You just stepped out of Vault 111. The sun is blinding, the world is a skeleton of its former self, and honestly, you’re probably just looking for your kid. But then you wander into Concord. You hear gunfire. Someone is yelling from a balcony. Suddenly, you’re knee-deep in When Freedom Calls Fallout 4, the quest that basically defines whether you’re going to love or hate the next hundred hours of your life.
It's a weird one.
Most players remember it as the "Deathclaw fight" or the moment they met Preston Garvey, the man who would eventually haunt their dreams with talk of settlements needing help. But looking back at it in 2026, there’s a lot more nuance to this early-game mission than we gave it credit for back in 2015. It’s the gatekeeper. It’s the moment Bethesda decides to hand you a suit of Power Armor and a Minigun—tools that used to be late-game rewards—and says, "Go nuts."
The Concord Meat Grinder
When you first roll into Concord, the atmosphere is actually pretty tense. You’ve got Raiders everywhere. They aren't just targets; they’re the first real test of the game’s improved shooting mechanics. If you're playing on Survival mode, this walk up the main street is terrifying. One stray molotov and it’s back to the Red Rocket for you.
Inside the Museum of Freedom, the vibe shifts. You meet the remnants of the Quincy survivors. This is where the writing gets a bit heavy-handed, but it works for setting the stakes. You’ve got Preston, Sturges, Marcy Long (who we all grew to tolerate... maybe), and Mama Murphy. They’re desperate. They're trapped. And they need you to jump off a roof in a metal suit.
The technical design here is clever. Bethesda uses this quest to teach you three things simultaneously: verticality, resource management (that Fusion Core won't last forever), and the sheer scale of the threats in the Commonwealth.
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That Infamous Deathclaw
Then comes the centerpiece. The pavement ripples, the ground bursts open, and a Deathclaw lunges out of the sewers.
In previous games, seeing a Deathclaw at level 3 meant you were dead. Period. Load your last save. But in When Freedom Calls Fallout 4, the game wants you to feel like a god for exactly three minutes. It’s a power fantasy hook. You’re shredding hide with 5mm rounds, feeling invincible, until you realize the armor is broken and you're out of ammo.
Some veterans hated this. They felt it "cheapened" the Power Armor. I get that. But from a pacing perspective? It’s a brilliant way to show the player what they could be if they put in the work later on. It’s a teaser trailer you can play.
Why the Museum of Freedom Matters for Your Build
If you’re rushing through this quest, you’re missing out on the most important item in the room. The Perception Bobblehead is sitting right there on a desk near Preston. Grab it. Don't be the person who has to backtrack three hours later because they realized their V.A.T.S. accuracy is trash.
There's also a copy of RobCo Fun featuring the Atomic Command holotape game. It’s a small detail, but it’s these little distractions that make the Museum feel like a lived-in space rather than just a shooting gallery.
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The loot here isn't just about the Minigun. You’re picking up your first real set of leather armor pieces from the Raiders. You're grabbing chems. You're learning that in the Commonwealth, you loot everything that isn't nailed down.
The Preston Garvey Dilemma
Let’s talk about the man himself. Preston Garvey is the face of this quest.
When you complete When Freedom Calls Fallout 4, you’re essentially signing a contract to become the General of the Minutemen. At the time, it feels noble. You’re rebuilding society! You’re the hero! Then, twenty hours later, you realize Preston has an infinite supply of maps and a very specific interest in farms you’ve never heard of.
But honestly? The Minutemen are the most flexible faction for a first-time player. They don’t have the baggage of the Brotherhood of Steel’s techno-fascism or the Institute’s "we're better than you" attitude. They're just people with muskets. This quest is the only time the Minutemen feel truly underdog-ish and cool before they become a logistics management simulator.
Technical Glitches to Watch Out For
Look, it’s a Bethesda game. Even years later, this quest can bug out.
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Sometimes the Raiders won't spawn. Sometimes Preston refuses to open the door because he's stuck in a dialogue loop about the "good old days." If you're on PC, the console command sqs Min01 is your best friend to see where the quest stages are hanging up. If you're on console, sometimes the only fix is to clear the Raiders outside completely before entering the building. Don't leave one hiding behind a car blocks away, or the script won't trigger the next phase.
The Narrative Weight of the Quincy Survivors
A lot of people ignore the terminal entries in the Museum, but you shouldn't. They tell the story of the "Quincy Massacre." It explains why this group is so small and why they’re so suspicious of outsiders.
It adds a layer of tragedy to the whole thing. These aren't just NPCs; they’re refugees who watched their home burn because of a betrayal within their own ranks. When you lead them back to Sanctuary, you aren't just finishing a quest. You're giving them a second chance. Or a third. Or a fourth, depending on how many times you’ve restarted the game to try a different perk spread.
How to Optimize Your Run
If you want to handle this mission like a pro, stop by the Robotics Disposal Ground north of Concord first. There’s a Fat Man there. Is it overkill for a group of Raiders? Yes. Is it hilarious? Also yes.
Also, keep an eye on your Fusion Core. Don't waste it sprinting around the roof. Walk. Save that energy for the Deathclaw fight. If you run out of juice mid-fight, you become a very heavy, very slow target.
- Scavenge the Red Rocket first: Get those Molotovs. They are game-changers against the grouped-up Raiders inside the museum.
- Focus the legs: If the Deathclaw is giving you trouble, aim for the legs in V.A.T.S. A crippled Deathclaw is just a very angry, very stationary lizard.
- Talk to Mama Murphy: Even if you think the "Sight" is nonsense, her dialogue actually provides some unique flavor text for later main story missions if you interact with her early enough.
This quest is the heartbeat of the early game. It sets the tone for everything that follows—the scrap-gathering, the settlement building, and the realization that the world is a lot more dangerous than a Vault-Tec brochure would lead you to believe.
Actionable Next Steps for Your Playthrough
To make the most of your post-Concord experience, head straight back to Sanctuary and start the "Sturges Tutorial" quests. This is the fastest way to gain a few early levels through basic crafting. Once you hit level 5 or 6, start looking toward Diamond City, but don't ignore the calls for help from the nearby settlements entirely—at least not until you've unlocked a few reliable supply lines. Check your map for the Corvega Assembly Plant next; it's the natural follow-up to your work in Concord, though it’s significantly harder, so bring that extra ammo you scavenged from the museum floor.