8 hidden mechanics Fallout 4 never tells you about

There are a lot of hidden Fallout 4 mechanics that are basically secrets the game barely mentions - if you find out about them at all it's usually by accident. From things like a simple cover system, to dressing your companions or using them as extra storage. It's a mildly annoying side-effect of Fallout 4's colossal sandbox freedom that some convenient basic abilities aren't communicated well to players. Since it's near impossible to figure this all out by yourself, we've highlighted nine Fallout 4 hidden mechanics that might just make survival a little easier. And, we've also got some general Fallout 4 tips to help you learn more, faster

1. Fallout 4 has a cover system

On first glance, Fallout 4 appears to be one of those shooters where the full range of motion is either bolt upright or crouch, while Raiders contort into cover and blind fire back at you. However, there's actually a cover system the game never really tells you about. As explained here, when you walk next to a corner, your gun will dip slightly - a quiet visual cue that you're now technically in cover. Hit your iron sights (LT/L2/Right Mouse) and you'll see your character now leans out of cover and ducks back when you stop. 

2. You can grab and move objects

Fallout 4 does have a grab function like previous games but the buttons have been swapped - hold your interact button (A/X/E), and whatever interactive item you're pointing at will suddenly begin to float, letting you reposition it at will. With Fallout 4 enemies' new tendency to come running after hearing you clatter over a kitchen's worth of Old World saucepans, it can even be a handy stealth option - just grab any obstacles and pop them down out of clumsy foot range.

3. Your Pip-Boy has a flashlight

This is a classic thing the entire Fallout series never seems to mention - your Pip-Boy has a light on it you can use like a torch. Hold the button you'd usually tap to bring the Pip-Boy up (B/Circle/Tab) and you'll begin emitting nuclear-powered light, co-ordinated with whatever UI colour you've chosen. Every suit of Power Armour also comes with its own headlamp accessed in the same way - and you can change what kind of light you want by heading to the Helmet section in a Power Armour crafting station.

4. Use Supply Lines to move resources between settlements 

If you're going to spend time building a sizeable settlement this is really helpful - grab the first rank of the Local Leader perk in the Charisma section and you'll be able to send supply caravans between settlements. Supply caravans mean that connected settlements pool their Workshop contents - enter Workshop mode, highlight a spare Settler, and you'll see an option for Supply Line pop up at the bottom of the screen. Hit the button and choose which settlement to send them to - as soon as their name changes to Provisioner you'll be able to share resources. My tip - Sanctuary comes with a ton of wood and steel, making it the ideal place to pair with any fledgling settlement.

5. You can holster your weapon to avoid upsetting people 

Holding the reload button (X/Square/R) has your character put away their gun which. This has two benefits: firstly, you'll move slightly faster. It's not a huge speed boost but it's there and will make long journeys slightly shorter. It can also calm NPCs you might have upset. If you've accidentally started a fight you didn't meant to, put the gun away and see if people calm down.   

6. Use your companions for extra inventory space

All of your companions are, secretly, musclebound freaks that can carry anything you pile on to them. Talk to whichever companion has joined you and select the Trade option to bring up their inventory. You can then scroll through your items and load them up with all the heavy, over encumbering gear you don't want to carry. Having a companion effectively more than doubles the amount you can carry. The Trade menu serves an altogether more cosmetic function, too...

Looking for more help with Fallout 4? Check out our other guides:

• Fallout 4 Comic Book and Magazine locations guide
• Fallout 4 Holotape Game locations guide
• The best Fallout 4 mods for Xbox One, PS4, and PC
• The best Fallout 4 settlements.

7. You can dress and arm your Companions

You can dress your companions up in much of the clothing you can find in the world, ore give them guns you want them to use. Trade them some clothes or weapons and, if they're useable, an Equip prompt will appear at the bottom of the screen. Hit that (Y/Triangle/T) and they'll dress and fight how ever you want. Certain items even work on non-human companions. Dogmeat can wear more than you'd think from light armour to welding goggles, and Codsworth has a penchant for hats. Although he's a bit picky - he'll wear bowlers, but not fedoras for some reason.

8. You can tag crafting resources for search

If you need to find a specific material while crafting, a prompt to 'Tag For Search' will appear. Hit that, and any time you highlight junk containing that material in the world, a magnifying glass symbol will appear next to its name, indicating that you've hit paydirt. It makes it much easier when you're scanning trough tons of useless garbage to notice what's useful.