Fallout 4 offers players a fair amount of romance options, but one manages to stick out as more impactful than the others. While the main story of Fallout 4 tries to aim for an emotional angle, the story of one character can be particularly heartfelt, especially if they get their happy ending. That story could end with romance if the player is so inclined, and a player who gets invested in them could definitely consider it. It's up to the player whether they get involved or not, but the result is worth the effort.
Even though romances were once planned for Fallout: New Vegas, Fallout 4 was the first game in the series to feature proper romantic arcs for the main character. There is a wide selection of characters that the player can romance, including most of the game's companions and even a couple of NPCs. For the companions, a potential romance is tied to their level of affection towards the player, and they also have personal quests that the player must clear for the romance to begin in earnest as well. If the player manages to pass these prerequisites, the romance will be a success.
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When the player first meets her, Cait is one of Fallout 4's less moral companions. She's angry and aggressive by default and has a fair amount of unpleasant reactions and interactions regarding other characters. This bleeds over into how she feels about the Sole Survivor as well. Cait is actually displeased by frequent acts of kindness and generosity, while being impressed by the player acting violent and occasionally outright cruel. In fact, her appreciation of lockpicking can help more stealthy-thief-like players gain affection with her quickly. While not the game's most evil companion by a long shot, she can definitely come across as unpleasant.
Despite her bad first impression, if the player comes around to learning Cait's backstory in Fallout 4, they will see her in a more sympathetic light. Cait was born to a pair of absolutely dreadful parents who never treated her with an ounce of kindness, destroying her self-esteem. When she turned 18, they sold her into slavery just for the sake of making some extra caps. A horrible life in slavery further convinced her of the world's cruelty, and by the time the player meets her, she's thoroughly bitter towards everyone and everything, her only joys in life being chems and acts of violence.
If the player manages to unlock and complete Cait's companion quest, Benign Intervention, she shows how Fallout 4's companions can improve over time. Her personality becomes less hostile, and her interactions actually change slightly, no longer approving of the player using chems in her presence. For once in her life, someone is genuinely kind to her, and it helps her become a happier person. Adding romance on top of that only makes the complete package even sweeter. Cait suffered more than most characters in the wasteland, so making sure she gets a happy ending is a satisfying note to end on.
Many fans may dislike Cait when they first meet her, and the writers likely expected that due to her initial hostility. However, she has one of Fallout 4's saddest stories, and like most companions in the series, giving her closure is a vital part of the experience. Cait's path to romance may not be as easy as some of the other options, but it'll offer a lot of development on the part of the player as well as Cait herself. Therefore, Fallout 4 players may want to go back and consider giving a Cait romance a chance.
Fallout 4 is available now for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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