Fallout 76 Reviews
Fallout 76 is an ambitious game that's burned by it. The online features hamper what could have been a great Fallout game.
Fallout 76: Steel Reign isn't much to shout about by itself, but it offers a good overview of just how far the game has come since its disastrous launch.
Fallout 76 feels like an atavistic reprisal of a late-2000s MMO.
The much-feared online multiplayer is, surprisingly, almost a non-factor. But the tidal wave of glitches and technical hitches? Deal-breaker
All in all, I dreaded every hour I had to keep playing Fallout 76 for review. As soon as the game was beginning to teeter on fun or interesting, a bug or a frustrating gameplay design element would quickly remind me that the game was otherwise. I'm interested to see whether Bethesda will continue to put work towards making this a somewhat enjoyable experience or if they'll just save their money for Fallout 5.
Brings friends and some patience to enjoy Fallout 76's massive wasteland.
I want to love Fallout 76, namely for its addition of co-op play and the representation of a region dear to my heart. I simply can't. I wouldn't say the latest Fallout title is abysmal or even bad, just very middling. It removes many of the series' strong suits and attempts to make up for it by adding in new mechanics or strengthening lesser ones. That move creates interesting situations, but they don't always pay off for the player. The story falters, the crafting and building doesn't fulfill, and the exploration means next to nothing. Fallout 76 is just barely good at best, when you're jaunting around with your friends. But at its worst, it's vapid, basic, and boring, meaning I'd rather see co-op and the wild and wonderful West Virginia in any other adventure.
Fallout 76 is sure to be a divisive game. I'm confident that most people won't be able to forgive its many flaws, especially those going into it expecting a solo experience similar to Fallout 4, but I also think that those looking for a multiplayer Fallout experience will get a kick out of Fallout 76, particularly once Bethesda patches some of the game's most glaring bugs. As much as I'd like to be able to tell you that this title is terrible or amazing, the truth is that it's just okay.
If you enjoy multiplayer games of this type and are willing to overlook the engine anomalies, you may find yourself rapidly addicted to the game's exploration density and loot systems. If you're easily frustrated by bugs and issues, you may want to sit tight a bit to see what Bethesda does to polish things up, cus oh boy, it could use a bit right now. If you're a fan of the single player, branching narrative the series is known for, you'll want to wait for Fallout 5.
On the dawn of Reclamation Day I left Vault 76, weary eyed and slightly optimistic about the journey that laid ahead of me in West Virginia.
Half-baked conflict ideas and witless quests to unearth the dead – this soulless sequel is perfect if you enjoy picking up rubbish in a wasteland
Post-apocalyptic West Virginia is described as a “wasteland,” and this term paints an inadvertent but accurate picture of what Fallout 76 is right now.
Maybe they can turn this game around. Maybe they can fix the bugs, add some actual life into the world, and make it to where playing with friends is more than just a co-op buddy. They did a lot for Elder Scrolls Online, maybe they can do it here, but I’ll be the first to tell you to wait until that happens before taking these country roads home.
The bottom line is that Fallout 76 was an experiment that was created on an outdated engine incapable of implementing the vision Bethesda has for it. This has led the game into a full blown identity crisis, as it doesn't really play well as a single-player game, sucks at PvP, with its only saving grace being its multiplayer experience, specifically with friends. Sometimes it's better to be great at one thing than good (or not so good) at many things. Promised updates in the future may eventually get the game where it needs to be, but as of today, it's not what fans wanted or expected.
While I applaud taking a chance on a crazy idea, Fallout 76 would undoubtedly have been a better and more engaging experience as a traditional open world RPG. As it stands, this is a broken, unfun, and repetitive title that I can’t recommend. And that hurts me to say.
Fallout 76 just barely fulfills its promise of the ability to experience Fallout with friends. However, an overall lack of content and polish will wear down even the most ardent Fallout fans.
The best thing about Fallout 76 is the huge detailed wilderness to explore. If you're a Fallout fan there are definitely things to see and you'll be familiar enough with the story and mechanics to enjoy it. However if this is your first foray or you are expecting a game like Fallout 4 then you might want to wait until a few updates have been released and hope that they fill out the world a bit more with personality and story.