You're standing in a neon-blue digital void. You’ve already spent forty minutes moving blocks. Your eyes are starting to twitch from the humming sound effect that loops every six seconds. If you’re playing the Far Harbor DLC, you know exactly where this is going. We're talking about DiMA Memory 5, the final hurdle in the "Best Left Forgotten" quest that has driven more Fallout 4 players to look up console commands than perhaps any other moment in the game.
It’s a weird departure. Suddenly, the post-apocalyptic RPG becomes a tower defense puzzle game. Honestly, it's a bit jarring. While the first four memories are relatively straightforward—mostly a warm-up for your spatial reasoning—the fifth one is a sprawling, multi-layered mess that requires a genuine strategy. It’s not just a puzzle; it’s a test of patience.
What's actually happening in DiMA Memory 5?
By the time you reach this stage, you’ve learned the basics. You need to direct a beam of code (the green light) into a firewall (the red block) using relay blocks. Then, your little bug-like sprites need to travel to the yellow data column and bring the data back to the start. In the first few levels, this is a breeze. In memory 5, the scale explodes.
The goal here isn't just about unlocking a bit of dialogue. Completing this memory reveals the location of the Marine Combat Armor, which is widely considered the best non-power armor set in the entire game. If you want that high-tier protection, you have to play the block-moving game. There’s no way around it unless you’re on PC and feel like "cheating" with the setstage command. But for the purists and console players, you're stuck in the grid.
Most people get stuck because they try to solve it like a flat puzzle. It's not. It's three-dimensional. You have to build bridges. You have to look up. If you miss one relay block placement, your beam shoots off into the digital abyss, and you’re back to square one.
The biggest mistakes people make in the simulation
One of the most common pitfalls is hoarding blocks. You start with a limited supply, and it’s tempting to try and save them "just in case." Don't. You need to use your code blocks to build height. Many players get frustrated because they can’t find a path for the beam, not realizing they need to stack three or four blocks just to get the relay to the right elevation.
Another thing? Ignoring the sentries. Those little black spheres that pop up to shoot your bugs? They’re annoying. If your bugs die, they respawn, but it resets the data transfer progress. You need to place your turrets strategically. Not just anywhere—put them near the spawn points of the sentries and along the path your bugs take. If you don't protect the "return" trip, you'll be sitting there for twenty minutes watching your progress bar hover at 10%.
Breaking down the beam path
Basically, you have to redirect the beam across several gaps. The first gap is easy. The second one requires you to reach a platform that's way off to the side. Most players forget that you can pick up blocks you’ve already used if you find a more efficient route. It’s a bit like Minecraft but with higher stakes and much more frustrating physics.
You’ll encounter a massive wall that seems impenetrable. The trick is usually finding the "Refraction Block" hidden on a distant pillar. You have to bridge out to it, grab it, and bring it back. If you lose your orientation, just look at where the green light is coming from. Follow the light. It sounds poetic, but in this level, it’s the only thing keeping you sane.
Is the reward even worth the headache?
Let’s be real. The story bits you get from DiMA are heavy. They involve the nuclear launch keys, the wind turbine kill switch, and some pretty dark secrets about the origins of certain characters. But for many, the real prize is that Marine Combat Armor.
This armor is heavy. It's bulky. But the damage resistance is insane. Once you finish memory 5, several markers will appear across the Far Harbor map. These are underwater shipments. You’ll need to swim down (hope you have the AquaBoy/AquaGirl perk or some Mirelurk cakes) to retrieve the pieces.
- Zao’s Submarine Legacy: The armor feels like a relic of a pre-war military project.
- Defense Stats: It rivals some lower-end Power Armor sets without needing Fusion Cores.
- Customization: You can mod it to be "Inquisitor" or "Zealot" style depending on your faction loyalty.
If you’re playing on Survival Mode, this armor is almost a necessity for the DLC’s tougher areas. The Fog is no joke, and the creatures in Far Harbor hit way harder than the Raiders in the Commonwealth.
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Why Bethesda chose this mechanic
It’s an interesting experiment, right? Bethesda often tries to break up the "shoot, loot, repeat" cycle. We saw it with the lockpicking and hacking minigames, but DiMA’s memories were a step further. They wanted something that felt like "entering a computer."
The community reaction was... mixed. Some loved the change of pace. Others felt it was a momentum killer. If you’re in the middle of a high-stakes political drama between the Children of Atom and the people of Far Harbor, spending an hour moving blue cubes feels weird. It’s the "Water Temple" of the Fallout franchise.
The "Skip" Method (No Mods Required)
There is a sort of "glitch" or "pro-strat" for those who absolutely hate this. You can actually bypass some of the beam-moving by placing your turrets right next to the final firewall. Sometimes, the turrets' projectiles can trigger the sensors if you angle them perfectly. It’s finicky. It’s buggy. But it’s very Fallout.
Honestly, though, the "correct" way is faster if you just settle into the rhythm. Turn off the game music, put on a podcast, and just focus on the blocks.
Final Strategy for the Data Path
When you finally get the beam to the last firewall, don't relax. The bug AI is notoriously janky. They might get stuck on a corner of a block you placed. If you see a bug running into a wall, you need to go over there and smooth out the path. Build a wider bridge. Think of yourself as a digital civil engineer.
The bugs need a clear, two-block-wide path to be safe. Anything narrower and they tend to fall off or glitch out. Once they start carrying those glowing yellow cubes back to the start, keep your turrets active. The game will spawn more sentries for the final 20% of the download.
Moving forward after Memory 5
Once you exit the simulation, you’re hit with a wall of quest updates. You now have the leverage to decide the fate of the entire island. You can confront DiMA, you can tell the High Confessor the truth, or you can keep it all secret and maintain a shaky peace.
The weight of the data you just stole is massive. It’s the climax of the DLC’s narrative. Was it worth the hour of moving blocks? Usually, yes. The narrative payoff in Far Harbor is arguably better than the main quest of the base game. It deals with identity, memory, and the morality of "peace at any cost."
Actionable Next Steps for Players:
- Check your inventory: Ensure you have at least 15-20 code blocks before attempting the final bridge in Memory 5. If you ran out, look behind the starting pillars; there are often extras tucked away.
- Save immediately: The simulation can be buggy. Save your game before you enter the terminal and right after you exit.
- Equip Radiation Gear: Once you get the coordinates for the Marine Armor, the swim is deep and radioactive. Have your Rad-X or Lead-Lined suits ready.
- Visit the Nakano Residence: If you haven't talked to the parents lately, do it after this quest. It adds a lot of closure to the "finding Kasumi" arc that started this whole mess.
You’re done with the cubes. Now go deal with the monsters in the fog. That's the easy part.