood Rivalry: This is the highlight. Maxson’s Brotherhood sees themselves as the inheritors of the old world. The Enclave is the old world. The dialogue when these two factions clash is some of the best fan-written content in gaming history.
- Settlement Integration: You can actually establish Enclave outposts. It’s not just about the shooting; it’s about the logistics of reclaiming a continent.
Honestly, the sheer volume of voice acting—over 8,000 lines—is what sells it. You don't get that "mod jank" where a character sounds like they're recording in a bathroom. It’s crisp. It’s professional.
The Technical Reality: Compatibility and Stability
You can't just slap a mod this big into a 300-mod load order and expect it to work perfectly. Well, actually, you can, but you need to be smart about it. America Rising 2 is surprisingly stable because the authors built it with modern scripting standards.
It plays nice with the "Next Gen" update Bethesda pushed out, which was a huge relief for everyone. If you’re using other faction overhauls like We Are The Minutemen or Sim Settlements 2, you’ll want to check for patches, but generally, the mod stays in its own lane until the main quest intersections.
Some Things to Watch Out For
- The Point of No Return: Just like the vanilla factions, there is a moment where you can't go back. If you commit to the Enclave, the Brotherhood is going to hate you. Fast.
- The Voice Protagonist: Since the Sole Survivor's voice lines are limited to what Bethesda recorded, the mod uses clever editing and some high-quality AI-assisted voice matching (with permission/ethical standards) to make your character actually say things relevant to the Enclave. It’s seamless.
- Hardware Tax: The Oil Rig is a dense cell. If you’re playing on a potato, you might see some frame drops there.
Why People Keep Coming Back to the Enclave
There is a specific fantasy in Fallout about "restoring order." The Minutemen are too disorganized. The Brotherhood is too cult-ish. The Institute is too detached. The Enclave offers this dark, polished vision of a return to "normalcy."
America Rising 2 leans into the moral ambiguity. Are you a hero for bringing electricity and security back? Or are you a monster for the "purification" protocols? The mod doesn't always give you an easy answer. It lets you play the role of a patriot or a tyrant.
Specific Quest Highlights (No Spoilers)
There is a mission involving a pre-war transmission that genuinely gave me chills. It’s quiet. It’s eerie. It reminds you that Fallout is, at its heart, a ghost story about a dead world. Then, five minutes later, you're in a firefight with X-02 Power Armor and plasma rifles, and it's pure high-octane action.
The balance is just right.
Getting Started: Actionable Steps for Your Next Playthrough
If you're ready to stop being a "General" for the Minutemen and start being a "Soldier" for the United States, here is exactly how to handle the installation.
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First, clear out your old save. This mod is deep. It touches the main quest. While you can install it mid-game, you’ll miss the natural integration of the early Enclave encounters. Start fresh.
Second, grab the "Enclave X-02" and "Hellfire" Power Armor mods from the Creation Club or Nexus. America Rising 2 actually recognizes if you have these installed and integrates them into the leveled lists of the soldiers. It makes the faction look cohesive.
Third, look for the "Remnants" patch if you use other Enclave-centric mods. You don't want three different versions of the Enclave running around the Commonwealth—it breaks the immersion.
Finally, head toward the Government Monitoring Station near the Glowing Sea once you hit level 10-15. That’s the sweet spot. The enemies there aren't a joke, so bring some stimpaks and a high-caliber rifle.
The mod is available on both PC (Nexus Mods) and Xbox. Sadly, PlayStation users are out of luck due to Sony's restrictions on external assets—which is a shame, because the custom assets in this mod are top-tier.
Installation Order Recommendation:
- Fallout 4 Script Extender (F4SE) - PC Only
- Address Library for F4SE Plugins
- The actual America Rising 2 file
- Any patches for environmental mods like True Storms or NAC X
Once you're in, don't rush. Talk to the NPCs on the Rig. Read the terminals. The world-building is where the real value lies. You aren't just playing a mod; you're playing the version of Fallout 4 that should have been released back in 2015.